Blanket chest - Travel trunk

Chinese export camphor chest, black lacquered, with figurative decoration and dragons in relief - c. 1920–1940.

Object: chest / coffer / blanket chest
Origin: China, probably Southern China
Most probable possibilities: Hong Kong / Macau / Canton
Era: first half of the 20th century
Dating: c. 1920–1940, probably the 1930s
Context: Chinese Export / Orientalist furniture
Material: camphor wood, with black finish and inlaid carved wood decoration; brass hardware
Dimensions: 61 × 102 × 53 cm

Large Chinese export camphor chest, in camphor wood, featuring a rectangular body raised on four cut-out feet and a black exterior surface, lavishly enriched with carved relief decoration applied in brown-gold wood tones.

The front is particularly exuberant.

At the center rises a large triangular recess defined by fine decorative fillets, containing a scene with two warriors or dignitaries mounted, set within a landscape with traditional architecture, trees and vegetation.

The composition is flanked by two large Chinese dragons, depicted in profile and in motion, among stylized clouds. The dragons are one of the strongest visual elements of the piece and should be highlighted in the listing.

At the upper center sits a large lobed lock plate, probably brass or copper alloy, currently with a strong green-brown patina.

Dragon symbolism: The Chinese dragon is traditionally associated with power, authority, prosperity and good fortune. Its use in pairs and in association with landscapes, warriors or celestial elements is common in Chinese decorative repertoire.

The lid is also interesting; it deserves special attention. It is not a simply flat lid. It has a configuration of inclined corners/shoulders — canting or sloping shoulders — creating a nearly trapezoidal profile between the top panel and the vertical walls of the chest.

On the lid several independent relief scenes unfold:
- warriors;
- figures in motion;
- architecture and landscape;
- trees;
- birds and other naturalistic elements;
- flowering vessels at the ends.

The fine brown-gold fillets extend from the lid to the front and side faces, forming large geometric recesses.

This drawing gives the chest a much more graphic and architectural appearance than the earlier deeply carved camphor chest.

Sides: The two sides are also decorated. One observes small Oriental figures at the center and large vegetal or scroll compositions in the lower corners, again delineated by fillets that form a large triangular recess.

This level of complete decoration is commercially interesting: we are not dealing with a box decorated only on the façade.

Numerous elements carved separately and then applied onto the dark background, producing a true three-dimensional effect. This is different from more vulgar camphor chests where the scene is carved directly into a thick panel.

There are export Chinese furniture pieces from the first half of the 20th century with a black background designed precisely to produce this three-dimensional contrast between the dark surface and applied or strongly raised figures.

Interior: The interior is left practically natural, clearly showing the light camphor wood.

The lid has a fairly simple and robust inner structure. Old handwritten papers are also glued to the inner face of the lid.

These papers may be interesting from a provenance point of view. They may be notes from a previous owner, an inventory, description or documentation associated. Even if they do not add much value, they are part of the chest’s material history.

There is also a removable interior slatted rack, probably later, intended to separate stored objects from the bottom of the chest.

This chest fits within the context of Chinese Export camphor chests that became especially popular in the West in the 1920s–1950s. There are documented examples from Hong Kong c. 1920 produced specifically for export, including pieces marked by local manufacturers.

Condition: Generally in quite good condition, though showing signs of use.