Photography — SG-CN-001
Stitt Gallery · SG-CN-001 · Vietnam or Southern China
The Piece
An imposing cabinet whose entire front face is given over to mother-of-pearl. Every door and drawer is inlaid with shell, while the sides and top are left as plain, quietly figured hardwood — a deliberate contrast that lets the ornamented front read as a single luminous panel.
The inlay is worked in the East Asian shell tradition — fine pieces of mother of pearl and iridescent abalone, several hand-engraved and a few tinted, set into the dark ground. Within roundels and across the panels are butterflies, prunus blossom and fruiting gourd on the vine, framed by geometric key-fret borders and scattered with figures in garden landscapes.
The form is architectural and compartmentalised, with banks of small doors opening above and below a tier of drawers, over a shaped, inlaid apron and short bracket feet. Carved hardwood pulls in the form of hanging tassels complete the front, and the cabinet retains its original keys. Offered in good antique condition, with scattered losses to the inlay consistent with age and use.
Specifications
| Decoration | Front face Plain panelled sides |
| Height | 109 cm |
| Width | 108 cm |
| Depth | 48 cm |
| Inlay | Mother of pearl & abalone Hand-engraved, partly tinted |
| Hardware | Carved tassel-form pulls; original keys |
| Condition | Good antique Scattered inlay losses, consistent with age |
| Origin | Vietnam or southern China |
| Period | Late 19th / early 20th c. |
| Gallery ref | SG-CN-001 |
Photography — SG-CN-001
Materials & Specification
The decoration is concentrated on the show front, where every door and drawer carries shell inlay, while the sides and top are left as plain figured hardwood. Reserving the ornament for the primary face is a hallmark of better cabinet work meant to be seen against a wall.
Fine pieces of mother of pearl and iridescent abalone are cut, several hand-engraved and a few tinted, then set into the dark ground. The shell shifts colour under changing light, giving the front its characteristic living quality.
Butterflies, prunus blossom and fruiting gourd on the vine appear within roundels and key-fret borders, with figures in garden landscapes — a vocabulary of good wishes: joy and long life, resilience and renewal, abundance and continuity.
The doors are fitted with carved hardwood pulls in the form of hanging tassels, a sculptural detail typical of the tradition. The cabinet retains its original keys.
Made in the dense mother-of-pearl tradition of Vietnam or southern China, late 19th to early 20th century. The exact origin within that tradition is best confirmed by inspection in person, which is welcome.
This piece forms part of our collection of European and Asian antiques available at Stitt Gallery, Poznań.
Where this sits in the market
Public auction results for mother-of-pearl inlaid Asian furniture span a wide range, set by size, age, condition and the firmness of attribution. A few results from the broader tradition, given so the price and quality here can be judged against the open record:
| Bonhams — Chinese blackwood & mother-of-pearl table with four stools, late 19th c. | AU$3,840 ≈ €2,300 |
| Bonhams Skinner — Chinese export black lacquer cabinet, 19th c. | US$5,888 ≈ €5,400 |
| Bonhams — Chinese mother-of-pearl & hardstone inlaid cabinet, 171 cm, 19th c. | £7,200 ≈ €8,300 |
| Bonhams — Mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer cabinet, 17th/18th c. | US$12,800 ≈ €11,800 |
Finer, larger, earlier or fully intact pieces sit at the upper end of that range. This cabinet is a substantial but later example carrying scattered losses to the inlay, and is offered accordingly at €2,350. Auction figures are hammer-plus-premium as published by the houses; euro equivalents are approximate and given only as a guide.
€2,350
This piece is available for private sale. We welcome enquiries from collectors, interior specialists and institutions. Viewing by appointment in Poznań. Shipping to Europe and internationally arranged on request.
Gallery reference: SG-CN-001 · stittgallery.com
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