Rare Antique Chinese Campaign Cabinet w/ Hidden Drawers UNIQUE TALL BEAUTIFUL ORIENTAL ANTIQUE DECOR CUPBOARD Start Price USD 3,200.00 Current Price USD 3,200.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, August 27, 2008 End Time Saturday, September 06, 2008 Location Beebe, Arkansas See more about 'Rare Antique Chinese Campaign Cabinet w/ Hidden Drawers' Description                     NOTE:   THE WHITE AREAS IN THE CABINET ARE REALLY  CLEAR GLASS ,  WHICH ARE REFLECTING A STARK WHITE  WALL OPPOSITE. WE PRESENT THIS RARE AND BEAUTIFUL HAND CRAFTED ORIENTAL CABINET  This wonderfully unique Chinese Antique "Campaign" Cabinet was brought to the United States by my widowed friend's husband who was stationed for a time in China while a United States Air Force Colonel, twice, I think she told me:  once in the 1930's and another time in the 1940's.   Her husband was an antique collector and had a keen eye for fine and elegant items.  The wood is very smoothly finished, on the front,  a dark and beautiful all-over walnut-like color,  has a lovely patina.   There are many highly decorative , ornamental brass fittings with carvings of Chinese characters and figurative incised designs.  There are shallow drawers exposed at the top, and in the middle area,  and a row of hidden shallow drawers in the lower section.   (The cabinet is built in two neatly fitting sections, for easier transporting.  One section is hinged, and folds down and outward, opening up the lowest area. The cabinet is  5' 6"  tall,    36  inches wide,   and   16"  deep (measuring front to back) The interior is lined with paper, printed in Chinese characters.  THIS IS TRULY A LOVELY PIECE OF DECORATIVE FURNITURE,   AND WILL BECOME THE FOCAL POINT OF ANY ROOM IN WHICH IT IS PLACED.  Although medium large in size,  it is of a fine and delicate style.  The last photo is of the back side;   I wish the photo were clear enough to show how intricately three panels of wood have been carefully, smoothly fitted together and how a mortise and tenon? construction, visible at the back side, supports the small drawers.  The sides are also 3 wide wood panels, with narrow wood strips or slats about 1 1/4" wide, over the junctures.   But,  now for the *Disclaimer:   I think the piece is distinctively beautiful.   But I do not know at what period of years the Chinese had the equipment to saw and lathe out thin woods for such construction....SO THIS DOES MAKE ME DOUBT MY OWN GUESSTIMATES.  Everything about it is much different from American antique construction details about which I am fairly conversant....so I must say that I am not qualified to guarantee that my ideas about the piece are to be accepted as fact.   Also, I want to add that all but one of the ornamental brass fittings are of the pale gold tone,  and that  one hinge. at top right has apparently been replaced with a hinge, which is a careful copy of the others, but is made of nickel colored brass.  Also one capuchon, or cap on one of the ornate drawer pulls has incised decorative scroll designs,  indicating it is a replacement because all the other, similar caps on the drawer pull fittings have identical Chinese characters molded into the brass.   And a brass pin which should serve as a latch for the large handsome brass fittings   (there's a word for these beautiful brass plates, but I can't recall what it is!)    at lower center is missing from the cabinet.   Otherwise the piece seems to be complete....  I THINK ITS LOVELY.  I ADMIRE THE BEAUTY IN THIS PIECE.  Please email any questions you may have about this piece.   I will try to supply better, close up photos for a serious buyer.  We will not ship this item,  but we will be very happy to help a buyer arrange for picking up this purchase,  for an appointment on a date and time for his convenience.   There are custom van moving companies in a near by town,  who do provide cross country transporting, or furniture moving services;   the name of one of these is I think,  Ozark Moving and Transport trucking company, with a telephone no. and address in Searcy, AR.  ...and a distant buyer may be interested in hiring such service to pick up and deliver.  Please phone me if you are interested in getting an estimate for such services and need help finding the phone numbers for these large moving companies.  (One has moved many of our furniture items,  and have prove to be very reliable, dependable, and take great care in their packing). (Although we are listing this for Buyer Pickup, we may, possibly, be persuaded, by a buyer, to ship this by UPS...) The buyer of this item will have a choice rare antique.  (I am using the term "campaign cabinet"...but am not certain that this is the correct name for this piece).  I think that it could have been built about 1840 or 1850....IF THE CHINESE HAD THE TOOLS FOR THIS PARTICULAR WAY OF WORKING WITH WOOD...BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BUILT IN 1920 ????!!!!.  of that, I am not certain.  I am sure that it well qualifies as a nice antique,  for even if made THAT LATE,  antique is an appropriate adjective.    Place a Bid!