A huanghuali book chest, shuxiang Late Ming – early Qing dynasty | 明末至清初 黃花梨雙開門書箱

Skilfully constructed with plain panels of the highest quality, the present huanghuali book chest displays the contemporaneous artisans’ technical virtuosity and is a superb example of 17th century aesthetics. The late Ming dynasty scholar Zhang Zilie explains in Zhengzitong [Correct character master] that all containers bearing a lid and base with storage purposes can be referred to as 'xiang' (chest), and other examples include the likes of yaoxiang (medicine chest), bingxiang (ice chest), guanpixiang (table-top chest). Especially favoured amongst 17th century scholars, book chests were produced in various forms, with the material and craftsmanship being representative of their owners' status and level of refinement. 

書箱全黃花梨製，通體光素無紋飾。正面對開門，內有一層屜板，榫卯結構角位及邊沿包銅葉，門長方面葉加吊環，兩側安銅提環，箱下有座台。

此書箱嬌小簡樸，用料講究，做工嚴謹，由此可窺見古代文人精緻的生活情趣及追求。晚明名士張自烈著《正字通》曰：「凡可藏物有底蓋者，皆曰箱。」明式家具中箱具種類繁多，有衣箱、藥箱、冰箱、轎箱；書房中有印匣、官皮箱、書箱等，且樣式各異。而各類書箱更是文人雅仕書齋中不可缺少的家具，材質、做工更能顯示主人之身份地位。