Dowry chest

Title

Dowry chest

Year/Period

Late 19th or 20th century

Region

Probably China or Southeast Asia

Object Type

wedding chests, chests (case furniture)

Material

wood (plant material), metal

Technique

woodworking, metalworking, woodcarving (process), assembling (additive and joining process)

Dimension

Object size: 109.0 x 94.5 x 69.5 cm

Accession No.

2021-00031

Collection of

Asian Civilisations Museum

Credit Line

Gift in memory of Dr Sylvia Hoe née Lee Seok Keng

This chest is made in the style of dowry chests from the Qing dynasty period. Unlike contemporaneous dowry chests that consisted of stacked compartment boxes, this one is in the form of a cabinet with four shelves.Such chests would have traditionally been used to keep the bride's dowry gifts from her mother and carried as part of the wedding procession accompanying the bride when she moved to her husband's home.