Recently, I purchased this piece of furniture on a lark and don’t have a clue as to what its function is or how old it is. I’m pretty sure it’s of Chinese origin, but don’t know the age. I was told it was a potato bin by the previous owner, and for all I know, that might be just what it is!
I’ve included a picture of the cabinet and the only label I could find on it. Any help would be appreciated!
Here’s a link to the photos on imgur. https://imgur.com/a/Y6PZaUF
No freakin’ idea although it does look like Chinese workmanship. Are there doors that open or is it just a deep box?
Note: there is a lot of “antique” Chinese furniture around that is simply old wood reworked, refinished and labeled “antique”. Not sure if that’s what you have but easily could be. I have two Chinese “antique” cabinets from the 1990s that have a perfect space for a tv, vcr/DVD player underneath, and side drawers that are a perfect fit for DVD cases. Coincidence from 150 years ago or reworked wood, you tell me? 
[quote=“China_Guy, post:2, topic:912853, full:true”]
No freakin’ idea although it does look like Chinese workmanship. [/quote]
What specifically is cluing you into the Chinese workmanship? I’m happy to defer to a user with the name “China Guy,” but have to say that, having seen lots of Chinese antiques and Chinese-inspired furniture in Indonesia, this did not ping my “China meter.” There is a very distinctive type of curved leg that I immediately associate with Chinese workmanship that’s missing here.
I’m not trying to be cantankerous, I can totally believe I’m missing something, as I am in no way an expert. I’m just curious what you can see that I can’t.
ETA - Could it be for storing rice rather than potatoes?
It has two cabinet doors at the bottom that swing out and open, just like a typical cabinet. Down through the open top, just above the doors, on the inside, it has a wood rack made of two pieces, though it looks like one in the photo. So it has an open top, with a wood rack(s) below, and the cabinet doors and area behind them on the inside below the wrack. Here’s a link to more pics: https://imgur.com/gallery/ixkIijK
I’ve seen plenty of that sort of “antique,” too! LOL! That’s what gets me about this piece, is that it really doesn’t seem to fit any function in the modern home that I can see, like a TV stand, lamp stand, bedside table, etc. Unless it was used to store something like vegetables or bags of food. But then, that’s a relatively fancy potato bin!
From what little I know about Chinese furniture, the hinges on the door and the wood joints are pretty typical of Chinese design. I wish I knew someone who knows Chinese shorthand to have a look at that label, that would settle it, at least as to where it was made.
It could certainly be for storing things like vegetables or bagged dried foods or something like that. Maybe even a really nice laundry hamper! I even thought it could be used for something like storing scrolls (scroll art / calligraphy) in the area above the grates, with a space below for putting tools like an inkstone, brushes, etc. in the area behind the cabinet doors on the bottom. I’ve posted two additional pics in the reply to China_Guy above.
Umbrella stand?
Maybe. But it’s a little large for that purpose, at three feet high, and most of the time I see an umbrella stand of Chinese design, it’s porcelain. Also, there’s a cabinet on the bottom, below the wood grates on the inside of this thing. Take a look at the two new pics in my reply to China_Guy.
Yeah, I was thinking the cabinet was for a bowl to catch the water. That would be a bit over engineered, I guess.
Proud you mentioned water. I even thought it could be some sort of wash stand. You could put a large bowl of water at the top for washing, store your change of clothes, towels, etc. on top of the grate, your soaps, shaving utensils or something in the cabinet. A large bowl would rest there on the open top. But most Chinese wash stands aren’t designed like this.
Seriously cool, whatever it is. I love stuff like that!
How big is it?
Guess: it’s a garden composter. You put fresh garden clippings into the hole at the top. It rots. Then you take compost from the door at the bottom. It may have had a lid originally.
I think it’s a towel hamper. I have seen them near hotel pools. You drop the used towels from the top, the cleaning staff later gets it from the bottom.
Old-fashioned icebox that’s lost its metal liner/container for the ice?
It’s about 32.5" high and 17" deep, 17" wide.
That makes sense. It could be a towel hamper or laundry hamper. There’s no marks where it might have been hinged, but some sort of lid could have been placed on top.
Me too! I liked the design and it’s a lot of fun trying to find out just what it is!
That’s a possibility. I’ll take another look to see if there are any marks where the metal lining may have been removed from the wood.
