Tibetan leather chest

Portable furniture was commonly used in Tibet by nomads and merchants since the use of the Silk Route. many chests were made of yak-leather and decorated with colorful lacquer in Tibetan taste. Chests like these were used to keep valuable belongings while traveling through the rough Tibetan steppe.

This example:
A fine example which dates from the 17th century. The sloped casket consists of hard yak-leather, covered in red lacquer and decorated with a thick chiseled and embossed silver boss depicting a phoenix surrounded by scrollwork and tendrils. The sides are clammed with iron corner profiles and the top is confirmed with iron hinges.

Genuine antique examples dating from the 17th and 18th century hardly enter the art market since many have, despite their thick leather, vanished throughout the years, especially in the rough Tibetan climate.