This late 19th century sideboard originated from Tianjin city, China, and is quite a distinct design of storage cabinets from that city. It has a boxy shape and clean lines and this is further accentuated by the squarish brass handles, which is less common. Originally in black/brown lacquer, the colour on the edges have been worn through years of use, revealing the wood inside, adding a lot of character to this piece. The purpose of the centre stile between the doors is to make that compartment lockable, but this stile is easily removable if you want to put large items inside.