ANTIQUE Painted TIBETAN CHEST – Garden Scene, LONGEVITY Beautiful HAND PAINTED Garden Scene, LONGEVITY Symbols Start Price USD 500.00 Current Price USD 500.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, November 15, 2008 End Time Monday, December 15, 2008 Location Los Angeles, CA See more about 'ANTIQUE Painted TIBETAN CHEST – Garden Scene, LONGEVITY' Description WHAT IS IT? I am selling an ANTIQUE, HAND PAINTED TIBETAN CHEST with a very detailed traditional Chinese GARDEN SCENE, colorful FLOWERS and the Chinese symbol for LONGEVITY on each side. The garden scene is painted on the chest’s 2 doors. Along with a Pagoda, bridges, waterfalls, foliage and lily pads on ponds, one door also has a "stack" of animals – a bird, on top of a dog (I think), on top of a monkey, on top of an elephant. The other door has a bearded, elderly man, seated, holding a staff and a rolled parchment. In front of him is a family of deer and 2 cranes. Another crane swoops down behind him. It looks like the chest was made out of reclaimed or salvaged wood. The doors have peg and groove hinges. The bottom groove is long, allowing the doors to be removed. The top edge has a Greek Key design. An appraiser told me that the longevity symbols probably mean that this was intended to be a wedding gift. There is a small hole in the back, which is covered with a small piece of cloth (I don’t know what this was for). Due to the size of the item, PICKUP OR LOCAL DELIVERY ONLY, please. LOCAL DELIVERY MEANS 30 MILES or so from the SANTA MONICA, CA. AREA. HOW BIG IS IT? It is 23-1/4 inches tall, 32 inches long and just under 15 inches wide. The opening for the double doors is 9-1/4 inches high and 17-3/8 inches wide. WHAT CONDITION IS IT IN? (PLEASE SEE PHOTOS) Originally, the top was held on with pegs, but it was cut off some time ago and nailed back on, rather crudely. (When I had it appraised, the appraiser said that pieces such as this were commonly used for smuggling or hiding contraband, so the tops were cut off for inspection, especially when they were exported. There is, indeed, a small space beneath the top that could be used as a hiding place and there is the aforementioned hole in the back. Is that an air hole? Did they use this to smuggle small animals? I don’t know. Anyway, the appraiser said that the cut off top actually helps authenticate the piece as an export item from Tibet, circa 1900.)  But, I have since discovered another possible explanation -- This could have originally been a double chest.  I have recently seen a similar item, done with two levels.  It is possible that this one was separated from its upper section, then the top was removed from the upper part and put on the lower part.    While there is a loop for a latch just above the doors, the rest of the latching mechanism is missing – there is just a space where the mechanism would have been (or that space could be where the door for the upper missing part would have gone).  There is a painted skirt board on the front, but the unpainted one in the back is missing. The top was probably all red paint originally, but more than half is gone, replaced by a tacky to the touch oil of some sort. Other possible alterations or deletions may have occurred that I could have missed. Along with the above, there is paint wear, nicks, gouges, scratches, whatever. This is a very well-traveled piece with a lot of character. It is the best painted Tibetan chest I have ever seen. PRICING, SHIPPING & OTHER DISCLAIMERS: AS PER EBAY RULES, I ACCEPT PAYPAL ONLY, like it or not, SO PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR OTHER PAYMENT METHODS. Feel free to ask any questions through eBay. PICKUP OR LOCAL DELIVERY ONLY, PLEASE. YOUR ADDRESS MUST BE CONFIRMED WITH PAYPAL. SORRY, NO DEAL OUTSIDE OF EBAY. Payment must be made within 7 DAYS. THIS IS AN AS-IS SALE. I WILL NOT END THIS AUCTION EARLY FOR ANY REASON, other than a mistake in the listing, SO PLEASE, DO NOT ASK. RETURN POLICY: If there are any problems with anything, let’s talk. Satisfaction (or something close to it) is guaranteed. Good luck bidding. Place a Bid!