19th Century Painted Leather Brass Studded Camphor Trunk

Description

The red and gold add a richness to this piece, and we love the idiosyncratic and very bohemian collage INSIDE … more The red and gold add a richness to this piece, and we love the idiosyncratic and very bohemian collage INSIDE the lid of labels and prints, some really fine and rare. A very fine surprise indeed. Even a time capsule. Full of attitude. The sort of thing a student prince would have had.

Because of its resistance to insects as well as its attractive grain patterns, camphor wood (Cinnamomum camphora) has long been used for making wardrobes and storage chests. Camphor is a large evergreen tree of the laurel family. It frequently grows to huge proportions approaching 50 meters in height with trunks reaching 5 meters in diameter. It is widely distributed south of the Yangzi River including Hainan Island, with the largest concentrations found in Taiwan, followed by Jiangxi and Fujian.

The pale sapwood of camphor is clearly distinguished from the heartwood, whose reddish-brown color is typically figured with darker reddish striations. The fragrance of camphor is intense after freshly cut, and its strong scent does not diminish with time.

Trunk measures 20" x 21" x 41 1/4". less