One of two 19th C. 'carrying cabinets' from Shanxi Province, China

Lucky Eights!

In the superstitious city of 19th century Jinyang, China, a rumor circulated among young men about an enchanted traveling “jeweler” who peddled wooden charms. His powers were said to be so strong, any charm he sold was guaranteed to bring good luck in the form of love and money. No one knew exactly where the jeweler came from or how he looked. Some claimed he had emerald green eyes; others that his skin looked like white jade. Some believed he was a spirit who could change appearance at will; however, they all agreed on one thing – he could be identified only by a unique pair of eight-sided cabinets he carried on a bamboo shoulder pole.

These lacquered elm wood cabinets were balanced on either side of a bamboo shoulder pole

This week's New Arrival features a pair of 'carrying cabinets.' In old China, cabinets like these were used by artisans and merchants who carted them from village to village balanced on either end of a shoulder pole. Wherever and whenever it was convenient they were placed on the ground and commerce could commence. Yet, these particular cabinets symbolized something more. The number of sides on the tops corresponds to the numeral eight – an auspicious number in Chinese mythology believed to foster harmony and prosperity. Perhaps it wasn’t the jeweler, but the cabinets that made the charms more potent?

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