Costume Chest Item Number: N1.866 a from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

Cantonese Opera costume chest with curved lid and false bottom. False bottom 3 1/8 in. deep, has 1 1/4 in. holes, 8 1/2 in. from either end, front and back, for insertion of carrying poles. Curved lid is covered with leather (dark brown) secured by hand wrought iron nails. Chest is painted red with large circular floral motif in centre front with a green vertical line of characters on either side. Above center is Arabic numeral "2", which also appears at upper left hand corner. Above the central numeral is printed "Made in" (first line) and "Kum Lon Chang Co. Chong Yuen Fong Street, Canton". Pair of iron rings on either side of central numeral "2". Iron handles mounted vertically. Rings and vertical handles on back of chest also. Leather and wrought iron braces on corners. A wrought iron handle mounted horizontally on each end of chest. Discoloured paper label hanging from handle on right side, "Admiral Line".

History Of Use

Cantonese opera accessory, used to store costumes and as stage property.