Medicine chest, China, 1801-1985

Wooden medicine chest, empty, with 5 drawers inlaid with mother-of-pearl Chinese characters, Chinese. The characters indicate that the chest held herbs including sesame, Mudanjiang/moutan and cinnamon.

Medicines used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were stored in this beautiful wooden medicine chest. It is decorated with Chinese characters inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The chest originates from China and was bought at auction in 1986. It has five drawers, each with two rows of characters.

TCM originated in China well over 2,000 years ago. It has since been formalised and spread almost worldwide. Central to TCM is a belief in the energy force known as qi (chi). This flows smoothly and strongly through a healthy body, but Illness is likely to occur should qi become weakened or blocked. TCM therapies include acupuncture, moxibustion (burning a herb on or near the skin) and combinations of herbal medicines. Many such herbal medicines are likely to have been stored in this chest.