Willow Storage Box h120 smoothed and sealed to give

smoothed and sealed to give a hard wearing surface

Today they make useful little bowls on a console for keys and loose change

The base sits on a wooden stand

known as 'bi' (pronounced 'bee') in Chinese

specifically on smaller pieces known as rose chairs

Willow Storage Box h120 smoothed and sealed to giveShanxi, circa 1900 This charming little storage box is made from willow, the curved handle made by steaming the wood to a pliable state. Traces of the original reddish brown finish are still visible, though now largely worn down to the pale wood underneath. The box also still has the old heavy studs and ironware in place. Originally used a food carrying box, it has two separate sections (used to hold different foods) as well as a shallow lid.