Balinese Screen Cabinet in Mahogany and Lacquered Wood Honolulu, Hawaii

When I was working in my shop in Kaaka'ako, Honolulu, Hawaii in the 1980s and 1990s, I would often meet people who traveled and traded regularly throughout the Asian continent.

One gentleman came to me with these amazing carvings that had been purchased from a craftsperson in Bali. The carvings feature tropical leaves and flowers connected by delicate stalks and climbing vines. It was inevitable that they would break apart as they were so fragile. He wanted an Asian styled case that would highlight and safeguard these carvings.

The lines of the case are very simple, in a classic frame-and-panel design with a bonnet top. The base uses stylized Chinese cloud brackets and feet, with slightly turned up moldings on the base and crown suggesting a pagoda. The Balinese carvings are backed and supported by solid wood panels, in laquered black for contrast. Two drawers below the panels feature Asian styled handles.