Featured SQUARE CHINESE GARDEN SEAT? PLANT STAND? DEITY SHRINE?

Journey, no, it's not a cat house - but funny you should say that...

The first thing I thought of when I saw it was one of those "houses" made to hide a cat's litter box! It's not big enough, mind you, but I still can picture it!

 

No, but put a soft pillow inside and the cat will think so!

 

No crack across the top, but when I pulled it out to look - I noticed something new! Maybe it was a bed for a royal doll? Because if you look at each side - one is low like an entrance & one is high like a window?
I also checked the bottom - it is ribbed; like the roof of the compartment; maybe someone can tell it's age by that?
Hoping these pics will help someone figure out what I have!
Thanks again.

 

the "ribbing" support was used when they tried to make the porcelain pieces less heavy/thick. drum stools also have those under seat support. i think the painting itself is rather well done and may reflect an earlier piece even if it was mass produced for export. so guessing mid 20th?

certainly looks like with the additional photos

i am seeing a garden piece or an air-well piece, could be used as a stool or a low table with a placement for the mosquito coils

 

with the structure like that i believe if it was use as real stools i think it will easily get broken or crack,ah the mosquito coils will make sense then if you place in the garden/outside,but that's only happens in asia not in west,we have lot problems of mosquitos here,

 

I think there's a rust stain on the top.

What are mosquito coils?

Bed?
certainly looks like with the additional photos

I did find some beds earlier today that had virtually the same side openings and smaller/higher back opening as well. Can't find 'em now

What style decoration or painting?

Just precious as it could be, @journeymagazine !

 

just noticed the dragon and phoenix at the bottom front with additional phoenix at the bottom sides. dragon and phoenix usually represents groom and bride, so am wondering if it was commissioned for/by the bride? perhaps for a straits chinese wedding? think the flowers are peonies and plum blossoms.

 

I believe it's a model of a marriage/wedding bed... Don't think it was commissioned. It's just a decorative piece, IMO

Do you know what style the "decoration" is?

 

Just wondering if it COULD be for a doll? (I would have loved having it for my dolls when I was a kid!)

 

All things point to a marriage bed IMO

I think a period bed (like our doll houses) for a child or a child's doll would be made of wood, just like the adult bed.

But this could absolutely be used as a doll bed!!

 

Isn't 13" too short for a seat or table?

 

14"L x 8.5"W x 13"H - but I'm not sure of the dimensions @journeymagazine gave?

The Western seat I'm sitting on is 16" high and 13" deep

A typical garden stool is pretty small at 16" high x 9.5 diameter...

 

asian stools tend to be low: 13" would be considered high? we used to have a stone seat outside my grandparents home that was about 5-6" H

btw the local word for low stool is "bangku"

 

re decoration style: sorry but there is no fountain of knowledge in my garden, just regular grandmother's stories and lay person intuition

 

It's pretty heavy for a child to use as a doll bed.
So if I want to list it on eBay what do I call it?? And list it under?
Thanks again guys (and girls!)

 

how about this for comparison? it is from instyle-decor.com

if you are going to describe it as side table, you could throw some books into the "cat house" before taking photo?

 

hey phaik,do bangku actually a chinese word for stool there?bangku is chair in javanese word here,i just know the word actually from chinese

 

that's one is the roof tile,using as decoration in the roof,usually they use foo dog statue,dragon,fish,or even god/deities,but the wedding bed in the roof will be amazing,haha