of rectangular section, modelled with a hinged cover resting on four straight sides and a recessed base, flanked by a pair of metal loop handles, each suspending from a pair of metal roundels and resting on a further one, the front of the chest skilfully carved in varied levels of relief with a pair of confronting kui phoenix swooping downwards elegantly with billowing tail feathers amidst undulating scrolls issuing ruyi shaped foliage, further embellished with a rectangular metal plate with a lock receptacle and a ruyi-shaped clasp, the metal delicately detailed with floral motifs, the carved design meticulously mirrored on the reverse of the chest and accentuated with a pair of metal finely detailed hinge plates, each of the sides skilfully carved with a further phoenix, all below the top panel of the cover powerfully carved with a ferocious five-clawed dragon soaring amidst dense cloud scrolls, the corners of the chest decorated and reinforced with cusped and detailed metal mounts, the tightly grained wood of a dark reddish-brown colour with characteristic flecks