What on earth....

Yes, that was my first thought and it is infact an ancient Chinese bridal carridge. The later ones are all red or may be this was for someone special. Anyway, the bride was carrried to her new husband-to-be in this. It would be carried by four men and they had to jostle her around. In olden days she would not have met her husband until the wedding day but would be hoping that he'd be kind and easy on the eye.