Antique Japanese wedding kimono Tansu made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. All original hand made heavy gauge iron fittings and thick wood construction for strength and durability including straight dovetail Japanese joinery and hardened wooden nails. Specially commissioned chest for use as part of a bride's dowry to store her formal wedding kimono, her formal after wedding kimono and her informal wedding celebration kimono. The two small bottom drawers were used to store her wedding... Click for details

Stunning original 92 drawer Japanese Kusuri Tansu (apothecary chest). Originally used to store herbs and spices for healing the body. Made of 100% hinoki wood (Japanese Cypress wood). Has a warm natural finish. Hand forged pulls located on each drawer.

Edo Period C. early 19th Century

36 1/2" high X 38" wide X 9" deep

An antique Japanese Kansai Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Beautiful original Urushi lacquer finish and hand made iron fittings including the Warabite handles. Sliding doors hide a spacious area that was used to store business books and records while the 11 drawers held all things suitable for a merchant e.g. writing brushes, inkstone, receipts, valuables and money.

Each side has handles for carrying about the chest. The swivel... Click for details

Antique Japanese Tobako-bon (tobacco box) with two small drawers. The top portion has an open square compartment lined with copper, a small rectangular-shaped space and another square compartment closed with a wooden lid. Just above the drawers is a long diagonal space to hold pipes. The box has a bamboo handle for carrying. Made with hardwood burl with dramatic swirling figure. Excellent original finish and condition.

Age: Early Taisho Period (c.1920)

Dimensions: 6" high... Click for details

Antique Japanese rare gyosho bako (peddler's box) for a barber. A set of 3 separated boxes that fit together and can be easily carried. The largest box has 5 drawers with bronze hardware including hirute shaped drawer pulls and decorative peony back plates. The top of the box has 2 open compartments, a small covered compartment, and a handle for carrying. On the right side, a smaller box attaches onto the large box with 2 hooks. This box is narrow and has one compartment divided on the... Click for details

An antique Japanese Yosegi Kobako (marquetry personal drawer box) from the Hakone region made of various natural colored woods with a Hinoki (Cypress) structure and drawer backs. The expert craftsmanship is quite evident by how the front marquetry design flows seamlessly across all of the drawers. Made with various woods including Keyaki (Zelkova), Kakinoki (Persimmon) and Tochinoki (Horse Chestnut). The box has 5 drawers with Mokko shaped drawer pulls. The interior of each drawer is... Click for details

An antique Japanese Kyoto Todana Tansu made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Two large sliding doors open to a spacious storage area with a center shelf. Horizontal wooden slats on the doors and the sides allow for visual aesthetics and strength of the chest. Side swivel handles were used for transporting this chest by running a long wood pole through the handles allowing a group of helpers to easily carry this chest from location to location.

The Japanese philosophy... Click for details

An antique Japanese Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Original hand made iron drawer pulls in the shape of a full moon with bow style back plates. Sliding doors feature Kakinoki (Persimmon) wood inlaid handles. Constructed using mortise and tenon joinery with horizontal side ribs for strength and durability. Abundant storage space behind both sets of sliding doors with additional space available in the four drawers.... Click for details

A rare antique Japanese Kasane (stacking chest on chest) Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Original Urushi lacquer finish and hand made iron hardware. Double side by side upper drawer design sometimes considered the matriarch pattern among Sendai Tansu collectors. Beautifully poised Shishi or Botan (Peony) motif on all of the lock plates with unusual scalloped cast framing surrounding each image. Warabite handles with incised Chrysanthemums along the bottoms of... Click for details

An antique Japanese Kasane Tansu in 2 sections with a 3 drawer upper and 2 drawer lower design made of Kiri (Paulownia) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand made iron hardware with Urushi dark red lacquer finish and Gumbai handles. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails. Lock plates have hand engraved auspicious symbols with Sho Chiku Bai comprising the upper section while the crane and turtle making up the bottom section.

Sho Chiku Bai or... Click for details