Antique Japanese Choba Tansu (Merchant Chest) constructed of Keyaki (Elm), Hinoki (Cypress) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. Horizontal slates on the sliding doors and sides of the chest make up the traditional design of this piece. It features side pull-up handles, Kakute drawer pulls and rectangular locking plates. Originally used by a shop owner, this chest was typically positioned in a prominent location of the store to showcase the success and longevity of the business. The tansu comes... Click for details

Antique Japanese small lacquer tebako (accessory box). Rectangular form with rounded edges and decorated with Chrysanthemums on the lid. The whole box is covered inside and out with a dense gold nishiji background. The rim of both the lid and the body of the box are edged in bronze.

Edo Period (18th century)

Dimensions: 2 1/8" high x 3 5/8" long x 3 1/8" wide

Antique Japanese kannon biraki isho tansu (chest on chest with hinged doors for storing clothing). Made with all keyaki (elm) wood on the front. Sugi (cryptomeria) wood on the sides and top. The top portion of the tansu has hinged doors which open to reveal two large drawers. The bottom section has two large exterior drawers and a safe box with a hinged door in the lower right hand side. Inside the safe box are three small drawers. Extensive iron hardware includes cross bracing and hinges... Click for details

Antique Japanese low table made all of carved keyaki (elm) wood. The top is made of a single piece of dramatically grained wood with the edges carved to create a gnarled burl effect. The legs are also made of solid keyaki wood and carved with rounded feet. Original deep orangish red translucent lacquer finish.

Taisho Period (early 20th century)

Dimensions: 13 1/2" high x 71 1/2" long x 38" wide

Antique Japanese gold lacquer inro with 4 compartments. Decorated with a scene depicting a cottage high in the mountains. On one side, a small stream meanders by a thatched roof building with doors opening to a garden surrounded by a low fence and opened by a tall gate. A large, blossoming plum tree stretches it's branches dramatically over the roof and a mist floats over the top of the scene. The other side of the inro depicts a churning river with ragged outcroppings of rock. In the... Click for details

Japanese inro with 5 compartments decorated all around with a scene of a mountain stream running down hill through rocks and low tree branches. On one side of the inro, the stream falls over rocks and continues on the other side of the inro in a striated current. Various trees including blossoming fruit trees and pines spring from the rocks. Pine saplings emerge from a gold mist in the foreground. Created with a fine raised gold maki-e lacquer technique and inlaid with gold metal flecks. ... Click for details

Antique Japanese choba tansu from the Matsumoto area. Made of keyaki (elm) wood with dramatic grain. The top portion of the tansu has two drawers. Below this is a compartment on the left opened by two sliding panels with horizontal slats. On the right hand side of the chest and continuing on to the bottom portion of the tansu, is a series of various sized drawers, the lowest of which spans the width of the tansu. Iron hardware includes warabite shaped drawer pulls, round lock plates with... Click for details

Japanese antique choba tansu (merchant's chest) from the Gifu area. Made with all kuri (chestnut) wood front, hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood on the sides and top. The upper portion of the chest has a full width drawer over a compartment covered by two sliding panels with horizontal slats. The lower portion of the chest has a series of 4 drawers of various sizes on the left and a hinged safe box door on the right hand side. The safe box door opens to reveal 2 small interior drawers. All... Click for details

Antique Japanese mizuya (kitchen tansu) in two sections. The frame is made of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood with a very smooth grain. Sliding panels and drawer fronts are made of keyaki (elm) wood with dramatic grain. The top section has a large compartment that runs the width of the chest and is covered by 4 sliding panels with keyaki burl wood. The next compartment down is larger and is covered by 2 large sliding panels with decorative cut outs backed with keyaki wood. On the right is... Click for details

An antique Japanese Mizuya (kitchen) Tansu single section made of keyaki wood. The top section has four sliding panels. The mid section has 5 medium sized drawers. The lower section has two large sliding panels. Adjacent to the panels is a small drawer and hinged door with a large compartment.

Date: early Meiji (19th Century)

Dimensions: 67" tall X 76" wide X 21" deep.