An antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Suginoki (Cryptomeria) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. Original Urushi lacquer front with a wiped lacquer technique used on the body. Hand made iron fittings with the round sliding door handles featuring an incised design of a lucky Pine tree and an old Minka (thatched roof Japanese home)...

A very rare antique Japanese Kusuri Tansu (medicine chest) made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods. All original finish and bronze hardware. Doe skin drawer pulls used to prevent drawer fronts from marring when the chest is closed. Consisting of 168 small upper drawers to house herbs and medicines with 9 drawers below varying in size used to organize pharmaceutical records, business papers. and writing tools...

A rare antique Japanese Edo era Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Kurinoki (Chestnut) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Sliding doors in front with various small drawers and shelves that originally store merchant documents, books and other store related items.

The merchant chest served two purposes in a business. The first was its basic utilitarian function of serving as a business records storage and safe for keeping money and valuables...

A rare antique Japanese Niigata Kiri Children's Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. It features a stylized Chrysanthemum design on each plate which represents the Mon or family crest of the original owner and Gumbai handles. The iron fittings were all hand made and the chest was constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

These children's chests are not often seen in Japan...

An antique Japanese Kiri Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. Using hand made iron fitting and Kakute style handle pulls. Construction includes straight dovetail joinery and hardened wood nails. Two drawers behind the small hinged Kobiraki door.

A secret box can be found hidden behind the bottom small drawer in back of the hinged door...

An antique Japanese Ko Tansu or personal storage chest made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. Hand made iron fittings and Warabite style handle pulls accent this chest. With a Kobiraki hinged door, it hides 3 small drawers behind. It was constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails...

An antique Japanese Ko Tansu (personal storage chest) made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. Hand made iron fittings with Warabite style drawer pulls. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

Original use was for the family storage of ephemera, small valuables, letters, documents, etc...

An antique Japanese Choba Tansu also known as a merchant chest made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods,most likely from the Nigata area of Japan. Featuring a Ryo Biraki (hinged double door) design it has a split level shelf where documents and merchant books were stored. Gumpai style handles and hand made iron fittings decorate this chest.

Merchant chests such as these were primarily displayed in a prominent location in the store...

An antique Japanese scholar's Ko Tansu (personal storage chest) made of Kurinoki (Chestnut) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. 3 side by side drawers above and below sliding doors where documents, brushes and paper were stored. Behind the doors is a split level shelf where books were kept with 2 small drawers to the right side...

An antique Japanese 2 section Mizuya tansu made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Two sets of large sliding doors behind which large jars of water from the river or stream were stored for food preparation and cooking...

An antique Japanese Sakata Bo Tansu also known as a locking bar chest made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original finish using a wiped lacquer technique. The bottom drawer lock plate features a Chrysanthemum blossom motif surrounded by outstretched Chrysanthemum leaves.

There are two small drawers hidden behind the hinged door. Working key unlocks the locking bar. Two lift-up side handles allowed for a large pole to go through where two attendants could ea...

An antique Japanese 2 section Nihon Matsu Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Natural Urushi lacquer finish and hand made iron fittings. Accented with butterfly and plum blossom Atari handle backstops. Lock plates feature the Sho Chiku Bai (three felicitous friends of winter) motif and two side by side Chrysanthemum flowers . Hinged door covers two small drawers and includes a working key.

Substantial storage capacity as it is typically found on the Nihon ...

An antique Japanese Kansai 2 section tall Todana Tansu made of solid Keyaki (Zelkova) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods. Hand made iron fittings and hardened wooden nail and iron nail construction. Traditional Japanese joinery throughout this lovey chest. Shunkei style lacquer reveals the beautiful grain pattern which evokes visual movement. Side wood supports typical of Kansai region tansu.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 66" High x 41 3/4" Wide x 23 3/4" Deep

An antique Japanese 2 section Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood with hand made iron fittings. Featuring lock plates that depict the full moon, each drawer has Kakute handles.

Originally used to store Japanese kimono, this chest will function well in any contemporary home as a bedroom dresser, a linen chest in a dining room or as side tables when separated.

Age: Meiji period: 1868-1912

Dimensions: 43 1/8" High x 36 1/2" Wide x...

An antique Japanese Niigata 2 section Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) with hand made iron fittings. The lock plates feature the Sho Chiku Bai motif (Pine, Bamboo, Plum Blossom known as the 3 felicitous friends of winter) with the longevity symbols of the turtles and crane. Each drawer has Kakute handle pulls and the hinged door hides 3 small drawers.

The front of the chest is made of natural Kirinoki while the tansu body was designed using a dark red wiped lacquer technique. Cons...

An antique Japanese 1/2 Sendai Tansu made of Kakinoki (Persimmon) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Hand made iron fittings featuring beautiful lock plates on the drawers and the hinged door.

There are 2 secret hiding compartments behind the hinged door. The first is found by sliding out the bottom drawer separator wall revealing a secret storage area where valuables could be hidden. The second is found within the top drawer support floor board which can be opened like a drawer where...

An antique Japanese 2 section tall Kyoto Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. All iron fittings are original and hand made. Two sliding Keyaki doors the top section open to a spacious storage area behind while a hinged door on the lower section opens to two small drawers.

Straight dovetail joinery construction using hardened wooden nails. Tansu of this configuration have become rare to find in Japan. <...

An antique Japanese Choba Tansu (Merchant Chest) made of Keyaki Burl (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Handmade iron fittings featuring the raised tea leaf design on the front corners of each drawer. Sliding doors with locking bar covering a book and business document storage area with shel while the hinged door covers 2 small drawers. Side handles swivel up allowing a wood bar or bamboo pole to be slid through for two people to carry this chest about.

Merchants chest were us...