An antique Japanese Shibayama Cabinet in 2 sections used as a display Tansu. A center mirror is surrounded by beautiful ornamental hinged and sliding doors revealing a story of ancient Japan with a Nobleman and his servant, a Samurai warrior with his apprentice, a crane keeper letting his birds free, flowers and birds. Sliding and hinged doors open to spacious cabinets with drawers used for additional space. Fine filigree work depicting Chrysanthemums among an arabesque pattern...

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 each...

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...

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...

A rare an high quality Japanese Matsumoto Choba Tansu (merchant chest from the Matsumoto region of Japan) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with full moon style lock plates and Warabite handles. Recessed side handles lift open to accommodate a wood pole through each handle allowing two persons to carry the tansu from place to place...

Stunning Antique Japanese 2 section choba tansu. Hand crafted from solid Beautiful keyaki wood. Finely detailed forged iron work including round lock plates and hirute shaped drawer pulls. Includes locking safe box with 2 small interior drawers that are also made of keyaki. Piece retains its original translucent red-orange lacquer finish that glows in the light.

late Edo/early Meiji Period C. 1860's

Size: 63 1/2" high x 35 1/2" wide x 16" deep.

Unusual Japanese single section isho tansu from the Sendai region, made of solid Keyaki (zelkova) hardwood with burl front panels. The iron hardware and mounts have floral motifs throughout. The corner plates have scalloped edges, the drawer pulls are mokko (melon) shaped with chrysanthemums mounts, the round lock plates are incised with Kiri leaf mon and two are outlined with scrolling vine motifs. The safe door opens to reveal three inner drawers for small valuables...

Antique Japanese kuruma tansu (wheeled storage chest) from the Northern Sendai area closer to Iwayado. The front of the chest is made with keyaki (zelkova elm) wood with lovely grain and original red-orange translucent lacquer finish. The frame is made of sugi (cryptomeria). The large, raised iron lock plate on the top drawer depicts a pair of cranes flying in clouds. The middle two drawers are held in place with a locking bar (bo) with pine tree shaped ironwork...

An antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant store chest) made of Kuwa (old Mulberry) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. All original hand made iron fittings and finish. Two center hinged doors are removable with the hook and loop style hinge design. Front Warabite handles with two carrying handles on each side for positioning the chest and the additional swivel handles used with a wood pole to carry the chest from place to place...

Japanese choba from Sakata area, Japan. Made entirely of Keyaki wood (elm) with burl wood. Heavy iron hardware, including elaborately cut lock plates with square shaped handles, the side has warabite shaped handles. The pulls for opening the sliding panels are inlaid with mother of pearl and edge with carved persimmon. Interior has one shelf. Well crafted joinery and tenons original lacquered finish in excellent condition...

A rare and beautiful kiri (paulownia) wood tansu from the Matsumoto region of Japan. The tone and texture of the wood grain pairs nicely with the elaborate iron hardware. Its drawers pull open with sturdy iron "mokko" melon style handles with large incised backplates. Two drawers towards the bottom of the piece secure into place with a short locking bar. The drawer interiors are been lined with old rice paper. All original finish and hardware and in excellent condition. Edo Age c1850. Size: 4...

Unusual Japanese two-section choba tansu (merchant's chest), made with Kiri (paulownia) front hardwood, Sugi (cedar) sides, and two large Keyaki (elm) sliding door panels with a roomy, shelved interior space. Each drawer opens with hirute style iron handles and a simple squared lock. Its sides are reinforced with horizontal slats.

Meiji period (1868-1912)

Size: 47.5" L x 16" W x 64" H

Japanese antique single section isho tansu (clothing chest) made with dramatic keyaki (elm) wood burl on the front and sugi (cryptomeria) frame. The tansu is has a beautiful translucent light color lacquer finish on the front. The sides and top are lacquered a more opaque deep reddish brown. Two small drawers line the top portion of the chest. Under this, are three large drawers. The right hand side of the chest has two more small drawers; one above and one below the safe box door. Inside ...

A rare and unusual Japanese Keyaki burl choba tansu with original dark red translucent lacquer finish. The front of the chest has two hinged doors with hand forged iron fan lock plate, with two drawers below. When the chest is opened, it reveals a spacious interior with a large open compartment, a long top drawer and three smaller all burl wood drawers along the side.

Early Meiji period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 25 1/2 x 15 x 25 3/4 h

Antique Japanese unusual funa tansu (funa-dansu, ship merchant's safe box). Rare side-by-side configuration with a safe on the right and a compartment with sliding panels on the left. The right side safe box opens with a hinged door heavily decorated with iron work. A ivy leaf in circle mon (Itowa-ni tsuta) in the center with a ring for opening and a fan motif on the lock itself. The interior has 3 drawers in a vertical row, all with square handles and the bottom drawer with a lock. To th...

An antique Japanese Tohoku Todana Mizuya Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original wiped Urushi lacquer finish. With two sets of vertical ribbed sliding doors, the upper section has triple level storage and the bottom section has a split level storage separated by shelves.

The Todana Mizuya was used in northern Japan as either a kitchen chest or a linen cabinet making it a versatile and functional cabinet for the Japanese home.

Age: Edo period (18...

A beautiful antique Japanese Sendai Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original Urushi lacquer finish and hand forged iron hardware including the Mokko handles. The lock plates feature a center design of the original owner's family crest with scrolling Peony buds that represents wealth and prosperity. The security door hides three smaller drawers that was used to keep valuables and important documents. Beautiful natural wood grain throughout. Constructed using ...

Rare antique Japanese large kuruma tansu, wheeled storage chest. Made with keyaki (elm) wood on the front. The sides and back are reinforced with hinoki (Japanese cypress) slats. The upper portion of the chest has three full-width drawers held shut with a locking bar (bo). The lower portion has two medium sized drawers also held shut with another locking bar. On the lower right hand side is a safe box with a hinged door (with key) which opens to reveal 3 small interior drawers. The hardwa...