An antique Japanese Gifu Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest from the Gifu region of Japan) made of Hinoki (Cypress), Kaki (Persimmon) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. All original bronze hardware including the Warabite handles and the incised decorative sliding door handles. Mortise and tenon joinery with horizontal side supports and sliding doors with Persimmon runners for strength and aesthetic beauty...

Antique Japanese small, single section Mizuya (kitchen tansu). Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) wood frame with Sugi (Cryptomeria) wood sides and interior. Sliding panels and drawer fronts are made of Keyaki (Zelkova) wood with lovely, dramatic grain. A drop-in panel and hand-pulls on the sliders are made of Bamboo, showcasing fine details...

Antique Japanese single-section small Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest). Made with Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) wood frame and Sugi (Cryptomeria) wood sides and interior. Sliding panels covering the top and bottom compartments are made with Keyaki (Zelkova) wood. A compartment in the upper portion of the tansu has sliders with stripy Kaki (Persimmon) wood and glass that showcases a stepped interior shelf for display. Just beside this, on the right, is a drop-in panel with matching Persimmon wood...

An antique Japanese large Kyoto Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) in 2 sections that was made of Hinoki (Cypress), Kakinoki (Persimmon) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. The center drawers have a very unique design made by the decorative Persimmon accents making each one look like a gift box. All sliding doors have Persimmon runners used to smooth out the slide and help prevent wear at the bottom.

Japanese joinery is evident throughout the piece making use of the mortise and tenon technique...

A two section large antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant chest) with front and sides made entirely of Keyaki (Zelkova) wood with Sugi (Cryptomeria) interior and Kiri (Paulownia) interior drawer sides. It features mitered through mortise and tenon joinery and side horizontal support ribs for additional strength, durability and visual elegance. Behind the two sets of large sliding doors are areas for spacious storage while the small sliding doors hide two small side by side drawers...

An antique Japanese large 2 section Todana Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods that comes from the Tohoku region of Japan. Hand carved beaded wood work to the front and frame with through mortise and tenon Japanese joinery in its construction. Floating wood panels within the frames of the doors and sections used to prevent cracks from forming...

An antique Japanese Kyoto Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) made of Hinoki (Cypress), Kaki (Persimmon) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Constructed using mortise and tenon Japanese joinery and inlaid solid Persimmon wood sliding door runners. Hand made bronze hardware with Warabite and Maru Warabite handles. Side ribs accentuate the exterior design and add strength and beauty in design for years of lasting enjoyment...

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...

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...

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 Choba Tansu (merchant chest) in a rare two section design made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original hand forged iron hardware with full moon style locking plates and Warabite handles. Two sliding doors open to a storage area where merchant books and business records were kept...

An antique Japanese Kururi Tansu (apothecary chest for herbs and medicine) made of Sugi (Cryptomeria) wood and finished in a Negoro lacquer. 30 drawers each with an iron ring pull. It features two side carrying handles and a custom-made raised stand.

Age: Meiji Era (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 24 3/4" Wide by 17 1/4" High by 9 7.8" Deep

An antique Japanese Cha Tansu (tea chest) made of Sakuranoki (Cherry) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. The body was constructed using Japanese Unique stylized four leaf clover cut-out design window allows natural light to showcase the interior shelf display. Upper four sliding doors opens to a spacious storage area. Below this to the upper left is a lift-out door behind which is more storage. Four multi-level shelves allowed for prominent viewing of seasonal and cultural decorations. Addit...

Antique Japanese single section tansu with pair of sliding glass doors. Four uniform drawers sit symmetrically at the bottom of the chest. Overall simple modern design with functional use. Natural finish, over hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood.

Would make for a great low media cabinet.

Age: Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 59 1/2" long x 14 1/2" deep x 26 1/2" high

Antique Japanese low tansu with a mix of sliding doors and pull out drawers. Quartered sawn keyaki hardwood front with beautiful natural graining. Original finish with warm red lacquer tones. Hand forged iron hardware pulls. Dark black lacquer top and sides.

Age: Meiji period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 45" long x 16" deep x 23" high

Single section Mizuya (kitchen buffet tansu) with set of four sliding Keyaki panels opening to a open space with a single removable shelf inside. Lined along the bottom are a set of 5 pull out drawers with beautifully finished quartered sawn keyaki drawers.
Hand forged iron hardware. Natural blond finished with fine carpentry details. Overall in very good condition. Ready to go!

Age: Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)

Dimensions: 71" long x 34 high x 20 1/4" deep

Antique Japanese Kyushu Choba Tansu (merchant chest made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with a combination of slider and drawer layout. Beautiful original warm lacquer finish. Overall in very good condition.
Merchant chests were proudly owned by shopkeepers and served a dual purpose. The obvious one is a chest to store the business records, books, valuables, and office supplies. The less obvious one was using it as a form of a...