Rare antique Japanese choba tansu made of keyaki (elm) wood with beautiful grain. Two full width drawers, one on top and one on the bottom. The center of the chest has three small drawers in a vertical row on the right. A large compartment with an interior shelf has an unusual lift out door. Iron hardware includes cross bracing on the lift out panel and square shaped handles. Beautiful original deep brown translucent lacquer finish. Edo period: Early 19th century...

Antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's chest) made of keyaki (elm) wood with beautiful original finish and patina. The chest has two sets of sliding door panels and a total of 8 exterior drawers. On the right side is a vertical compartment with two small shelves most likely originally for ledger books. This is covered by a drop in panel. On the lower right is a small safe door with two visible interior drawers and one secret drawer...

Original example of a Japanese antique isho tansu from the Matsumoto area. Made all of kiri (paulownia) wood with original patina (frame, top, sides, and drawers). Iron hardware includes money bag shaped lock plates specific to Matsumoto tansu, moko shaped drawer pulls and elaborately cut handle back plates and drawer corner bracing. The tansu has 5 large drawers and the lower right hand side has a safe box with 2 small interior drawers.

Late Edo to Early Meiji Period...

Japanese single section isho tansu (clothing chest) from the Iwayado area. It is made with keyaki (elm) wood on the front and has a beautiful all original translucent lacquer finish. This chest consists of four drawers of different sizes. Elaborate iron hardware includes a very large phoenix shaped lock plate on the top drawer and two peony shaped lock plates on two of the other drawers. Drawer pulls are warabite shaped...

Antique Japanese isho tansu (clothing chest) from the Sendai or Iwayado area of Japan. The front of the tansu is made all of kiri (paulownia) wood and it has it's original finish and patina. A total of six exterior drawers range from large to small. The mid/lower right hand side has a safe box with 4 small interior drawers also made of kiri wood...

Antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's chest) made all of kiri (paulownia) wood with beautiful original reddish brown lacquer finish and original patina. The chest has 5 exterior drawers of different sizes making for wonderful storage. The lower right hand side of the tansu has a small safe box with original locking key. Located behind the safe door are two small interior drawers...

Antique Japanese small tansu with locking bar. Made with keyaki (elm) wood front and sugi (cryptomeria) wood sides. Each of the five drawers are different sizes making for useful storage. Nicely detailed original black Iron hardware includes square shaped handles. Beautiful crane shaped lock on one drawer and a flower shaped lock on another. Cross bracing on the locking bar (bo) with the original locking key. Original deep reddish brown translucent lacquer finish and patina...

Antique Japanese nagamochi karuma storage trunk. Made of kiri (paulownia) wood and solid Keyaki hardwood wheels with iron hardware and mounts. A large high relief embossed iron locking plate in the form of a phoenix created a lock and latch system on the front of the trunk...

Beautiful Japanese antique 2-section Keyaki isho tansu (chest on chest for clothing). Wonderfully dramatic kayaki (zelkova) grain on front. Enhanced by the Original finish in translucent lacquer. Black iron hardware including warabite shaped drawer pulls, safe box in lower right hand corner with 2 small interior drawers. Round iron lock plates with mixed metal raised motif of implements of the Lucky Gods. Original condition and finish. Early Meiji Period (1868 - 1912) . Size: 47 1/2" hig...

Very unusual antique Japanese matching pair of black lacquer gyosho bako (peddler's boxes). Each has a full height door with eight hand forged brass hinges in stunning original patina. One box opens to a large compartment. The other opens to a series of 5 drawers of different sizes. Each box has a square hole for a carrying pole.
This piece would have been used to carry and store a merchants livelihood. Selling objects or services carried out by the tools store inside. A Thick hard...

Pvt. Zentner Family Collection

Rare Japanese antique choba tansu made of keyaki (elm) wood. The top portion has a compartment with sliding panels and horizontal slats. The bottom portion of the chest has two safe boxes with heavy iron hardware, one opening to the left and one opening to the right. Inside each safe box is a series of four small kiri (paulownia) wood drawers. Between the safes are two keyaki drawers with heavy iron lock plates. This chest has 3 working keys and ...

Japanese Kiri wood two(2) section Tansu, Kiri and Cedar chest on chest, Meiji period, before 1900, 42" high, 33" wide, 17" deep with 5 graduated size long drawers, and carved and engraved floral shape black iron back plates have different motif carvings, and black iron handles. Pine wood used in the back and split in some areas caused by dryness and old age, shows wear and tear in original condition, as found condition from Japan.

Antique Japanese small tansu chest made for personal use, made all of kiri (Japanese cypress) wood with nice patina and especially nice joinery. This tansu has beautiful copper hardware all over the front including corner bracing, lock plates and moko shaped drawer pulls. One large drawer runs the full width of the top portion of the chest. Below this is a vertical row of three small drawers on the right side and a compartment opened by sliding panels on the left. On the lower left portion ...

Rare Japanese bar tansu from the Mikuni region, made with Hinoki (cypress) wood front panels and Sugi (cedar) wood top and sides. Heavy in weight, with structural bars along the back and sides, all original deep red lacquer finish, the front locking bar with highly ornate iron display of auspicious motifs and turtle shaped lock pin.

Edo period (1603-1868) Circa 1830's.

Size: 37.5" L x 19.5" W x 38" H

Japanese antique 2-section choba tansu from the Gifu area. This merchant's chest is made of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood and has extensive horizontal wooden slats on the sides for support. The top portion of the chest has sliding panels with horizontal slats which match the sides and one full-width drawer. The larger bottom section also has sliders with horizontal slats and 5 drawers of various sizes. There is small safe box (with key) on the lower right hand side which opens to 2 small int...

Rare Japanese Funa Tansu known as a Ship Captain's vault chest. Made with beautiful original thick Hinoki (Japanese cedar) wood, with triangular mortis and tenon joinery. The corners and drawers are accented by attractive ash color iron plating. The inside of the chest holds a unique array of seven drawers in a natural finish, with hirute type drawer pulls and all but three with additional locks.

An old Japanese label remains on the second drawer down. This tansu also features a hidden ...

Japanese kanto style Kannon Biraki double-stacking personal clothing chest (isho-dansu). Often referred to as a "wedding chest," this tansu would have been used to store a bride's formal wedding kimono. Hinged doors on the upper section open to reveal four drawers. The layout of the drawers is characteristic of the earliest form of kanto style chests. The doors exhibit the traditional configuration of five iron hinges and iron strapping surrounding a round foliate lockplate at the center. W...

Large Japanese Meiji period kuruma (wheeled) tansu configured with seven drawers and a locking bar. The top drawer has embossed rectangular iron hardware in the form of a peacock. Warabite handles. 19th century. 47 3/4" long x 19 1/4" deep x 44 1/2" high. Very solid and in good, sturdy overall condition. The wheels are a bit stiff, but functional, and the original finish has only minor wear. There is a short cigarette burn on the edge of the top. From the Tucson, Arizona collection of a W...