An antique Japanese Kansai Daiku Tansu (carpenter chest for tools and hardware) made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. 14 drawers of various sizes used to store tools and hardware used by a Japanese wood craftsman. Japanese woodworking techniques used in making this chest include through mortise and tenon joinery and hardened wood nails. Original hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute handles. Originates from the Kansai region of Japan...

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 Ko Tansu (personal storage chest) and of Kiri (Paulownia), Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Original hand forged iron hardware including the Mokko handles. A hinged door hides two small drawers behind and two sliding doors hide a storage space where books and reading material was tucked away.

Its original purpose was for the storage of papers, ephemera, letters, documents, books and small accessories...

An antique Japanese all Kiri (Paulownia) wood Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) with original hand forged iron hardware. Beautiful natural wood grain with a three dimensional texture. Side handles on both sections used for carrying from place to place...

An antique Japanese Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original hand forged iron hardware including the stylized Mokko handles. Beautiful Japanese joinery including straight dovetail joints reinforced with hardened wood nails. Hinged door (often called the Theive's door) behind which lies two small drawers that held valuables...

An antique Japanese Kasane Tansu (stacking chest on chest) made from Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original hand forged iron hardware with full moon lock plates and curved Kakute handles. Side carrying handles features the rare locking pins used to connect the two sections together. Beautiful Japanese straight dovetail joinery is a testament to the expert craftsmanship used in making this chest...

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. Recessed side handles on the tops of each section.

Merchant chests provided two important key elements for the store owner...

An antique Japanese Kyoto Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) in 2 sections made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Hinoki (Cypress), Kaki (Persimmon) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original bronze hardware with burled Keyaki door panels and drawer fronts. Unique and natural thunder bolt-like grain pattern on the Hinoki wood frame. Side horizontal supports add strength and aesthetic beauty to the tansu...

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...

An antique Japanese Ko Tansu (personal storage chest) made of Kiri (Paulownia) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with auspicious Paulownia leaf lock plates and Warabite handles. The original finish was done in a wiped Urushi lacquer technique for both the drawer fronts and the tansu body.

It was used in a wealthy Japanese home to store personal effects, ephemera, writing tools, and other miscellaneous sundries...

Antique Japanese Ryukyu Cha Tansu (display and storage chest for tea items). Lacquered black and inlaid with Mother of Pearl (Raden) in intricate and extraordinarily fine designs of noblemen and scholars in pavilion gardens. The upper portion has a compartment with four sliding panels. Below this are two open shelves inlaid with larger designs of birds on a blossoming dogwood branch...

Antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's storage chest). Made with keyaki (zelkova elm) wood frame and front. Sugi (cryptomeria) wood sides and top. 2 large sliding panels open to a large compartment. Below this are 4 drawers of various sizes. Iron hardware includes warabite shaped drawer pulls. Deep reddish wiped lacquer finish.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 37" high x 35 1/2" wide x 18" deep

Japanese antique choba tansu (merchant's chest) with locking bars and safe box. Made with keyaki (zelkova) wood frame, hinoki (cryptomeria) wood drawer fronts, sugi (cypress) wood top and side panels. The upper portion has three large full-width drawers held into place with a locking bar. The lower portion has two medium sized drawers held in place with another matching locking bar. The lower right hand side has a safe box opened by a hinged door. Inside are four small drawers, one of wh...

Exceptional antique Japanese small personal box made with beautiful keyaki (zelkova) wood burl. Two small drawers on the top, one of which is outfitted with interior lidded compartments. Below, are 3 full-width drawers of gradating depth. Patinated bronze hardware with square drawer pulls on the larger drawers and flower bud pulls on the top drawers. A matching square handle on the top for carrying. Original translucent wiped lacquer finish shows of dramatic grain. Provenance: From a Ne...

Antique Japanese 2-section isho tansu (chest on chest for clothing) made all of kiri (paulownia) wood. The top section has two large drawers and the bottom section has two large drawers and two small drawers on the lower right hand side. Iron hardware includes large round lock plates on the large drawers and matching small round lock plates on the small drawers.

Meiji period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 41 1/2" high x 34" wide x 15 3/4" deep

Antique Japanese 2-section isho tansu (chest on chest for clothing), made all of kiri (paulownia) wood. Top section has two large drawers and the lower section has two large drawers and a safe box in the lower right hand side. The safe is opened by a hinged door to reveal two small interior drawers. Iron hardware with unusual daikon (radish) shaped lock plates. Lovely foliated iron corner bracing and safe door hardware.

Meiji period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 41 1/2" high ...

Antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's chest) made with all kiri (paulownia) wood on the front and sugi (cryptomeria) wood on the sides and top. The tansu has a full-width drawer on the upper portion above a compartment with sliding panels on the left and two small drawers on the right. The lower portion of the chest has two medium sized drawers on the left and a safe box above a small drawer on the lower right. The safe has a door with heavy iron hardware which opens to two small interior ...

Antique Japanese small ko tansu made all of sugi (cryptomeria) wood with lovely raised akita sugi wood on the front. Three large drawers with squared iron drawer pulls and rectangular locks. On the lower right hand portion are two small drawers with ring pulls.

Late Edo/Early Meiji Period (circa late 1800's)

Dimensions: 21 1/2" high x 23 1/4" wide x 12 3/4" deep