An antique Japanese Gifu Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest from the Gifu region of Japan) made of Hinoki (Cypress), Burled Keyaki (Zelkova), Kaki (Persimmon) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hardware including the full moon designed drawer pulls and sliding door handles...

An antique Japanese merchant money storage box made entirely of Suginoki (Cryptomeria) wood. Single drawer with hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handle. Used by a merchant to keep coins, IOU's, and yen currency for daily business use. Original iron corner reinforcements adds strength and durability to this box.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 13 1/2" Wide by 7 3/8" High by 15 1/2" Deep

An antique Japanese Todana Tansu similar to the western sideboard cabinet or chest made of Momiji (Maple) for the drawer fronts and frame and Keyaki (Zelkova) panels for the sliding doors. with the interior made of Japanese Suginoki (Cryptomeria) wood. Original hand made iron hardware including the Warabite handles. Floating panels for the front, sides and top to prevent the wood from cracks from expansion and shrinkage...

An antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Aka Matsu (Red Pine) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original wiped Urushi lacquer finish and hand forged iron hardware. 3 drawers with 2 sliding doors that hide a spacious storage area behind. Horizontal ribs on the doors and side of the tansu for strength and visual design...

An antique Japanese rare Kannon Biraki tansu (bridal chest) made entirely of Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. All original natural Urushi lacquer and hand forged iron hardware including the possible Mikumo family crest on the center locks. Double hinged doors behind which the upper section has 3 full width drawers and the bottom section has numerous smaller drawers with a lift out door hiding two additional drawers...

A rare antique Japanese Omikuji Tansu (temple fortune telling chest) made of Hinoki (Cypress) wood. Original Urushi lacquer over a Bengara stain. Hand made and hand forged iron hardware. Japanese straight dovetail joinery with hardened wood nail construction.

Used in a Shinto Shrine or Buddhist Temple to store paper fortunes for visitors and worshippers...

An antique Japanese Fukushima Kasane (chest on chest) Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original Urushi lacquer front with a wiped lacquer technique for the balance of the piece. Hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handles and the lock plates featuring auspicious good luck symbols like the treasure bag, the Gunbai paddle, and the lucky mallet...

A rare antique Japanese Sado Island Kasane Tansu made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handles, decorative lock plates and front of drawer corners. The two upper full width drawers have lock plates that each feature the lucky Phoenix bird while the two lower drawers 3/4 width drawers shows an auspicious crane above and a good luck sea turtle below both representing longevity...

An antique Japanese 2 section Nihon Matsu Kasane (stacking) Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original natural Urushi lacquer finish. Hand forged iron hardware with lock plates that feature a quarter moon with a butterfly and Chrysanthemum knobs, Warabite handles with upper Pine tree and lower Plum Blossom Atari, and side handles on both sections. Constructed using Japanese straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails...

A rare Japanese antique Sado Island Child's Kimono Tansu made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original natural Urushi wiped lacquer finish with hand forged iron hardware. The lock plates feature cranes and sea turtles that symbolize longevity and the drawer corners feature stylized clouds.

Children's kimono tansu are quite rare to find since they had to be custom made by the tansu maker...

An antique Japanese Ko Bo Tansu (personal storage chest with locking bar) made of Suginoki (Cryptomeria) wood. Original Urushi lacquer finish. Bronze hardware features auspicious bamboo symbols and pine tree motif.

Small antique tansu such as this is very popular worldwide due to its functionality and ease of placement due to its small size...

An antique Japanese Sendai Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original natural Urushi lacquer with hand forged iron hardware including the lock plates featuring Peonies and a door lock plate featuring a large radish. Four large drawers for spacious kimono storage with two smaller visible drawers for accessories and two small drawers behind the hinged security door for valuables.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 47" Wide by 34 1/4" High by 16 ...

An antique Japanese Sado Island Kasane Tansu made of Kiri (Paulownia) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware (including Warabite handles) and wiped Urushi lacquer finish. The metalsmith showcased his talent adding Chrysanthemum corners to each drawer front and Mum backplates to each handle. As if that were not enough, the tansu maker added iron plating to the front frame showcasing the individual drawers.

Upper drawer lock plates each feature a Phoenix whic...

An antique Japanese Sakata Kasane (stacking chest on chest) Tansu in 2 sections made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original hand forged Iron hardware. Using Japanese joinery including straight dovetails and age consistent hardened wood nails. Originates from the famous tansu making town of Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Secret box is well hidden behind bottom drawer hidden behind small hinged door.

Formerly used for kimono storage, its contemporary function includes using it for ...

An antique Japanese Tsuruoka Bo Tansu (chest with locking bar) made of Sugi (Cryptomeria) wood. Original Urushi lacquer finish and hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute handles. The locking bar features a flying crane amidst a forest of Sho Chiku Bai (Pine trees, Bamboo and Plum blossom trees). The lock plate on the bottom drawer features an auspicious sea turtle. Longevity is represented by the crane (1,000 years), the turtle (10,000 years) and the Pine tree while strength and tenac...

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. As a contemporary chest, it would work well as a bed...

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. A secret box lies behind the bottom small drawer where extreme valuables were kept.

Age: Mid Meiji Era (1880-1890)

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.

Age: Early Meiji Era (1870-1880)

Dimensions: 30 1/4" Wide by 40 5/8" High by 16 3/4" ...