A Nihon Matsu tansu with hinoki (cypress) wood drawers. The round lock plates on each drawer feature a bird and bamboo leaf motif. There are 4 large drawers with spacious interiors and on the right lower side is a safe box door with key with two interior drawers.

Date: Meiji c1900

Dimensions: 51" X 45" X 17.5"

An antique Japanese Niigata Kasane (chest on chest) Tansu made of all Kirinoki (Paulownia) wood. Original hand forged iron hardware with a hand applied red lacquer finish. Kakute stye handles. Four large drawers with a small hinged door that hides 2 small drawers. Constructed using straight dovetail Japanese joinery and hardened wooden nails. Each section has two sets of carrying handles for ease of transport and placement...

An antique Japanese Mikuni Choba Tansu (merchant chest) made of Aka Matsu (Red Pine), Hinoki (Cypress) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original lacquer finish and hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handles and full moon lock plates). Through mortise and tenon Japanese joinery and side ribs for strength and support. Lift-up side handles allow through a wood pole letting two persons carry the tansu from store to store...

An antique Japanese Mikuni Isho Tansu (Kimono chest) made of Kirinoki (Paulownia) and Hinoki (Cypress) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Hirute style handles. 5 drawers allow for spacious clothes storage with a hinged security door hiding 2 small drawers where valuables were kept. Constructed using through mortise and tenon joinery and hardened wood nails...

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made of Urushi lacquer on Kuri (Chestnut) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute style handles. Featuring 4 drawers of varying sizes and a safety hinged door hiding two small drawers where valuables were kept.

Age: Meiji Era (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 24 3/8" Wide by 22" High by 12" Deep

An antique Japanese 2 section Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handles and Urushi lacquer finish. Upper section has two sets of sliding doors with two side by side drawers below. Bottom section has a pair of sliding doors, a lift-out door and six drawers of varying sizes...

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...

Antique Japanese low Todana tansu with one large drawer and a compartment opened with sliding panels. Mostly made of Sakuranoki (Cherry) wood, the sliders have horizontal slats over Keyaki (Zelkova) wood panels. As well, the side panels of the tansu are also made of Keyaki. The sides and back of the tansu are reinforced with sakura wood bracing. Hardware includes iron Warabite drawer pulls and lock on sliding panels...

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...

Beautiful Japanese antique kaidan tansu (step tansu) made of dramatic keyaki (elm) wood burl, iron hardware with hirute shaped drawer pulls, in two sections, Edo Period, circa 1850s, (early 19th century). Size: 76 3/4" high x 71 1/2" wide x 27 1/2" deep.

An antique Japanese Choba (merchant's chest) from the Mikuni area with a keyaki wood front. The top section is two sliding panels of natural urushe lacquer finish. The bottom section consists of two medium sized drawers with a small door adjacent and a hinged door. The hinged door has two interior drawers behind it. The hardware is an ornate lock plate and square handles (kakute)...

Antique Edo age Japanese 100% kiri wood tansu. Beautiful example of an Early Edo age small tansu. Original condition and finish. Unique Iron hardware and locks complement the light color kiri wood. Locking drawers and swing out hinged door revealing three more small drawers. From the Kansai area in Japan near Kyoto. Original keys Edo Period (circa 1845) Dimensions: 27 1/2" Wide X 14" Deep X 20 1/4" High

Japanese keyaki and persimmon wood choba tansu, beautiful keyaki grain on front with a frame that is edged in persimmon wood, there is a compartment with sliding panels made of solid burl wood with a stepped shelf on the interior, the safe box has a key and two small interior drawers also with keyaki wood fronts, inside the safe box is a very hidden secret compartment (detail shows writing on hidden panel door). Meiji Period. Size: 32 3/4" high x 32" wide x 14 1/4" deep.

An antique Japanese low chest called Isho Tansu made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Warabite handles. Added custom iron base to elevate chest for modern form and function. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

Age: Meiji period (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 36 1/2" Wide by 25 3/4" High by 16 3/8" Deep

Rare and beautiful Japanese antique kura tansu (storage chest), all keyaki (elm) wood front and framing, iron hardware, top portion has 3 drawers and lower portion has sliding panels with horizontal slats, bottom right interior has two small drawers also made of keyaki wood, deep brown translucent lacquer finish with wonderful patina, Edo Period. Size: 41 3/4" high x 38 3/4" wide x 21 1/4"deep.

An antique Japanese Ko Tansu (personal storage chest) made entirely of Suginoki (Cryptomeria) wood. Original wiped Urushi lacquer technique finish with original hand made iron hardware including Gumbai handles. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery with hardened wood nails.

Contemporary uses for this chest include making a lovely side table or a useful and functional bedside stand and cabinet.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 21 3/4" Wide x 22 1/2" High x ...

Antique Japanese unusually small kannon biraki (hinged doors) tansu chest made of kiri (paulownia) wood. The top portion of the chest opens to reveal a compartment with a single shelf. The bottom portion has two exterior drawers. Elaborate iron hardware is like that of a larger kannon biraki chest and includes heavy hinges and cross bracing on the doors with an ivy leaf mon (crest).

Edo Period (early 1800's)

Dimensions: 16 1/4" high x 19 1/4" wide x 10" deep.

Rare Japanese antique fune-dansu (merchant's ship safe), made of quartered sawn keyaki (elm) wood with burl on front exterior. Top portion has one large exterior drawer, bottom portion appears to have two hinged opening door but in fact only the right side opens on it's hinge. The panel on the left side has a false hinge and actually slides to the right to reveal two small interior drawers. The hinged door on the right side opens to reveal three small interior drawers and must be open befor...