Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Chōba Tansu Merchant Chest in Sugi Wood

Details

Description

A late nineteenth-century Japanese Chōba Tansu merchant’s chest from the Meiji period, constructed in solid Sugi, or Japanese cedar, with … Read more A late nineteenth-century Japanese Chōba Tansu merchant’s chest from the Meiji period, constructed in solid Sugi, or Japanese cedar, with an asymmetric arrangement of drawers and storage compartments intended for the practical requirements of a merchant or business interior. Its compact upright proportions and unusually shallow 12.25-inch depth give the cabinet substantial storage capacity without the scale of larger Japanese chests.

The solid-board case displays the pronounced straight grain and contrasting earlywood and latewood bands characteristic of Cryptomeria japonica. Multiple drawers and compartments are fitted with substantial hand-worked iron bail pulls, lock plates, reinforcing mounts, corner fittings and related security hardware. The extensive ironwork contrasts with the warm Sugi surface while retaining age-related oxidation and historic wear.

Traditional Japanese cabinet construction is evident in the examined rear and interior boards, natural shrinkage and separation, differential oxidation and age-darkened unfinished interior surfaces. No modern plywood or engineered sheet material has been observed in the examined construction. These physical characteristics, together with the form and hardware, support attribution as a Meiji-period Chōba Tansu dating approximately c.1880–1900.

Originally conceived as merchant storage for records, documents, money and other valuables, the chest survives with the surface characteristics expected from approximately 125 years of use. Its original patina should be preserved rather than sanded, stained, oiled or refinished.



Measurements: 30.5 in H × 30 in W × 12.25 in D

Weight: 43 lb

Style: Japanese, Meiji, Traditional, Folk Craft, Wabi-Sabi

Origin: Japan

Age: Late 19th century, c.1880–1900 See less