Shōwa Japanese Tea Chest with Newspaper, 1960s

Details

Description

Unusual old Japanese tea chest from the Shōwa period, dating from around 1950–1970.

Dimensions: height 48 cm, width 67.5 cm, … Read more Unusual old Japanese tea chest from the Shōwa period, dating from around 1950–1970.

Dimensions: height 48 cm, width 67.5 cm, depth 43 cm.

The chest has a simple rectangular form with a loose lid and is fully covered on the outside with Japanese newspaper. The sides show a lively collage of Japanese typography, advertisements, illustrations and black-and-white newspaper fragments, while the lid is finished with a red decorative pattern on a pale background. This gives the piece a striking graphic character and a warm vintage appearance.

The newspaper covering has been varnished, giving the surface a subtle gloss and extra protection. Inside, the chest is lined with aluminium, a feature that refers beautifully to its original function as a practical tea storage chest.

Today, this piece works especially well as a decorative storage box for textiles, magazines, documents or shop material. Thanks to its size and strong visual presence, it can also be used as a low display chest, pedestal, plant stand or characterful interior accent.

The chest is in good vintage condition, with normal signs of age, discolouration, small marks and patina consistent with its age, material and use. See less