Lacquered Japanese Kansai Isho Dansu - Meiji Era

This antique Japanese Isho-Dansu chest dates from the Meiji Era (1868 - 1926) and would have been used for clothing storage. This style of tansu is called Kansai, referring to the regions of Osaka and Kyoto which were both wealthy mercantile hubs. The drawer faces are constructed from the less common kuri (chestnut) wood. Chestnut has a beautiful grain and is often used as an alternative to the more expensive keyaki wood. The drawers and frame are sugi (cryptomeria) wood. 

This tansu chest is two tone lacquer with a transparent lacquer on the drawer fronts. With five large drawers and three smaller, this is a very practical chest of drawers. Isho tansu chests are specifically used for storing clothes. It was common for Japanese homes to have a summer clothing chest & winter clothing chest. The carrying handles allowed these chests to be stored in outhouses when not in use.

Many Japanese antiques we find are poorly restored - We painstakingly restore each piece using traditional Japanese techniques to ensure these pieces last and are loved for many more lifetimes to come.

From Japan

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