They are often made of paulownia wood and have many small drawers. They were used to store herbs, especially at medicinal herbs/kanpoyaku/漢方薬 traditional pharmacists. Kusuri-dansu/薬箪笥 were and still are apothecary/medicine chest. They could either open from a single side or be accessible from both sides. They come in many sizes depending on trade plied by their owners: sewing supplies chests, sea chests, merchant chests, futon chests or kitchen equipment chests.
Used by merchants, they display elaborate metal hardware and were used in shops to impress customers. Now, before you go prospecting, it always a good idea to acquire a little basic knowledge. Moreover, people tend to be happy to get rid of them! Make sure to ask first if the antique tansu is authentic or an imitation.īut my bet, that is if you have the time, is to look around in farms and in the country where there are not only authentic, but cheap and serviceable. Some are made of excellent reclaimed wood causing the new Tansu to retain a more aged look that some people seek. There are many workshops (especially in Shizuoka or other prefectures with a good supply of wood) in imitation of the classic antiques. Most popular woods are Hinoki/檜 or Japanese cypress, Keyaki/欅 or Japanese elm, Kuri/栗 or Chestnut, Sugi/杉 and Kiri/桐 or Paulownia.Īfter all, it is a very vague term to describe a whole range of chests, but many collectors focus on finding antique Tansu. The latter is important when it comes to pricing. It is often used in the West, notably in the antique business, to refer to traditional Japanese chests, handcrafted and made of fine wood. Tansu is the word for chest, chest of drawers or cupboard, all in one word in Japanese. When it comes to antique or even more homey tansu/箪笥, one should keep both eyes open as these Japanese-style chests can become extremely useful in any home because of their practical shapes and sturdy material, not to mention their aesthetic qualities.Įven if you are here for a short stay or plan to leave soon, they can easily be filled with your belongings actually helping with the ever tiring chore of removal.įine, Sir, but what is a tansu？Sorry, my good friend, I ought to have explained that a bit earlier! Japan is still a very good country to prospect for antiques in spite of its devouring modernity. For your Dining Room: Tansu/Japanese Chests
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