Cabinet, Chest of drawers, Isho Dansu - Wood, Metal - Fully restored and functional Japanese Sendai keyaki&hinoki cabinet of drawers (ishô dansu). - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)

Beautiful and completely restored Sendai ishô dansu 衣装箪笥 (cabinet of drawers) in one section. Fully restored, cleaned and waxed. The drawer fronts made of precious Keyaki wood (Zelkova - "Japanese oak") . The top and sides are made of Hinoki Cypress wood. The top with a very beautiful and striking pattern of the wood grain. The outside of the tansu is varnished in a warm deep red colour. The cabinet has large decorative lock plates with knobs in the shape of kiku 菊 (chrysanthemums) . The drawers equipped with sturdy mokkô-shaped handles and pine-tree-shaped backplates. Each side with a pole-carrying handle, which were used for easy transport. The cabinet has one large drawer at the top and one the bottom. In between these two there are two left-hand medium-sized drawers. To the right of these two, a small drawer and a hinged door. The interior behind the hinged door with two small drawers. The drawers are very deep and have a lot of volume, for easy storage. They run very smoothly. It is in a very good condition, with only some traces of age and wear. Please see the photos for reference. These kind of cabinets originate from Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, which lies in the north of Japan. Height 96. 8 cm, Width 106. 2 cm, Depth 44. 5 cm. When shipped we will add a certificate of authenticity. Sendai tansu is a type of cabinet of drawers made in the city of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture. Usually they are made of Japanese chestnut, cedar, and zelkova wood, and renowned for their highly ornamented iron fittings and three different types of beautiful Japanese lacquer coating. The making of Sendai tansu involves three different craft techniques: carpentry with no nails or screws; lacquer work to bring out the beauty of the wood grain; and the metal chasing of the intricate designs. To complete a single chest of drawers, an average of 100 to 200 metal fittings are made in a variety of shapes with pictorial designs and motifs, such as dragons, lions, or peonies, which are traditional bringers of good luck and fortune. (from Kogeijapan)