Japanese Antique BK Small Tansu with 4 Drawers circa 1900–1920
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Japanese Antique BK Small Tansu with 4 Drawers circa 1900–1920 Japan, Early 20th Century, circa 1900–1920 This refined four-drawer chest embodies the understated beauty of traditio...
Cedar
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H 24.69 in W 29.81 in D 13.98 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Drawers/1868-1920/Wabisabi Chest of Drawers
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an antique wooden drawer made in the Meiji era to the early Showa era (1868-1920) in Japan.The material is cedar or cypress and the total weight is 23 kg. The handle metal fi...
Cedar
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H 23.15 in W 24.89 in D 15.12 in
Japanese Antique Wooden Chest of Drawers/1868-1920/Meiji Period/Tansu
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
We have a unique Japanese aesthetic sense. And only we can introduce unique items through our purchasing channels in Japan and the experience we have gained so far, in such a way tha...
Cedar
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H 27.96 in W 29.53 in D 16.15 in
Early 20th Century Japanese Choba Tansu Chest with Original Iron Hardware
Located in Berlin, DE
This early 20th century Japanese Choba Tansu is a beautiful example of traditional Japanese merchant furniture, combining practical storage with strong architectural design. Construc...
Metal
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H 23.04 in W 29.3 in D 15.24 in
Simple antique Japanese wooden drawer / 1868-1920 / Meiji-Taisho period
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is an old Japanese wooden drawer, likely made between 1868 and 1920, during the Meiji and Taisho periods. Crafted from light and warm cedar, the entire piece is crafted from ced...
Cedar
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H 35.83 in W 33.47 in D 14.38 in
Japanese Black Tansu 1920-1940 / Showa Period / Cabinet Sideboard Wabi sabi /
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a traditional Japanese mizuya tansu believed to have been crafted between the Meiji to Taisho periods. Its composition—slatted sliding doors, lower drawers, and open shelving...
Cedar
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H 17.33 in W 11.78 in D 11.74 in
Japanese Antique Small Drawer, Taisho Era '1912-1926', Wabi Sabi
Located in Hitachiomiya-shi, 08
This antique small drawer was crafted in the Taisho Era (1912-1926). Made of cedar wood, this drawer features five drawers and displays a deep, aged charm. The warmth of the wood, ...
Cedar
Japanese antique wooden drawers/1868-1920/tasteful chest
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a wooden drawer made of cedar wood from the Meiji and Taisho periods (circa 1868-1920) in Japan. The warm texture peculiar to cedar wood stands out, and the rustic simplicit...
Cedar
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H 11.82 in W 34.65 in D 11.42 in
Japanese Antique Black Wooden Drawer / Small Low Desk / 1868-1920 / Chest
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a wooden drawer made in Japan around the Meiji and Taisho periods (1868-1920). It would also have been used as a low desk. In modern times, it could be used very beautifully ...
Cedar
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H 35.44 in W 30.91 in D 14.18 in
Japanese antique wooden wabisabi drawer/1868-1920/MINGEI/Meiji-Taisho
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
I would like to introduce you to a rare Japanese wooden drawer that gives you a wabi-sabi feel. This is a medicine shop drawer built from the Meiji period to the Taisho period (aroun...
Cedar
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H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 11.03 in
Japanese Antique BK Small Tansu with Three Drawers circa 1900–1920
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Japanese Antique BK Small Tansu with Three Drawers circa 1900–1920 Japan, Early 20th Century, circa 1900–1920 A refined Japanese antique three-drawer cabinet that embodies the unde...
Cedar
Sold
H 20.75 in W 18.35 in D 11.03 in
Japanese Antique Small Drawer 1860s-1920 / Tansu Cabinet/Sideboard/ Wabi Sabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
This is a drawer made of very old Japanese cedar wood. Furniture for shops made to store tools and small items. These drawers were made from the Meiji period to the Taisho period...
Cedar
Japanese Cedar Book Chest
Located in San Francisco, CA
Japanese 2-door chest was originally used to store books. With one shelf and custom wood stand. Taisho period, circa 1920s.
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
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