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Chinese Tansu Chest

Japanese Cherry Lacquer Tansu Chest, c. 1880
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed to be versatile and portable, Japanese tansu chests were multipurpose storage cabinets
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

Antique Korean Tansu Bandaji Storage Chest
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique Korean Tansu Bandaji Storage Chest Featuring an antique Korean Tansu Bandaji Chest with
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Chinese Export Trunks and Luggage

Materials

Wood

Vintage Burl Mahogany Tansu Chest with Paper Antique Calligraphy Lining
Located in Lomita, CA
class during the last democratic government in China, according to the translator. Tansu chests were
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Brass

20th Century Vintage Jewelry Storage Mahogany Tansu Chest with Original Lock
Located in Lomita, CA
This is slightly larger than many so-called "tansu" chests, which were originally traditional
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Chinese Export Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Brass

Recent Sales

19th Century Japanese Kimono Tansu
By Japanese Studio
Located in Washington, DC
Striking two section, kiri wood tansu with hand forged iron and bronze decorative hardware. chest
Category

Antique 19th Century Chinese Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Bronze, Iron

19th Century Japanese Kimono Tansu
19th Century Japanese Kimono Tansu
H 38.5 in W 38 in D 17 in
Korean Bandaji Hardwood Tansu Storage Chest
Located in Astoria, NY
Korean Bandaji hardwood storage tansu chest, 19th century, with drop-front panel with a large
Category

Antique 19th Century Korean Chinese Export Blanket Chests

Materials

Metal

Vintage Chinese Chinoiserie Tansu Butterfly Chest Nightstand Side Table Cabinet
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique Chinese Chinoiserie Tansu chest, nightstand or side table. Made of pine with a rosewood
Category

20th Century Chinoiserie Cabinets

Materials

Rosewood

Japanese Stacking Tansu Chest, c. 1880
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed to be versatile and portable, Japanese tansu chests were multipurpose storage cabinets
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Meiji Dressers

Materials

Iron

Japanese Stacking Tansu Chest, c. 1880
Japanese Stacking Tansu Chest, c. 1880
H 44 in W 46.5 in D 17.75 in
Black Lacquer Tansu Chest Cabinet, Japanese Meiji Period
Located in San Francisco, CA
A small beautifully black lacquered tansu chest with original hardware and having seven drawers
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Furniture

Materials

Wood

Chinese Elm Mother of Pearl Cabinet Chest on Stand Chinoiserie Ming Tansu Style
Located in Dayton, OH
An exquisite Chinese chest or cabinet on stand. A rectangular form made from elm with vibrant
Category

20th Century Ming Furniture

Materials

Mother-of-Pearl, Elm

Chinese Lacquer Tansu Semanier Lingerie Jewelry Armoire Chest Dresser Chinoiseri
Located in Dayton, OH
Chinese jewelry armoire, chest or dresser featuring hand painted detail of pagodas, landscapes
Category

Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Mid-Century Modern Pair of Asian Tansu Matching Hand Painted Cabinets
Located in West Hartford, CT
Elegant and vibrant pair of matching Chinese tansu small chests with one drawer at top and a large
Category

Mid-20th Century Korean Chinoiserie Night Stands

Materials

Metal

Tansu Chest
Located in New York, NY
Four-drawer Tansu chest with antique brass hardware
Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Apothecary Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Tansu Chest
Tansu Chest
H 20 in W 18.25 in D 10 in
Chest on Chest
Located in East Hampton, NY
Japanese inspired tansu type Chinese chest on chest
Category

Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Chest on Chest
Chest on Chest
H 48 in W 34.5 in D 17.5 in
Entertainment Chest
Located in San Francisco, CA
for dvd storage. Constructed with chinese elm wood and finished in a rich brown lacquer. Tansu
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Cabinets

Entertainment Chest
Entertainment Chest
H 30.25 in W 72 in D 22 in
Side Chest
Located in San Francisco, CA
Exclusive to Tansu Design, contemporary side chests with crackled cream colored finish. Only 2
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Cabinets

Materials

Elm

Side Chest
Side Chest
H 33 in W 27 in D 15.75 in
CLOSE OUT SALE: Vintage Chinese Tansu Chest with Doors and Embellished Drawers
Located in Oakland Park, FL
Antique Textiles Galleries: Vintage Chinese Tansu chest with doors and embellished drawers and
Category

Vintage 1960s Chinese Chinese Export Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Pair of Elm Tansu Chests
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chests are elegant and ready to be used in any living or bedroom space for years to come.
Category

Vintage 1940s Chinese Chinese Export Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Pair of Elm Tansu Chests
Pair of Elm Tansu Chests
H 21 in W 23.25 in D 12.75 in

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19th Century Chinese Pagoda Cabinet
Located in Houston, TX
A stunning and rare 19th Century English Chinese pagoda cabinets. This highly stylized hand carved mahogany cabinets features, glass shelving, pagoda gabled roofs, classic Chippendal...
Category

Antique 19th Century English Chinese Chippendale Vitrines

Materials

Glass, Mahogany

19th Century Chinese Pagoda Cabinet
19th Century Chinese Pagoda Cabinet
H 102 in W 84.5 in D 22.5 in
Japanese Tansu Storage Chest (19th Century - Edo Period) Wabi Sabi
Located in London, GB
Japanese Tansu Storage Chest (Edo Period - 19th Century). Tansu are traditional portable wooden storage chests from Japan. In Japanese traditional houses, there were no fixed chairs,...
Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Edo Furniture

Materials

Wood

Japanese Antique Drawer 1860s-1900s / Storage Tansu Wabisabi
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
Very old Japanese small drawer storage. The furniture is from the Meiji period (1860s-1900s). It is made of cedar wood. The handles are made of iron. The design is ultimately simple...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Cedar

Antique Late 1800’s Japanese Cedar Tansu Chest of Drawers Dresser
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Antique Late 1800’s Japanese Cedar Tansu Chest of Drawers Dresser Country: Japan Materials: Wood, Iron Condition: Original Condition Style: Japanese Antique Year: 1890’s $2,250 ...
Category

Antique 1890s Japanese Dressers

Materials

Iron

Korean Elm Coffee Table with Lots of Drawers, Late 19th Century
Located in Pulborough, GB
Antiques of London are delighted to offer for sale this beautiful late 19th-century Korean elm coffee table with lots of drawers. This is a very well-made and solid piece of furni...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Korean Qing Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Elm

19th Century Elm Wood and Brass Korean Tansu Chest with Drawers
By Other Kingdom
Located in Lomita, CA
The patina on this elm wood tansu chest is reflective and deep. The brass also has had time to develop a deep patina that contrasts the elmwood. It mixes wonderfully with other perio...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Korean Chinoiserie Cabinets

Materials

Brass

Japanese Marquetry and Lacquer Jewelry Chest, Meiji Period, circa 1900, Japan
Located in Austin, TX
A very attractive Japanese wood table top jewelry or collector's chest with marquetry and lacquer decoration, Meiji period, circa 1900, Japan. Previously in the collection of Asbjorn...
Category

Antique Early 1900s Japanese Meiji Lacquer

Materials

Wood, Softwood, Lacquer

19th Century Japanese gilt lacquered cabinet
Located in Martlesham, GB
A highly decorative 19th Century Japanese gilt lacquered cabinet from the Meiji period (1868-1912) the double hinged doors decorated with two eagles in relief, each standing on a pol...
Category

Antique 1880s Japanese Meiji Cabinets

Materials

Hardwood

Late Meiji Japanese Keyaki Merchant Tansu Chest with Iron Fittings
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Japanese Meiji merchant's tansu chest from the late 19th century with iron hardware. This late Meiji-period Japanese merchant’s chest, crafted from keyaki (Japanese elm) and adorne...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

Chinese Money Chest in Black Lacquer and Gilt Decoration
Located in Dallas, TX
A Chinese black lacqured chest with gilt decoration was originally used to hold gold coins. This highly decorative cabinet is beautiflly decorated with multible children in various s...
Category

Late 20th Century Chinese Chinoiserie Cabinets

Materials

Wood

Chinese Qing Dynasty Cabinet with Original Décor
Located in Kastrup, DK
Rare Qing dynasty cabinet with original well preserved decorations. Red base lacquer with polychrome decorations, black lacquer on the sides. Top section with pair of panel doors la...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Cabinets

Materials

Elm

19th Century Antique Japanese Tansu Chest, 2 Parts
Located in Chicago, IL
Japanese storage tansu chests were used to hold clothing and other personal effects in a 19th Century Japanese home. Because Japanese homes were (and are) relatively small, furniture...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Dressers

Materials

Pine, Fir

Japanese Lacquer and Cinnabar "Samurai" Cabinet, Inaba Family, Edo Period
Located in Troy, NY
Exceptionally large and rare lacquer cabinet. According to the heraldry, visible on the headgear in one of the panels, it was made for the Inaba family, a high ranking Daimyo family,...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Lacquer

Materials

Wood

All Original C. 1850 Japanese Tansu Chest, 2 Parts
Located in Chicago, IL
This 2-part antique Japanese tansu has lovely old-patina wood and and attractive hand-forged iron handles and other hardware. It can be used as-shown, stacked or separated and raise...
Category

Antique Mid-19th Century Japanese Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Pine

Sendai Tansu, Meiji Period
Located in Pasadena, CA
This is a very good example of a Meiji Period Sendai Tansu in Keyaki wood. This one-part tansu dates to circa 1880 and is in very good overall condition as it retains all of its orig...
Category

Antique 1880s Japanese Anglo-Japanese Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Wrought Iron

Sendai Tansu, Meiji Period
Sendai Tansu, Meiji Period
H 36 in W 40.5 in D 19 in
Important Documented Qing Dynasty Chinese Deep Relief Rosewood Cabinet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An exquisite custom antique 19th century Qing Dynasty heavily carved Chinese rosewood and elm wooden cabinet with double-doors carved set with gilt and deep relief carved wood panels...
Category

Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Cabinets

Materials

Brass

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Questions About Chinese Tansu Chest
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
    Tansu refers to Japanese portable storage chests. When tansu became a well-known feature of life in Japan — the chests’ emergence is said to be rooted in the Genroku era of the Edo period (1688–1704) — the country’s traditionally minimalist households had little to no proper seats, tables, or other pieces of furniture. Tansu were intended to be multipurpose cabinets. These case pieces were used to store things of everyday utility, such as clothing and various personal items. Tansu are regarded as collectible furniture with a timeless appeal. Shop a collection of antique, vintage, and contemporary Tansu from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A tansu chest is a Japanese cabinet designed for easy transportation and can store a variety of items, including clothes and personal items. Tansu chests often feature multiple compartments to keep items organized. Shop a selection of authentic tansu chests on 1stDibs.

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