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Tansu Step Chest

Vintage Japanese Elm Tansu Step Media TV Cabinet Double Sided Chest Drawers 125"
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage Tansu step chest / television storage cabinet. Purchased in Japan and shipped back in 2008
Category

Late 20th Century Japonisme Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Elm

People Also Browsed

Full Size Japanese Mid Century Step Tansu
Located in Peabody, MA
Full size mid-century Japanese step tansu with ironwork hardware, circa 1960s
Category

Vintage 1960s Japanese Anglo-Japanese Cabinets

Materials

Iron

A Korean Step Tansu
Located in Chicago, IL
Korean step tansu, also known as "pyung sang," are traditional Korean furniture pieces designed for storage and organization. They typically consist of a series of stacked drawers or...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Furniture

Materials

Elm

A Korean Step Tansu
A Korean Step Tansu
H 5.5 in W 51.5 in D 14.5 in
19th Century Japanese Staircase Tansu Cabinet with Two Drawers and Single Door
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Japanese staircase tansu cabinet from the 19th century, with two drawers and single door. Born in Japan during the 19th century, this staircase tansu features a convenient stepped ...
Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Cabinets

Materials

Wood

Recent Sales

Japanese Lacquered Step Chest. Kaidan Dansu
Located in New York, NY
The kaidan dansu or step chest is one of the most distinctive tansu designs, being both cabinetry
Category

Antique 19th Century Japanese Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Japanese Lacquered Step Chest.  Kaidan Dansu
Japanese Lacquered Step Chest.  Kaidan Dansu
H 82.75 in W 69 in D 25.25 in
Tansu Chest, Japanese Cabinet, Four Drawer Cabinet, Japan 1920s, B1580
Located in Vancouver, BC
, particularly futon chests, step chests and other chests with deep drawers. Some reproduction tansu have been
Category

Vintage 1920s Japanese Furniture

Materials

Oak

Meiji Era '1898' Small Tansu Chest Shelf / Wabi-Sabi Japanese Antiques
Located in Sammu-shi, Chiba
on the furniture they purchased. It's cute and cool. Shelf height spacing One step about 5 cm
Category

Antique 1890s Japanese Meiji Furniture

Materials

Cedar

Japanese Step Tansu Chest, circa 1930s
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed to be versatile and portable, Japanese tansu chests were multipurpose storage cabinets
Category

Vintage 1930s Japanese Showa Furniture

Materials

Iron

Japanese Step Tansu Chest, circa 1930s
Japanese Step Tansu Chest, circa 1930s
H 24 in W 27 in D 17.75 in
Japanese Step Tansu Double Sided
Located in Somis, CA
This is a wonderful double-sided Japanese Step Tansu chest. Full storage capacity with 7 drawers of
Category

20th Century Japanese Meiji Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Japanese Step Tansu Double Sided
Japanese Step Tansu Double Sided
H 32 in W 28.75 in D 14 in
New Japanese Double-Sided Step Tansu
Located in SOMIS, CA
Beautiful new step Tansu was a Japanese original. Ours feature 2 separate, removable pieces. The
Category

2010s Japanese Furniture

Materials

Wood

New Japanese Double-Sided Step Tansu
New Japanese Double-Sided Step Tansu
H 57.5 in W 56 in D 15.75 in
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Finding the Right asian-art-furniture for You

From Japanese handmade earthenware pottery, originating circa 14,500 B.C. and adorned with elaborate corded patterns known as jōmon, to natural elm case pieces and storage cabinets built in Qing dynasty–era China to mid-century Thai rice-paper charcoal rubbings, antique and vintage Asian art and furniture make for wonderful additions to all kinds of contemporary interiors.

Eastern elements elevate any home’s decor. Introduce zen sensibility to your living room, dining room and bedroom with the neutral color palettes and the natural materials such as rattan, bamboo and elm that we typically associate with traditional Asian furniture. Decorative handwoven embroideries and textiles originating from India and elsewhere on the continent, which can be draped over a bed or sofa or used as a wall hanging, can be as practical as they are functional, just as you wouldn’t seek out Japanese room-divider screens — often decorated with paintings but constructed to be lightweight and mobile — merely for privacy.

With everything from blanket chests to lighting fixtures to sculptures and carvings, it’s easy to tastefully bring serenity to your living space by looking to the treasures for which the East has long been known.

For British-born furniture designer Andrianna Shamaris, the Japanese concept of beauty in imperfection isn’t limited to her Wabi Sabi collection. She embraces it in her New York City apartment as well. In the living area, for instance, she retained the fireplace’s original black marble while swathing its frame and the rest of the room in bright white.

“We left the fireplace very clean and wabi-sabi, so that it blended into the wall,” says Shamaris, who further appointed the space with a hand-carved antique daybed whose plush pillows are upholstered in antique textiles from the Indonesian island of Sumba.

In the growing antique and vintage Asian art and furniture collection on 1stDibs, find ceramics from China, antiquities from Cambodia and a vast range of tables, seating, dining chairs and other items from Japan, India and other countries.

Questions About Tansu Step Chest
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021
    A step Tansu is also known as a step Tansu chest. It originated in Japan with simplistic design and multi-purpose use. Step Tansu has a storage chest that doubles as a staircase to climb to higher-level rooms. Add aesthetic appeal to your home decor with a step Tansu chest or other storage pieces from 1stDibs.
  • 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.