Japanese Sado ishô dansu 衣装箪笥 (cabinet of drawers) with elaborate hardware

High-quality Sado wooden ishô’dansu (cabinet of drawers) in two sections. Heavily clad with decorative iron hardware featuring rich designs, and a little secret. Fully restored, cleaned and waxed. The drawer faces made from solid indigenous cedar (sugi) wood. Finished with a deep dark red lacquer with a great patina. The upper part is configured with two large drawers, and the bottom with four drawers of different sizes and a hinged door. Opening to three more small drawers. Behind these drawers lies a concealed storage compartment. As illustrated in the photos, the small drawer on the right is slightly shorter. Behind it is the hidden storage space, accessible only by removing the left drawer since the opening extends all the way to the back on that side. Each lock plate of the cabinet has its own refined reticulated design, showcasing; a pair of elder figures tending a pine tree (matsu) when the sun is rising on the horizon; two of the Seven Gods of Fortune...

Rare and richly adorned wooden Kyûshû ishô'dansu (cabinet of drawers) in a single section, on a plinth. Fully restored, cleaned and waxed. The drawer faces are made of indigenous k...

Remarkable wooden Kantô kannon’biraki ishô’dansu (cabinet of drawers with hinged doors) in two sections equipped with striking iron hardware. Fully restored, cleaned and waxed. The drawer fronts are made from indigenous kiri (paulownia) wood, and the frame from Japanese hinoki...

Unique and beautiful round wooden chadansu 茶箪笥 (tea cabinet) made of a hollow tree trunk. Placed on a lovely organically formed three root. The exterior of the display cabinet has a...

Amazing wooden Gifu chôba’dansu (merchant's document cabinet) with sturdy iron hardware and a well-hidden secret compartment. Fully restored, cleaned and w...

Important unique set of two suits-of-armour (yoroi), complete with two high six-panel screens, that belong together as is indicated by the used family crests (mon). Two crests are used, both belonging to the Nakagawa family of Oka Castle, Ôita prefecture on Kyûshû. They are: – the Nakagawa-kurusu, a circle depicting a Celtic-like cross through a ring. The cross was originally a Christian symbol but after the ban on Christianity in Japan the use of a hidden cross in family crests could continue. – the Nakagawa-kashiwa, two leaves of the Japanese Emperor Oak turned to each other (dakikashiwa mon). The remarkable aspect of this ensemble is the presence of matching crests on both the yoroi and the accompanying folding screens. The kurusu and kashiwa crests adorning the yoroi are elegantly replicated on the screens, providing compelling evidence that these pieces form a harmonious and unified set. This exceptional cohesion between the armour and screens further enhances their artistic and historical value. After the warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) had interfered in the battle between the Lord of Bungo Province Ôtomo Yoshi-mune (1558-1605) and the Shimazu of Hyûga Province, he split the Bungo Province in a number of small fiefs and transferred in 1594 Nakagawa Hideshige (1570-1612) from Miki Castle in the Harima Fief to Oka Castle in Kyûshû. The Nakagawa family stayed in possession of Oka Castle till the abolishment of the military use of castles in 1873. In 1884 the Nakagawa family received the title of Count (a title in use till the abolishment of aristocracy in 1947). After the Nakagawa’s left, the castle and the building soon dilapidated and is now known as Oka Castle Ruins. The castle is located in Taketa Village part of Taketa Town in Ôita Province on Kyûshû. > Set of two tall byôbu (folding screens), painted with large red jinmaku (camp enclosure curtain) on a gold leaf ground. The curtains show both crests of the Nakagawa family: one screen depicts two Nakagawa-kurusu crests next to a Nakagawa-kashi crest in the middle, and the other shows the symbols the other way round. Dimensions: Total width 148.66 in/377.6 cm (2 x 25.35 in/64.4 cm, 4 x 24.48 in/62.2 cm); Height 72.63 in/184.5 cm. Period: Japan – Late Edo period (First half 19th century), and maybe even older. > Yoroi with Nakagawa-kashiwa crest: A Japanese black lacquered suit-of-armour (yoroi) completely laced with orange cords (kuro’urushinuri hi’ito odoshi nimai’dô’maru). A thirty-two plate suji’bachi kabuto (helmet with raised ridges) with in front a maedate (fore crest) -with traces of gilding- in the shape of flames, resembling a mythical flaming bird flying down. The fukikaeshi (face guards) and the mabizashi (visor) have the Nakagawa-kashiwa crest in gold maki-e lacquer. Five curved ‘itazane’-plate neck guards (shikoro) laced with orange cords. Together with an ‘angry man...

An antique Japanese Meiji period two-part tansu chest from the late 19th century with dark red lacquer, iron hardware, small safe and carrying handles. Created in Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1912), this wooden chest called an Isho-Dansu chest is a fine example of Japan's traditional mobile cabinetry. Tansus were portable chests...

A Japanese 19th century keyaki wood Sendai clothing tansu (Isho-dansu) with four drawers and elaborate handcut iron hardware. Born during the 19th century in the Sendai prefecture, t...

A Japanese Taisho period single section tansu clothing chest from the early 20th century in Isho-dansu style, with six drawers, safe, carrying handles and dark patina. Created in Japan during the Taisho period in the early years of the 20th century, this wooden Isho-dansu clothing chest features a linear silhouette perfectly complimented by a dark finish. The organized façade showcases six drawers (three large ones followed by two medium size and a smaller one), each fitted with iron hardware made of C-scroll handles and a central lock. The lower right section presents the safe, which opens to reveal additional drawers. Tansus were portable chests...

A Japanese Meiji period single section tansu clothing chest from the late 19th century in Isho-dansu style, with zebra wood, five drawers and carrying handles. Created in Japan during the Meiji period in the later years of the 19th century, this wooden Isho-dansu clothing chest features a linear silhouette perfectly complimented by a dark zebra wood grain. The organized façade showcases five drawers (three large ones followed by two smaller ones at the bottom), each fitted with iron hardware made of C-scroll handles and a central lock. Tansus were portable chests...

Japanese chest-on-chest for clothing storage (isho kasane-dansu) from Yonezawa, constructed of hinoki (Chaemaecyparis obtusa) and keyaki (Zelkova serrata) drawer fronts, traditional ...

This early 20th century Japanese clothing chest from Sado Island produced in the late Meiji Era. It consists of two pieces decorated with very ...