But, while always functional, they still made a statement, says Dane Owen, owner of Shibui, an Asian antique store in Brooklyn, New York—“a dramatic combination of utility and beauty.” This is especially true for those made during the Meiji era (1868-1912), which is considered to be the Golden Age of tansu-making. Below you will find a tally of some of the most common tansu types along with a few rarities to seek. As you’re reading, be sure to take note that the Japanese word “tansu”, which literally means “cabinetry,” becomes “dansu” when linked with another word. Kaidan-dansu, the Japanese name for these types of chests, aren’t usually made of the most valuable materials—the one at left is made of sugi (cedar), a relatively inexpensive wood—but they often command high prices. This is due both to their uniqueness and their relative rarity. Everyone in a family would have a clothing chest (as shown below), Owen notes, but “How many staircases would a house have?” Isho-dansu came in two types. Some had single sections, like the one depicted at left. Others were double-section, which had one chest stacked upon another. The configuration of several full drawers, with a couple of small ones and perhaps a safe, is typical of isho-dansu of the Meiji era (1868-1912). This era is considered the Golden Age of tansu-making, and tansu from this period are very desirable. Although a range of regional styles exists, choba-dansu are characterized by multiple compartments of varying sizes, invariably including one for ledgers – indicated by a pair of square sliding doors, Owen notes. And also—“lots of locks,” like those of forged iron on the chest at left. See also the wheeled merchant’s chest shown below, which is quite rare. Unlike other tansu, mizuya-dansu don’t have much hardware at all. They were, however, often decorated with simple, carved designs, as is the one at left. Mizuya-dansu typically have a rich, reddish-brown patina—created by cooking-fire smoke found in kitchens, Owen says. Those made in Sado Island, like the one at left, are among the most valuable, according to Owen. Iron hardware was a status symbol, and the substantial amount of it on the locks and handles on this funa-dansu suggests its owner was socially prominent—or aspiring to be—and intent on traveling extensively by sea.
