Japanese small storage box – Late Meiji Period (c.1890-1910)
- Dimensions: Length: 27 cm Depth: 28 cm Height: 39 cm
- Style: Meiji
- Materials and techniques: Sugi (Japanese cedar), wrought iron, wrought iron.
- Place of origin: Japan
- Period: Late Meiji
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1890-1910
- Condition: Good. Wear commensurate with age and use.
Original Japanese small storage box from the late Meiji period, crafted in solid wood and conceived for domestic use. The piece features a hinged front door, interior shelving, and a lower drawer, responding to a compact and highly functional tansu typology.
Designed for everyday use, this type of box was intended for the organized storage of small objects, documents, or personal belongings. Its design is direct and restrained, free of superfluous ornamentation, and representative of late 19th-century Japanese furniture, when traditional craftsmanship coexisted with a growing rationalization of domestic space.
The wood displays a deep and remarkably honest patina, with pronounced wear, marks of use, impacts, material loss, and tonal variations typical of a piece that has been intensively used. These traces are not the result of recent deterioration, but of a long and coherent aging process consistent with its age and original function.
Based on its visible characteristics—straight grain, soft texture, structural lightness, and warm darkening—the piece appears to be primarily made of sugi (Japanese cedar), the most common wood used for this type of domestic storage during the Meiji period. The choice of a lightweight wood reflects both practical and economic considerations, facilitating mobility and flexibility within the home.
The front door retains its original cast iron handle, with a sober embossed decoration and uniformly aged hardware. The interior preserves its original shelves and shows traces of use, including handwritten Japanese inscriptions and labels, which add documentary value and reinforce the authenticity of the piece.
The lower drawer maintains its original construction, with a simple circular perforation used as a pull, typical of traditional Japanese furniture. The raised base protects the body of the box from direct contact with the floor, a common solution for pieces of this scale.
The piece is structurally stable, with visible wear fully assumed as an integral part of its character. No invasive restorations or later alterations detract from its historical reading.
The state of conservation is optimal, except for the characteristic imperfections of any antique produced by the passage of time.
Give a point of originality to your home with a unique piece, which merges with the contemporary style bringing personality to your home. This antique Japanese side cabinet can be combined with any of our sideboards or with our available antique side tables.
ONE OF A KIND
