Antique Japanese kusuri tansu kusuri pharmacy sideboard – Taishō / Showa Period (c.1920-1945)
- Dimensions: Length: 140 cm Depth: 40 cm Height: 65 cm
- Style: Taishō
- Materials and Techniques: Japanese Oak (Quercus spp.), Japanese Ash (Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica), Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
- Place of origin: Japan
- Epoch: Late Taishō, early Showa period
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1868-1926
- Condition: Good. Wear commensurate with age and use.
Japanese storage chest of drawers from the Taishō period to the early Shōwa era, conceived with a horizontal structure and a front composed of multiple small-format drawers. Designed for the classification and organization of objects, documents, or merchandise, this type of furniture reflects a highly functional approach to storage.
With balanced proportions—40 cm in length, 40 cm in depth, and 65 cm in height—the piece was intended to be placed at mid-height, allowing it to function both as intensive storage furniture and as an auxiliary surface. Similar cabinets were commonly found in traditional pharmacies, workshops, shops, archives, or well-organized domestic interiors, where compartmentalization followed a precise and practical logic.
The construction combines Japanese oak (Quercus spp.) and Japanese ash (Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica) in the visible and structural elements—drawer fronts, frames, and carcass—with the use of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) in the drawer interiors and secondary components. This combination of woods is characteristic of the period, balancing strength, stability, and lightness.
The front presents a rhythmic repetition of drawers, each fitted with original label-type metal pulls in dark iron. These exposed fittings, together with the regular modular layout, reinforce the cabinet’s functional and almost architectural reading. The drawer interiors, in lighter wood, show wear consistent with their original use.
The wood retains a deep, even patina, with visible wear along edges, drawer fronts, and the upper surface: abrasions, handling marks, and tonal variations accumulated over time. This aging is stable and honest, with no invasive restorations or alterations that detract from the integrity of the piece.
The cabinet is in good structural condition, solid and fully usable. It is a piece of strong visual presence, where repetition, rhythm, and materiality create a calm and contained impact, particularly well suited to contemporary interiors.
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 pharmacy sideboard can be combined with any of our bottles and demijohns or with our available antique console tables.
ONE OF A KIND
