Japanese work table with storage space – Showa Period (c.1950-1979)
- Dimensions:
- Folded table: Length: 140 cm Depth: 85 cm Height: 80 cm
- Extended table: Length: 183 cm Depth: 85 cm Height: 80 cm
- Style: Showa
- Materials and techniques: Shorea (Shorea spp.), Japanese Ash (Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica), Plywood, Plywood (Fraxinus mandshurica var. japonica).
- Place of origin: Japan
- Period: Late Showa
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1950-1979
- Condition: Good. Wear commensurate with age and use.
Japanese domestic table from the Shōwa period, conceived as a functional and utilitarian piece, built with a mixed structure of hardwoods and plywood. Its hybrid format—between a worktable and a tansu—combines sliding doors, open interior shelving, and a cantilevered side wing, reflecting a pragmatic approach to everyday use.
Designed as a central piece of furniture, it was intended for working, preparing, supporting, or storing objects within a domestic setting, family workshop, or semi-professional environment. This type of furniture responds directly to the logic of early Shōwa Japan, where functionality, durability, and economy of means took precedence.
The construction combines Shorea and Japanese ash in the main structural and visible elements—frames, legs, supports, and load-bearing components—while plywood is used for panels and secondary surfaces. This material combination is characteristic of the period, when the introduction of plywood allowed for optimized resources without compromising overall solidity.
The wood presents a dark, deep, and stable patina, with visible wear on the top surface, edges, and working areas resulting from sustained use. Abrasions, marks, and tonal variations are not signs of recent deterioration, but rather the outcome of long-term, coherent aging consistent with its original function as a working piece of furniture.
The main body features sober sliding doors that open onto well-proportioned interior shelves. On the opposite side, a cantilevered wing extends the working surface, supported by a curved, organically profiled brace that gives the piece a distinctly architectural reading—highly representative of Shōwa-era pragmatism.
The hardware and handles, discreetly integrated into the wood, are original and show uniform wear. The interior retains its original configuration, with no invasive restorations or later alterations.
The piece is presented in good structural condition, stable and fully functional, preserving both its material integrity and utilitarian character. Honest, direct, and well proportioned, it integrates naturally into contemporary interiors as well as working or studio spaces.
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 vintage Japanese kitchen island can be combined with any of our vases or with our available antique stools.
ONE OF A KIND
