KUSURI TANSU

Anonymous

Japan, 1874

UNIQUE

Cedar, Iron

Height — 43.71 in (111 cm)

Width — 57.49 in (146 cm)

Depth — 11.42 in (29 cm)

Held In — Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Price — USD 9 500

inquire

DOWNLOAD ITEM INFO

  • Large Japanese medicine chest (kusuri-tansu) from the Meiji period, the façade composed of an extensive grid of small drawers whose repetition gives the piece a strong architectural presence

    Handwritten inscriptions reading 明治七年 remain visible on several drawer sides, identifying the year of production as 1874. The chest is constructed from cedar (sugi), a less common material for medicine chests of this type, which were more typically produced in paulownia

    The drawers have been adjusted and open smoothly, with all original pulls intact. Iron side handles remain present but are fixed due to age-related oxidation