Japanese Tansu in 2 Sections

Round iron lock plates run down the front like a row of stern buttons.

This tansu in 2 sections comes from Japan and dates to the 19th century. It is kiri wood with iron mounts. Japanese households and merchants used tansu chests to store clothing, papers and valuables, and building them in stacking sections made them easier to carry in a move or a fire. Light, moisture-resistant kiri was a favored choice for clothing. Four tiers of drawers show a strong, warm grain, with recessed iron pulls and black corner mounts. Two small drawers sit at lower right. Forty-three inches long and forty-four and a quarter high.

Whatever was inside was meant to stay inside.