Japanese Cha Dansu or Tea Tansu

Open shelves on top, closed drawers below, nothing wasted.

Japanese cabinetmakers made this cha dansu, or tea tansu, in elm wood in the 20th century. Tea tansu were commonly used to store tea utensils and small household items. This one is stepped, with an open upper shelf and a glass-fronted compartment beside a small cupboard door. Two long drawers run along the bottom, each with a metal pull. The wood is a warm reddish brown, with a visible grain and a soft sheen.

About thirty-eight inches high and thirty-three wide. A tidy cabinet for very unruly collections.