Antique Japanese c1880’s Kiri Wood Two Drawer Honbako Book Tansu Chest 14" Saw valued for its balance of

valued for its balance of utility and visual appeal

A great piece of Japanese history and a beautiful statement piece

creating a style that was both culturally rich and internationally appealing

Weight = 1lb 12oz

Art Length = 43"  Width = 16"

Antique Japanese c1880’s Kiri Wood Two Drawer Honbako Book Tansu Chest 14" Saw valued for its balance ofThis is a 150 year old antique Japanese honbako from the Meiji Era (c. 1880s). This honbako (portable book tansu) has two drawers. The metal hardware is hand forged iron. Honbako were used as portable book chests to hold multiple volumes of texts, voumes of novels and other large texts to keep them from getting separated when traveling. Keyaki (zelkova) wood was the wood of choice for such a chest being strong as well as having a beautiful grain