Japanese Sendai Isho Dansu Keyaki Tansu Chest Kiku Iron Hardware Meiji Period 39"H LS#124

Japanese Sendai Isho Dansu Keyaki Tansu Chest Kiku Iron Hardware Meiji Period

Japan, Sendai region, Meiji period, circa 1868–1900

35.5 in. W × 39 in. H × 18 in. D (90 × 99 × 46 cm)

A fine Sendai isho dansu (仙台衣装箪笥) in the classic regional tradition, with a keyaki (欅, Japanese zelkova) facade over a sugi (杉, Japanese cedar) case and drawer construction. Sendai tansu, produced in and around the castle town of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture, are distinguished from other regional types by the exceptional quality of their iron hardware — invariably bold, deeply chased, and unified by a coherent decorative program — and by the lavish use of kakishibu (柿渋), a fermented persimmon tannin extract, as a preservative and finishing agent. Applied in multiple coats to the case exterior and drawer panels, kakishibu imparts the deep amber-to-lacquer tone characteristic of this school of tansu, while simultaneously hardening the wood surface and providing lasting protection against insects and moisture. The result, particularly over figured keyaki, is the rich copper-and-mahogany ground visible across this chest's facade.

The hardware program here is organized entirely around the kiku (菊, chrysanthemum) — the imperial flower — rendered with exceptional consistency and skill across every fitting. The full-width top drawer carries a large horizontal lock plate with scrolling kiku-bana in high relief, flanked by additional kiku cartouches; individual drawer escutcheons repeat a four-petal kiku rosette form in varied scales; the hikido cabinet door is secured by a cross-form lock with a kiku medallion at center; and bail pulls throughout are mounted on kikuza (菊座) scallop-form rosette backers. The hardware suite is cohesive and clearly the work of a skilled Sendai ironsmith. The layout is characteristic: a wide top drawer, a split middle register with drawer columns flanking the hikido cabinet, and a run of full-width drawers below. Drawer interiors retain their original washi paper lining in the upper register. Side panels carry plain bar handles on iron plates, finished in lacquered sugi.

Condition: Good to very good antique condition. Kakishibu finish on case and top surface retains strong color with minor surface wear and age crazing consistent with Meiji-period production. Keyaki facade panels are vibrant. Iron hardware throughout is complete, intact, and functional, with appropriate surface oxidation. Drawer boxes slide well with minor variation. Washi lining in top drawer is present with age toning and minor losses.

A distinguished example of Sendai isho dansu with an exceptionally unified kiku hardware program — a chest that embodies the regional tradition at its most refined.