Antique Japanese kodansu lacquered with five drawers, of vertical rectangular body and five stacked drawers at the front, with iron ring pulls and an original painted motif running across the fronts. It originates from Japan, from the Meiji period (1868–1912), when small chests of drawers — for the domestic desk, the sewing table or the private wardrobe — were produced in natural lacquer with hand-painted decoration.
The five-drawer kodansu was one of the most widespread domestic typologies of Meiji Japan. Its compact height made it suited to sitting on tatami, on a low table or on another auxiliary piece; the five drawers allowed jewellery, threads, stationery or coin to be classified with a clear hierarchy. Painted decoration — discreet, allusive — set the piece apart within an otherwise sober furniture vocabulary.
It is built in solid wood, with fronts and sides nailed and the five drawers fitted on internal runners. The pulls are hand-forged iron rings on a diamond escutcheon, aligned at the centre of each drawer. The finish is natural lacquer in a dark plum tone, applied in several coats over the entire surface.
The painted decoration is original and forms part of the identity of the piece: a fluid composition in red and gold depicts a swallow or similar bird in flight, spanning the fronts of four of the drawers as a continuous scene. The palette combines bright red and pale gold over the lacquer’s lead ground, in a register that recalls Meiji boxes with stylised suzuribako motifs.
The patina is warm and honest, with the lacquer softened at the edges, stable rust on the hardware and small perimeter losses at the base. The painting keeps all its contrast and has become part of the body of the kodansu.
It sits naturally in wabi-sabi, japandi or contemporary eclectic interiors. It works as a jewellery box on a chest of drawers, as a chest for correspondence and pens on a desk, or as a display piece in a vitrine, where the painted swallow acts as the only graphic accent.
Details
- Dimensions: Length 26 cm – Width 28 cm – Height 36 cm
- Style: Traditional Japanese, Meiji period
- Materials and techniques: Solid wood; hand-forged iron pulls; dark-plum natural lacquer; original painting in red and gold; nailed assembly with internal runners.
- Place of origin: Japan
- Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
- Date of manufacture: Circa 1900
- Condition: Good. Original patina and painting. Some marks consistent with use. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
