Antique Japanese Choba Dansu Merchants Cabinet - Cypress & Elm | Meiji

An antique Japanese choba dansu merchants storage cabinet. Made from hinoki (cypress) wood with keyaki (elm) wood drawer fronts, and iron hardware. Meiji period, late 19th century.

The cabinet is a wide, low form with a full-width burl elm drawer across the top fitted with two large curved bail handles. The central section features a pair of louvred sliding doors flanked by rows of smaller burl-fronted drawers, all with heavy iron bail and ring hardware. Below, a further row of drawers sits above louvred cupboard doors with iron clasp fittings at the base. The contrast between the fine louvred cedar panels and the dramatic burl elm drawer fronts is a defining feature. Open shelving runs along both sides. A commanding piece for a hallway, dining room, or study.

Choba dansu were the working storage cabinets of Japanese merchant households and shopfronts, used to organise ledgers, documents, cash, and goods. The combination of lockable compartments, drawers, and open shelving reflects the practical demands of commercial life in the Meiji era.