Exquisite Oversized Japanese Ten-Drawer Cabinet Meiji Period

A very large, heavy, and unique Japanese ten-drawer elm cabinet with beautifully decorated doors and lacquer finish.

Cabinet is constructed of thick slabs of elm with a richly colored lacquer wash, and it sits upon a heavy stained mahogany base. Doors are finished in a multi-layered brushed lacquer finish that gives them a lovely fabric-like finish, and hung with heavy bronze hinges.

On the doors are five meticulously crafted vignettes, each made of intricately cut, colored, and applied shell, mother of pearl, and bone set in stained elm panels. These include a pair of kokeshi-style wedding dolls, a shūgi-bukuro (wedding envelope) containing chrysanthemums (the national flower of Japan), and an amazingly detailed and delightful depiction of a scene from the beloved Edo Period fable of Momotarō, with “Peach Boy” and his compatriots admiring the spoils of their defeat of the demon chief Oni under a pennant that reads “Japan #1”.

Inside the cabinet are ten brown lacquered drawers with recessed sculptural carved wood pulls. Each are lined with unfinished paulownia wood inserts that are designed to be removed for the re-application of insect-repelling camphor, of which they retain a mild scent. The bottom two drawers can be locked via an ingenious mechanism hidden behind a secret panel in the base.

Clearly commissioned by a proud Japanese person of means, its subtle Chinese and Art Deco design touches make it a highly collectible one-of-a-kind piece with incredible presence and appeal.

Dimensions 53 in.H x 38.25 in.W x 30 in.D.
Condition over all very good for it’s age. Bottom right, a crafted vignette has shell loss.