Hisashiburi ne! It’s been a while hasn’t it. Got a job as a cabinetmaker again, I guess I just can’t keep away from wood. But, it’s been keeping me away from this site, so it’s time to rectify that.

I couldn’t help but show you this kyodai that’s up for auction, since I previously posted an earlier style here with a more complete description. As you can see, this piece has the later square western style mirror as well as the highly figured wood. These began to be used in kyodai pieces after Sakoku, Japan’s exclusionary acts, were forcibly lifted in 1853 by Commodore Perry’s gunboat diplomacy. The listing states that this is made with keyaki (elm), but I think it looks more like kuwa (mulberry). Also, listed as 19th century, but it could be as late as early 20th. Handles look like they have been replaced with more modern hardware. Cool, none the less.

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OK, I just had to do a post on this piece since I wrote about Te-kagami (hand mirrors) earlier here. This type of furniture basically came about during the Meiji era. The style changed over time in the successive Taisho and Showa eras due to women’s dressing needs changing and the influx of western mirror imports. This piece is from the Meiji era as it’s holder is for the older style mirror as well as the cabinetry resembling traditional styles. Later Kyodai incorporated tall western style mirrors and exhibited much more decorative grained woods. Made out of Keyaki (Japanese Elm) and joined using hanken shiki (finger joints), with hirute (leech style) handles over incised toshi-zagane (backplates). Maybe not the most elaborate of pieces, but at least it’s a style that you dont see all to often, being overshadowed in the market by clothing and kitchen chests. All in all, an interesting tansu.

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