Tansu Wood Chest
Handmade Tansu Chest
- Japanese-style tansu chest
- Made entirely of salvaged wood (pine and cedar)
- No nails, no screws, no power tools
- Cloud Dragon butsudan sold separately
Someone asked me recently, “What do you recommend I put my butsudan on?” I suggested she look into getting an antique Japanese tansu. They are extraordinarily versatile pieces of furniture. Typically, they feature a pair of sliding doors, but one can also find them with hinged doors. Some come with drawers, and some even have secret compartments. The only drawback is that they tend to be expensive (anywhere between $1,500 – $8,000).
I have always had a fascination with tansu, yet it wasn’t until recently that I decided to try building one for myself. Being my first attempt, I used salvaged pine. I wanted to know if I could produce something with a similar integrity as the old-world tansu, yet at a lower cost to the customer (prices for my tansu begin at $600). Naturally, it must be of solid wood and completely handmade, using only hand tools. I am excited to experiment with other woods, yet I am quite taken with the rustic elegance of the re-purposed pine, which has the look of something one might find in an old Japanese farmhouse.
calebnrogers
Esho Funi 