Antique Japanese Meiji Era c1890's Chestnut Wood Suzuribako Calligraphy Tansu Chest 12” Print Elephant handles and a front

Elephant handles and a front and back which appears to depict Chinese intellectual scholars from Tang Dynasty China around a broken jar with liquid flowing out of it on the front and a smiling teacher and a pine tree on the back

The wear has smoothed down the whole tsuba

In Japan Bodhidarma or “Daruma-san” is best known for staring at a wall for 9 years ignoring every one who came to ask him questions until a young monk determined to learn his Buddhist teaching cut off his own arm and presented it to Daruma-San as a sign of his devotion

The Chashaku is the simple bamboo tea scoop used to transfer powdered green tea from the caddie to the tea bowl during tea ceremony

Antique Japanese Meiji Era c1890's Chestnut Wood Suzuribako Calligraphy Tansu Chest 12” Print Elephant handles and a frontThis is a 120 year old antique Japanese suzuribako from the late Meiji Era c. 1900. This suzuribako (portable calligraphy tansu) has two drawers and a lidded top section, made of solid Kiri (paulowina) wood. The metal hardware is hand forged iron. Length = 12" Width = 9" Height = 10" Weight =6lbs 8oz Suzuribako were used as portable accounting chests (the forerunner of the attache' case). Also known as a calligraphy chest as it housed an ink stone,