Kuruma-Dansu (Chest of Drawers)

Japanese merchants considered the easily moveable kuruma dansu, which kept valuables and merchandise in order the storehouse, an essential possession. The chests were often included as part of a daughter's dowry. The kuruma dansu displayed here, crafted in Yamagata Prefecture, is of exceptionally high quality. The frame and door panels are zelkova wood, the finest wood used in Japanese furniture construction. The entire chest is finished in a kijiri lacquer to accentuate the wood's naturally elegant grain.