Japanese Cabinetry: The Art and Craft of Tansu

By David Jackson

Originating from Japan's Edo period (1615-1867), tansu refers mostly to wooden cabinets, boxes and chests. Japanese Cabinetry: The Arts and Craft of Tansu is the first truly definitive volume on tansu, giving voice to the long-over-looked craftsmen and overdue respect for the craft. This book provides a broad representation of cabinetry designs along with contextual history, gleaning insights from the cabinetry itself. From trunks with wheels to shipboard safes, from kitchen cupboards to clothing chests, tansu wre the receptacles of an age of economic expansion. Japanese Cabinetry chronicles not only the physical characteristics and details of tansu, but also the historical eras and societal factors that influenced the craft.

About the Author

David Jackson has been buying, collecting, and conserving tansu since 1990. He earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland and completed graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1982, where he studied sculpture and woodworking. He authored an article entitled "Tansu Exposed," which appeared in the June 1997 issue of Woodwork magazine.