TALKING TANSU An Interview with Suzanne Cavlovic, Owner of Japanache written and photographed by Gail Baral Kiri Wood Clothing Tansu, Japan c. 1900 Style for Living: Suzanne, thanks to the Zen Trend in home furnishings, many savvy furniture buyers are familiar with the Japanese word tansu. Can you define tansu for us? Suzanne: Japanese tansu really typify the concept of form following function. Storage tansu used in the home were typically "drawer cabinets" with small door compartments. They housed clothing, tea accessories and kitchen utensils. This type of tansu differs from cabinets known as todana, meaning "shelves with doors" which were commonly used for storing bedding, footwear or miscellaneous items. Heavily compartmentalized tansu chests were used for business purposes. Merchant shops used them for accounting supplies and ledgers, shipping merchants used specially designed sea chests, and herbalist used Apothecary tansu. SFL: How were tansu used in traditional Japanese households? Cypress and Elm Kitchen Todana Japan, c. 1800s SC: This type of furniture first appeared in Japan in the later part of the seventeenth century, came into widespread use in the eighteenth century and reached its peak of popularity in the Nineteenth century. In the centuries prior to western influence, clothing was folded, not hung, so every Japanese household owned at least one clothes chest. There were different styles for specific types of garments. The tea chest, cha dansu, was kept in the living area. It was designed to store teacups, teapots, serving dishes and other teatime necessities. The unique and practical stairway chest was designed in the Edo period for use in shops and storerooms where space was at a premium. It was fitted right into the architecture to provide access to an upper floor as well as useful storage. SFL: Tell us about the materials and craftsmanship of tansu. Iron Hardware Detail, Merchant's Tansu SC: The beautiful and expensive zelkova wood (keyaki) was most often used for the drawer faces and front panels of tansu. It has a flame-like grain and an orange brown color that was often intensified with a transparent natural lacquer. The most prized chests from the northeast region of Japan were stained a deep red while kitchen chests were often produced without finish and were left to develop a patina from the cooking hearth smoke. Less expensive woods like Japanese cedar (sugi) and paulownia (kiri) were used for the sides, back and drawers. These woods were not only cost efficient, but practical; the scent of Japanese cedar repels moths and the lightweight and expandable paulownia is practical in the humid climates of Japan. Sea Chest Tansu Japan c. 1850 Tansu hardware varies from simple, delicate iron drawer pulls to heavy, ornate iron locking mechanisms detailed with elaborate motifs or family crests, called Mons. The most elaborate hardware is usually found on sea chests since durability and protection during sea travel were necessary. In construction, very few rigid joints were used giving tansu joinery a seamless appearance. SFL: Since most of the earlier tansu were individually commissioned, what unique design elements have you seen? SC: I have been fortunate to have seen some unique Samurai and Buddhist monk tansu as well as some very specialized peddler’s chests. I currently have a tansu used by a Samurai specifically for his horse’s accessories. SFL: What are the most common characteristics of the tansu available in the US market at the moment? SC: Fortunately, a good variety of late 19th century and early 20th century tansu are still available unlike older tansu which are found in museums and are prized collector items.

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