• Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
  • Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.
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JapanDownUnder

decorative office storage box - vintage desk organizer

decorative office storage box - vintage desk organizer

¥25,560 JPY
¥25,560 JPY
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

Step into the quiet charm of Japan’s Taisho era with this petite lacquered wood box - a beautifully understated piece that fuses functional design with timeless elegance. Once a humble item of office furniture, it now makes a distinctive decorative accent in the modern home.

Crafted from oak and finished in a translucent lacquer that subtly reveals the natural grain, the box exudes a quiet warmth. Its two slim drawers hint at its former life - perhaps used to store labels, slips, or writing tools. One drawer features a circular opening at the base, designed to gently push items out, while the other is neatly divided into four narrow compartments. Each drawer is adorned with a delicately ornate brass handle, adding a refined touch to its utilitarian roots.

A small brass maker’s plate graces the back, with script that reads from right to left - an intriguing detail dating the piece firmly within the Taisho period, before writing conventions shifted direction.

Time has worn this piece gracefully. Light scratches, gentle dents, and a rich, mellow patina speak of a long life well lived. Though modest in scale, it is structurally sound and visually full of character - qualities that make it a rare find, especially as authentic small-scale pieces like this become increasingly difficult to source.

Whether you're a devotee of Japanese craftsmanship, a collector of vernacular design, or simply someone drawn to soulful objects with a story to tell, this little box offers a quiet, timeless presence - and a touch of history - to any space.

- measures around 14 cm (5.5”) across x 17.5 cm (6.9”) deep x 8 cm (3.1”) tall. 
- weighs 430gm

(listing for box only)

SHIPPING INFORMATION
- please read our shipping notes in shipping policy.
- we use recycle packaging and wrap for safety, rather than appearance.

ABOUT OUR VINTAGE, ANTIQUE AND OTHER ITEMS
We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.

Information regarding the item and it’s age is obtained from dealers and our personal research. We do our best to give you the correct information but please be aware that we cannot guarantee this information.

Please message us prior to purchase with any questions you may have about our products.

ABOUT JAPANESE ANTIQUE FURNITURE
The roots of furniture production in Japan were function. Mastery and skill were evident in Japanese antique furniture but it was conceived of need and was more a folk craft than a fine art. Cabinetry craft developed in response to the demand for useful everyday containers, trunks and chests for totally functional purposes and that is where the true beauty of Japanese furniture lies. 

The Japanese lived on tatami mats in small houses. Their artistic aesthetic emphasized minimalism and decorative furniture and personal possessions weren’t acquired like in the West. Antique furniture was basically a large range of storage chests from small sewing boxes to very large chests for storing futons.

It was the lower classes, the merchants, artisans and farmers who created the greatest demand for furniture, for use in their homes, shops and farms. Wherever a need existed, a corresponding cabinet or tansu was developed, leading to the vast array of styles, shapes and sizes in Japanese furniture.

In the Edo and Meiji era clothing tansu with drawers for kimono (isho dansu), sewing boxes (hari bako), vanities (kyodai)  and cabinets for tea utensils (cha dansu) and crockery (mizuya dansu) were important items in the home. Wooden safes (zeni dansu) guarded valuables in homes and shops. The upper classes, descendants of samurai families, would have had special order sword chests (katana dansu) and writing desks. Those studying Noh had a costume trunk and a small chest of square dressers for storing masks (nomen dansu).

Sea captains had special chests for storing valuables and documents on board (zeni dansu) The village chemist had a medicine chest (kasuri dansu) with many small drawers. The barber had a tall thin chest (dogu bako) for combs , razors and scissors. There was a special chest for those using hand tools (kanagu dogu bako). A merchant had a small box to store name seals (han bako) and a box to store an abacus, ink stone and brushes (suzuribako) for bills and receipts. Lamp oil was delivered in an oil peddler's box (abura gyosho hako). 

These are just a sample of the wonderful array of functional Japanese furniture that can still be used today for storing any items relative to your lifestyle,  while at the same time, creating a beautiful interior accent and a reminder of days gone by.

MINGEI
Mingei are the tools and utensils that were used daily by the common people in Japan. They were inexpensive, simple and functional. Usually produced by hand, in large quantities, their artists were anonymous. They became representative of the local area where they were produced.

The word Mingei combines “min” meaning common people and “gei” meaning art - the art of the common people. It was coined by the Japanese philosopher  Sōetsu Yanagi. He found beauty in ordinary crafts for daily use and argued that true beauty could be found only in the objects made by unknown people, in a spirit of selfless innocence and in close harmony with nature.


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