Ancient Tradition of Tansu Returns With Classic Japanese Flair

Japanese Cabinetry: The Art and Craft of Tansu includes exquisite examples from all regions of Japan and is the only book on tansu to include an interior design chapter documenting the use of such cabinetry in western homes.

Tansu is Japans cabinetry tradition. They are the wooden boxes and chests that originated largely in Japans Edo period (1603-1868). The first volume on the handcrafted tradition of tansu to be published in more than twenty years, Japanese Cabinetry: The Art and Craft of Tansu (Gibbs Smith, Publisher; $75.00 hardcover; ISBN 1-58685-113-6; 10 ½ x 12 in; 256 pp; 300 color photographs; November 2002) includes exquisite examples from all regions of Japan and is the only book on tansu to include an interior design chapter documenting the use of such cabinetry in western homes.

The reason that Japanese style returns again and again is clear — it is simple, beautiful, and calming. This aesthetic is as appealing in our hectic, technology-driven era as it was during the age of dawning industrialization. The cabinetry of Japan is one of the least recorded aspects of Japans fertile woodworking history. This large format book provides a rich historical context utilizing Edo period prints and Meiji era hand-colored photos.

Japanese Cabinetry: The Art and Craft of Tansu provides examples of merchant, household, and personal cabinetry never seen before and illustrates essential details of craft. It is a reference for the craftsman and historian, a great resource for designers, architects, and collectors, and a guide for the prospective buyer or anyone who would like to add a touch of Japanese design to their home.

David Jackson has been buying, collecting, and conserving tansu since 1990. He earned his bachelors 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.

Dane Owen founded Shibui, a gallery of Japanese antique furnishings, while pursuing his B.A. degree at St. Johns College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was first introduced to the concept of shibui—simple elegance" —while working as a goldsmith and jewelry designer. He named his gallery for this concept and strives to provide his clients with tansu and other objects that embody these ideals.

Founded in 1969, Gibbs Smith, Publisher specializes in books on design and architecture and also features titles from categories including childrens (featuring the celebrated Sierra Club Books for Children series), inspirational, nature, gardening, western, holiday, and cookbooks. In addition, Gibbs Smith, Publisher offers an impressive array of other design titles, such as Bamboo Style by Gale Beth Goldberg, The Japanese Bath by Yoshiko Yamamoto and Bruce Smith, and Wabi Sabi Style by James and Sandra Crowley.

###