Japanese Parquetry Cabinet / Desk
Meiji Period
Beautiful small Japanese parquetry cabinet dating from the late 19thcentury. It is decorated with small parquetry squares in lovely neat geometric pattern.
The cabinet consists of two small chests and a top piece. The top piece may be removed, the chests pushed apart and then the top piece laid on again, on special runners, to hold the piece in a more desk-like formation, with knee hole. Opened like this, the desk is perfect for use when kneeling in the Japanese fashion.
One of the chests has four drawers, increasing in depth from top to bottom, each with a metal drop handle. The other chest has a door with three hinges which opens to reveal three drawers, two quite deep, and a third at the bottom that has a lid and which was probably for keeping sheets of paper in, the lid preventing the paper from getting dusty. These drawers have red metal drop handles.
All of the drawers are lacquered black on the inside. The drawer lid is lacquered black on the top and red underneath. The parquetry covers all the sides and tops, except for the inside faces of the two chest sections, which are not visible in use.
The cabinet has corner and edge protectors in the same reddish metal as the hinges and handles.
The piece is in excellent condition for its age and the parquetry is in superb condition with no missing pieces or major damages. There is some chipping to the black lacquer on the base of the top piece, but this part never shows in use. The drop handles have small metal flower backplates and two of these are missing but it isn't strikingly obvious. Neither of the locks work and there is some slight damage to the metal plates covering the locks. There are of course some small knocks and marks but given its age overall the piece displays very nicely.
On the inside faces of the two chests are shallow slots where lugs to hold them together once fitted. These lugs could be replaced, but are not absolutely necessary if the piece is not to be moved about.
The chest measures 27cm tall x 32cm wide x 23cm deep (10 1/2 x 12 1/2 x 9 inches) and 64cm (25") inches wide when converted to the desk configuration.
The best description comes from the photos so please look at them all carefully and if you have any questions please ask.