Pharmacy buffet Japanese medicine cabinet – Taishō / Shōwa period (c.1920-1945) #95

Pharmacy buffet, antique Japanese medicine chest – Taishō / Shōwa period (c. 1920-1945) Dimensions: Length: 140 cm Depth: 40 cm Height: 65 cm. Style: Taishō Materials and techniques: Japanese oak (Quercus spp.), Japanese ash (Fraxinus mandshurica var. Japonica), Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). Place of origin: Japan. Period: Late Taishō period, early Shōwa period. Date of manufacture: Circa 1868-1926. Condition: Good. Wear corresponds to age and use. Japanese storage chest dating from the Taishō period to the early Shōwa era, designed with a horizontal structure and a façade composed of multiple small drawers. Intended for the classification and organisation of objects, documents, or goods, this type of furniture meets a particularly functional storage logic. With balanced proportions — 40 cm in length, 40 cm in depth, and 65 cm in height — the piece has been designed to be placed at mid-height, allowing for use both as intensive storage furniture and as an auxiliary surface. This type of furniture was common in traditional pharmacies, workshops, shops, archives, or well-organised domestic interiors, where compartmentalisation adhered to a precise and pragmatic logic. The construction combines Japanese oak (Quercus spp.) and Japanese ash (Fraxinus mandshurica var. Japonica) for the visible and structural parts — drawer fronts, frames, and structure — while Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is used for the interiors of the drawers and secondary elements. This combination of woods is characteristic of the period, offering a balance between strength, stability, and lightness. The wood retains a deep and even patina, with visible wear on the edges, fronts, and top surface: abrasions, handling marks, and chromatic variations accumulated over time. UNIQUE PIECE.