Restoration Page 1 of 2 Beauty, it turns out, affects our mind in primal ways; we react to it as we would food or drugs. This means that some beauty is universal. This idea of universal beauty is embodied in the Japanese concept of Shibui. << - - - Forged mokko handle with incised floral single-action lock and decorative corner hardware on keyaki with stain and kijiro lacquer. Era: Meiji
			Life in the modern West is, of course, vastly different from life in old Japan. The world that gave us the tansu of the Edo, Meiji, and Tasho eras no longer exists. Nonetheless, tansu are very relevant and useful today. Some tansu, such as clothing chests, are still excellent for their traditional storage capacity. Others can be used for modern storage, furniture, and decorating needs. Tansu are especially versatile because they can be easily incorporated into homes of any design, from Victorian to Arts & Crafts to Southwestern styles. Tansu are, of course, made of wood, a material that - sometimes positively and sometimes not - reflects their use, care, and journeys from their creation to the present day. Tansu have survived in a variety of conditions from very fine to scarred and battered. The patina of tansu is valued because it bears witness to history. A prospective buyer should pay close attention to the color and patina of the piece, as well as it's structural condition. - - - >> A cho-dansu (merchant ledger chest) from Osaka.
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			Amazingly the worst damage to tansu is not done by years of wear and tear, but by insects. When such damage occurs, actual replacement of affected parts is the best solution. Wood Restoration A tansu owner may wish to undertake the restoration personally, or may engage a professional woodworker. The following woods are recommended to replace the species used in tansu: Kiri - Can be replaced with Paulownia grown in the southeastern United States. Hinoki and Sugi - Bald Cypress is the preferred replacement for these woods, as it is close to their medium density and it planes and finishes well. Keyaki and Kuri - These can be replaced with white ash and red elm, though the latter is hard to find. Sassafras can be used in areas of smaller damage, but it is somewhat softer. Like keyaki and kuri, it is ring-porous; it also exhibits a greenish color like kuri. Finishes Lacquer, while impervious to most chemicals, can be discolored by excessive heat and light. Care should be given to drastic temperature change as well, remembering that the lacquer is a coating on a substrate: the wooden carcase. These two materials depend on chemical bonds that can fail over time, causing the lacquer to flake off. Lacquer constitutes not just a very caustic substance, but one where years of knowledge are required for using it. Recommendations here will be limited to using pigments in a shellac base for touching up areas of damage. Coloring with alcohol-soluble stains can also be effective in blending areas of wear. << - - - A two-section keyaki cha-dansu (tea chest)

		Hardware Restoration When a piece of tansu is missing some of its hardware - handle, lockplate, backplate, or angle strap - it becomes a big problem. In most cases, hardware can be fashioned from iron sheet available in local hardware stores. Handles, which were primarily hand-forged, can be replaced with reproductions at various Japanese tool dealers. (Click for listing) Care of hardware can include cleaning with steel wool or brass wire brushes, then waxing. Machine oil can help lubricate parts. Frozen locks (if keys are available) can be removed and cleaned, then oiled. - - - >> This ko-dansu (small personal chest) made of kiri and sugi has a locking bar, kakute handles, and a small safe. Era: Meiji

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