Antique Japanese coffee table with a through drawer in keyaki – Japan, circa 1920.

Antique Japanese low table with a through drawer in keyaki, featuring a rectangular top made of solid keyaki and a drawer that runs through the body from side to side, accessible from both sides. Originating from Japan during the Taisho era (1912–1926), where the zataku with a drawer held a central place in the main room, near the brazier and tea table. The Japanese low table with a through drawer combined two domestic typologies: the zataku — a dining or work table on tatami — and the small tansu with a drawer. The through system responded to the logic of Japanese space, where the table can be approached from any side without a fixed front or back: the drawer opens from the side closest to the user. It was a common piece in bourgeois households during the Taisho era. The top is carved from a single board of well-figured solid keyaki, with an open grain featuring water patterns and small knots that outline the heart of the tree. The through drawer, assembled with dovetails and sliding on internal wooden rails, has a very graphic composition of circular grain in burl — a natural knot in the wood, left exposed and varnished in a light tone — enhanced by a handle made of forged iron. The four square legs and the surrounding apron are assembled with mortise and tenon joints, without hardware, and finished with a dark lacquer that contrasts with the natural tone of the drawer. Details. Dimensions: Length 95 cm – Depth 82 cm – Height 29 cm. Style: Traditional Japanese, Taisho era. Materials and techniques: Solid keyaki and secondary materials in Japanese cedar; forged iron handle; traditional assembly with mortise and tenon joints and dovetails; natural lacquer on legs and apron. Place of origin: Japan. Period: Taisho era (1912–1926) Date of manufacture: Circa 1920. Condition / Observations: Good. Some marks and scratches on the top, typical of use. Wear consistent with age and use.