LumiDude
Seedling
I was recently on the Mirai website to get some ideas and happened to check out their furniture. Scrolling through, two items caught my attention. They are listed as being antique japanese tansu.
They immediately caught my attention because I worked in the tea industry for 8 or so years and I recognized them as being cha tansu. They are listed at over $2000 and being I know that Mirai sell their items for a premium the price didn't raise any flags.
Being who I am I decided to look up other cha tansu online so I could get ideas to build one for myself. Then the red flags went up. I fould a site with multiple cha tansu, with one that is practically identical to the one on Mirai. Being an antique dealer (although not specializing in items from asia) the secondary site's listings seemed to be more legitimate.
So there are three options with only two being plausible IMHO. Either there was some Japanese carpenter of old that made two tansu that match each other nearly exactly until you look at the finer details. Or this trader knocked off the one for sale on Mirai. Or Mirai had the cha tansu copied and is selling modern reproductions for antique prices.
I feel comfortable buying and selling antique furniture but I am lacking when it comes to Japanese tansu. What you guys think?
Here are the pics in order of Mirai then other merchant.
They immediately caught my attention because I worked in the tea industry for 8 or so years and I recognized them as being cha tansu. They are listed at over $2000 and being I know that Mirai sell their items for a premium the price didn't raise any flags.
Being who I am I decided to look up other cha tansu online so I could get ideas to build one for myself. Then the red flags went up. I fould a site with multiple cha tansu, with one that is practically identical to the one on Mirai. Being an antique dealer (although not specializing in items from asia) the secondary site's listings seemed to be more legitimate.
So there are three options with only two being plausible IMHO. Either there was some Japanese carpenter of old that made two tansu that match each other nearly exactly until you look at the finer details. Or this trader knocked off the one for sale on Mirai. Or Mirai had the cha tansu copied and is selling modern reproductions for antique prices.
I feel comfortable buying and selling antique furniture but I am lacking when it comes to Japanese tansu. What you guys think?
Here are the pics in order of Mirai then other merchant.