Antique Japanese Sewing Box Haribako Tansu 6 Drawer Tamo Ash With Secret Drawer

Description

Antique Japanese Sewing Box Haribako Tansu 6 Drawer Tamo Ash With Secret Drawer
This is a Taisho era Japanese haribako (sewing box) with an arrangement of 5 front drawers and a hinged lidded cover. It was made from Japanese Tamo Ash (called Toneriko), Chestnut (Kurinoki), and Paulownia (Kirinoki) woods.
Overall it measures 11.63 inches wide by 9.5 inches high by 7.38 inches deep.
Opening the hinged lid gives access to a compartment housing a rectangle tray with a square portion where a pin cushion was kept. This area housed the spools of thread. To the right of the compartment is a lift out stand that acts as a third hand when a metal clip (not included) is attached by a cord or string.
The hidden secret lies in the removal of the rectangle tray that exposes the 6th drawer that is hidden from view.  This drawer is where the seamstress would have kept her earnings or the wife would have hidden the family money away from her prodigal husband.
There is a vertical slot to the right side rear top that was used to store a measuring ruler (not included) called Shaku. This measurement was banned with penalties after WW2 in place of the metric system; however, since it is the traditional measurement of choice in making kimonos, it can still be found available today.  After 1961, the use of the Shaku was a criminal act but that didn't stop people from using it.
This piece was constructed using hardened wooden nails and straight dovetail Japanese joinery.
The hardware is original to the piece. Its age is from 1910 to 1920 (Taisho era) and the condition is very good for its old age.