Tansu are traditional Japanese cabinetry made of strong, light weight indigenous woods chosen for  grain definition and resistance to insect damage.  Designed to be easily moved, many larger styles came in two or three sections. They were built for specific uses in the home to hold kitchen items, bedding, clothing or other household objects. Tansu were stained,  the wood sometimes distressed and raised to enhance the  grain pattern and then finished with a  hand rubbed lacquer or natural wax. Mizuya-dansu or kitchen tansu  were built to fit into a specific space between two beams in the traditional Japanese home.  Age and styles of most tansu can be identified by their construction,  finish and  distinct regions of origin.