Shodana Cabinet

Rosewood and other hardwoods inlaid with silver, carved and filigreed panels. Doors and other sections inlaid with ivory and Shibayama work. Chased copper fittings on all corners and connections. The decorative themes on most of the doors is figures of landscapes depicting Japanese history and legends. Early gods and heroes, poets and courtiers are readily identifiable. These scenes are made from small carved ivory pieces cut in jigsaw puzzle fashion and mounted in the central panel of each door. Wooden back panels have landscapes carved in low relief, inlaid with ivory figures of Chinese and Taoist hermits (sennin).

Two doors and one drawer front display an entirely different style, their panels being inset with an ivory carved in a basket weave pattern. This in turn is inlaid with birds and flowers in Shibayama technique using ivory, wood, tortoise shell and mother of pearl. A group of narrow, smooth surface panels with inlay of birds and flowers is in yet a different style. On close examination it is apparent that these panels were originally part of another cabinet or box as the orientation of some plants and birds are not in their natural positions. The carved dragon corner-post at the upper left is of a different type of wood and in a style which matches nothing else on the cabinet, yet the craftsmanship is very good. This may have been one of a pair of matching posts intended for a Buddhist household shrine (Butsudan) and added here instead.
The carved ivory phoenix ornament in the same section of the cabinet as the dragon does not connect in style with any other filigree ornamentation. The latter is all wood with mostly floral and bird motives. The phoenix, too, appears to have been added to dress up the cabinet to Victorian taste.
All the metal fittings are engraved with stylized chrysanthemum motifs. The narrow shelf edges and uprights are all inlaid with narrow strips of sheet silver, set in on edge in Chinese style. A simple key fret design is used, with more elaborate floral arabesques inlaid on the door frames.
The stand is carved and inlaid to match the cabinet, the motifs being mostly bird and floral patterns. As the Japanese culture at this time did not use western style chairs, and all their furnishings were meant to be seen and used from a sitting position on the floor.
In most cases the furniture was made of natural or lacquered ones with a simple metal fitting and a minimum of carved or applied decoration. To appeal to 19th century European taste it was necessary to take the basic Japanese designs, add large amounts of heavy ornamentation and more shelves and drawers. Then these pieces were raised on specially made stands to the typical height for display in Western homes.