You would be able to feel the spirit of wealthy merchants and ship owners.
“Sado-funadansu” or Sado ship chest of drawers displayed in an antique store in the northwestern part of NISHIOGI. It was made in the Edo period (1603-1867).
The storekeeper commented, “The ship chest was made on Sado Island and is like a small safe. In those days, Sado was an important refuge for “Kitamae-bune”, which were used as the principal means of transportation. Lots of wealthy merchants and ship owners flocked here to buy funadansu, in which they kept valuables such as inkstones, account books and seals. So, the ship chests were made of the part of hard “tamamoku” or the water-patterned grain of Japanese zelkova trees together with abundant iron fittings to claim beauty and sturdiness.”
時代箪笥
豪商や船主の心意気が感じられます。
西荻北西地区の骨董店に展示されている「佐渡の船箪笥」。江戸時代の作品。
店主のコメント「この船箪笥は、佐渡島で製作された、いわば小型金庫のようなものです。当時、佐渡は、主たる輸送手段の北前船が停泊する重要な待避地であったので、豪商や船主たちがここでこぞって船箪笥を買い求めました。中には硯、帳簿、印鑑など貴重品を入れていました。それゆえ堅いケヤキの玉目（たまもく）を使い、鉄金具を贅沢にあしらって、美しさと堅牢さを主張しています。」
