Japanese Tea Chest with Newspaper, Shōwa Period, c. 1950–1970

Unique antique Japanese tea chest from the Shōwa period.

Dimensions: height 48 cm, width 67.5 cm, depth 43 cm.

The chest has a simple rectangular form with a loose lid and is fully covered on the outside with Japanese newspaper. The sides show a lively collage of Japanese typography, advertisements, illustrations and black-and-white newspaper fragments, while the lid is finished with a red decorative pattern on a pale background. This gives the piece a striking graphic character and a warm vintage appearance.

The newspaper covering has been varnished, giving the surface a subtle gloss and extra protection. Inside, the chest is lined with aluminium, a feature that refers beautifully to its original function as a practical tea storage chest.

Today, this piece works especially well as a decorative storage box for textiles, magazines, documents or shop material. Thanks to its size and strong visual presence, it can also be used as a low display chest, pedestal, plant stand or characterful interior accent.

The chest is in good vintage condition, with normal signs of age.