Arts and Crafts Chest

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In the years that I lived and worked in Hawaii, I was able to acquire a supply of curly koa wood before it became rare, and even more expensive. The wood itself demands attention, and overshadows delicate carving and subtle variation, and this is especially true of curly koa.

I favored the simple lines of the Arts and Crafts style, to allow the richness of the wood grain to present itself. This large case contains a faux drawer front which drops down and pulls out to reveal a desk area with pairs of small drawers suspended on either side of the interior case. Below this desk are two graduated drawers, above the desk area double doors paneled in koa burl open to reveal a large storage area. This central section is flanked by three graduated drawers on each side. All drawers and doors have hand turned milo and rosewood knobs and key escutcheons as their sole ornament.

The upper case is detachable, and is modeled on the Japanese tansu with sliding frame-and-panel doors. The end panels are cut out in a tear-drop design, to allow ventilation for musical equipment.