Large chests for storage are called hitsu and were used to store the objects in the Shōsō-in. Those with four or six legs are referred to as karabitsu (Chinese chests), while those without legs that sit directly on a surface are known as wabitsu (Japanese chests). During the Nara period, however, this distinction was not made; all chests were simply referred to as karabitsu. Most of the old chests (koki) in the Shōsō-in were made during the Nara period.