Kanso House
Antique Meiji Period 1880 Japanese 2 Drawer Sugi Wood Box - Bunko archive box
Antique Meiji Period 1880 Japanese 2 Drawer Sugi Wood Box - Bunko archive box
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0/5.0 star reviews
Free Shipping on orders over $150
Out of stock
Couldn't load pickup availability
Meiji Period late 19th Century 2 Drawer Document box.
Lacquered sugi wood with hand forged Iron Handles.
Called Gunpai Style Handles, they resemble the shape of a traditional Japanese battle fan, used by Samurai to signal each other on the battle field.
Finished with a reddish brown wiped Urushi lacquer.
A beautifully preserved Japanese bunko (文庫) or archival storage box, hand-crafted and inscribed in the 13th year of the Meiji era (1880). The calligraphy on the base records the box's origin in Kōriyama, formerly part of Iwashiro Province (now Fukushima Prefecture), and bears the name of its original owner or maker, Nemoto Yūtarō (根本祐太郎).
The date of 1880 puts the chest after the Meiji Restoration, a very interesting time in Japan where a lot of modernisation and a desire to be more westernised started to occur. Yet still a lot of traditional furniture and crafts were still being made.
This box would have originally been used to store important documents, manuscripts, or books, and reflects the refined simplicity and craftsmanship typical of Meiji-era woodworking. The aged patina of the wood and bold hand-painted characters make it both a practical storage piece and a deeply evocative decorative object.
Inscriptions (translated):
文庫 – Bunko - Archive / document box
岩代郡山 – Kōriyama, Iwashiro Province (modern-day Fukushima)
根本祐太郎 – Nemoto Yūtarō (name)
明治十三年 辰十月 造之 – Made in October, Year of the Dragon (1880)
Details:
Period: Meiji 13 (1880)
Origin: Kōriyama, Fukushima, Japan
Material: Sugi Wood (Cryptomeria Japonica)
Condition: Excellent antique condition with age-appropriate wear. Fantastic Kanji Characters clearly legible on bottom and inside bottom drawer.
Dimensions: L 36.5cm x W 27.5cm x 24cm
Weighs 3.1kgs
Free postage Australia wide.

Let customers speak for us
from 65 reviewsThe glazing of the vase is so pretty, much better than I expected. Although it’s a tiny damage, but it doesn’t affect my wabi-sabi ikebana
Great little box that is just perfect to store all my folded cranes that a have been accumulating , waiting to be made into a crane chain. Thank you Kanso House for your great eyes!
I absolutely adore this ledger! So glad it is full of writing too. I love having historical items like this, that someone once spent a lot of time using and writing in. Item was also sent very well packaged too. Thank you Kanso House!
i have made two purchases from Kanso House and love both items. They arrived promptly and really well packed and secure. I love the descriptions provided on all items it brings their history alive and makes me want to learn more!
I also love the Origami cranes which accompany each item!
Can’t wait to acquire more from Kanso House
This cup is SO beautiful. I love using it for coffee in the morning. The folks at Kanso House kindly and quickly relaxed me the saucer when it broke on route to me. Thank you to the maker and to Kanso. I enjoy this so much.
Very happy with my purchase. Item exactly as described, just need to buy a vintage pipe to complete the look 😳
Beautiful quality. Even more beautiful in real life than on the website. Shipped and wrapped very well, it arrived without any damage. Thank you, fantastic service.
Really nice vintage item, exactly as described. Very pleased with purchase.
What a lovely, large strainer basket in such beautiful condition. The essence of shibui, hand craftsmanship, natural beautiful aged colour, visually pleading on both sides so you can display many ways. Arigato!
I love them! Small, tactile, charming, lovely green and brown glass melding together in beautiful patterns. They just fit in your hands so perfectly. Thank you Kanso House for your brilliant eyes.
So happy with my purchase of a Daikoku and Ebisu plaque. I have wanted one for many years but always to heavy to carry home in my already overflowing suitcases of other goodies. the service and quick delivery from the team at Kanso House is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Received this beautifully carved fish cake mould and was a bit surprised on its size and weight. I have had them before and they were always smaller. I failed to read the dimensions so I got. a happy surprise. The handle has a lovely patina from being handled over the years. Thank you Kanso House!
I purchased 3 x Contemporary Japanese Ceramic Horned Vases
They arrived well packaged and with a lovely thank you note and little hand made origami bird.
The vases themselves are beautiful and in great condition.
Thank you Kanso House I will be shopping with you again .
I purchased two of these bags and they are absolutely amazing!
Love them!
I finished the year with these five little gems 'Japanese Blue stripe handmade glass.' in my collection . I couldn't be happier . Bravo Kanso House . Love what you do !
Genuine Antiques and Vintage from Japan
We hand pick our Antiques and Vintage items from Japan. We scour temple markets, antique shops and visit Antique dealers to find the most interesting and beautiful objects we can. We focus on authenticity, style and construction. Ensuring that you are getting the very best from Japan.
A lifetime of use
Patina
Patina is something earned over years of use and care, we like to leave it on as much as possible as it adds to the authenticity and story of each piece. Daniel has been restoring Japanese Antiques for 25 years, over that time he has learned both traditional and modern techniques for repairing and caring for treasured pieces.
Authenticity Guaranteed
All of our pieces are guaranteed original and authentic, each piece is researched to ensure our descriptions are as accurate as possible. We love history and discovering all about the artefacts we uncover for you.
All you need to know
Shipping
We dispatch all orders within 2 business days via Australia Post. For extra large items, we may use a courier and will communicate with you about the options.
Christmas Postage cut off dates:
16 December for Standard Shipping
21 December for Express Shipping
Standard shipping costs (Australia):
- $0- $100 order: $9
- $100-$150 order: $19
- $150+ order: FREE SHIPPING
Standard Post takes 3-8 days to arrive to Australian destinations.
Express Post takes 1-2 days, unless there are delays due to peak postal times (ie Christmas).
You will be notified of any delays from our end (prior to shipping) as soon as possible.
Once shipped, you will receive a tracking number so you can check the AusPost website for arrival details.
More shipping details.
Returns
If you are not satisfied with your purchase or your product is damaged? We’ll take care of it.
The promises we keep:
- 30 days of reflection after receiving the product.
- Need an exchange? We will send you the new product within 4 business days of the day of receipt.
- Would you prefer us to refund your money? We will refund you within 3 days of receipt.
More return details.
About us
Kanso House is an online store, occasionally hosting popups in Victoria, Australia.
We are a family run small business with a passion for beautiful functional objects.
We're here to help with any questions
You can chat live using the ? icon in the bottom right of your screen, or email us at hello@kansohouse.com.au and we'll reply within 24 hours.