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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

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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. 

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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.

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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.

Standard shipping costs (Australia):

  • $0- $100 order: $10
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Standard Post takes 3-8 days to arrive to Australian destinations.

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You will be notified of any delays from our end (prior to shipping) as soon as possible.

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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.

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