Antique lazy box (bushōbako)

This is a "Bushobako" (lazy person's box). It is believed to be made by a sashimono-shi (furniture craftsman), and is made with precision. The era is likely Meiji to Taisho.

A Bushobako is a small, handled box with drawers, characterized by its simple structure and lack of ornamentation, or very little. It was called this because it was convenient for lazy people to store various items in the drawers and easily carry them around the house.

Bushobako are easy to carry and don't take up much space, and there isn't much difference in the types and appearance, including the size and number of drawers.

The materials are mainly kuwa (mulberry) or keyaki (zelkova), karaki (hardwood) for the box, and kiri (paulownia) for the drawers. The handles are made of wood or bamboo. Some drawers have knobs or pulls, but most are simple, with a thumb-sized round hole in the back panel to push the drawer out with a finger.

I have previously listed and sold several Bushobako, but this one has three drawers, one more than usual.

The material is bamboo for the handle, and mainly kiri (paulownia) for the drawers, but the front panel and box, judging from the single character on the back of the drawer front panel in images 19 and 20, may be hinoki (Japanese cypress). It's difficult to determine the material definitively, regardless of the wood.

The drawers are pushed out with a finger from the round hole in the back panel. In the front view in image 1, the third drawer can be inserted by switching the left and right sides, but if it doesn't fit all the way in and the front sticks out slightly, push it in while lifting the back of the drawer slightly.

The approximate size (cm) and weight are as follows:

[Box]
Width 28, Depth 14.5, Height 30.5 /
Weight 1792g /

[Top Drawer]
Outer dimensions: Width 26.6, Depth 13.3, Height 4.4 /
Inner dimensions: Width 25.6, Depth 12.0, Depth 3.8 /

[Middle Drawer]
Outer dimensions: Width 26.6, Depth 13.3, Height 5.0 /
Inner dimensions: Width 25.6, Depth 12.0, Depth 4.4 /

[Bottom Drawer] (same dimensions left and right)
Outer dimensions: Width 13.3, Depth 13.3, Height 11.8 /
Inner dimensions: Width 12.3, Depth 12.3, Depth 11.3 /

As it is an antique, some dirt and scratches are unavoidable, but there are almost no chips, cracks, or dents that appear to have occurred during use, including the drawers. It is made with precise accuracy, and there is no looseness in the box itself, the handle, or the drawers.

Note that the vertical line with the arrow seen in image 15 is not a crack, but a thin line mark on the surface.

We hope you will use it for your collection of Japanese cultural and traditional crafts, as a small item case that also serves as interior decoration, or for its original purpose as a Bushobako.