Danyakubako, Danyaku bako

[Bugyotsuji]

Recently more and more members seem to have got their hands on examples of ammunition boxes, Edo Period style, as part of their Tanegashima display.

 

There has been some debate as to what really constitutes a Danyaku-bako, (=ball 'n powder box) so how about (re)posting some of those box photos so we can form a definition for them?

 

Editing being allowed, thankfully, may I start with a short definition to be adjusted later as necessary? Objections, suggestions welcome.

 

"A portable wooden iron-reinforced drawered box with distinctive locking flat front, and one or more internal drawers with iron ring-pull handles. Not too large in size, they are quite light when empty. Characteristic square carrying/lifting rings may be in evidence. The wood may be Kiri for fire resistance, Keyaki etc., and may be plain, or often lacquered black, red etc. There is often brush writing somewhere on the box, door or drawers."

[Bugyotsuji]

Here are two of mine to start with.

[Bugyotsuji]

Part of the reason I started the thread is that I was sold a box recently that the dealer swears is a Danyaku-bako. He said he had it authenticated by an antique dealer, someone who knows his oats.

 

I would welcome any comments clarifying this one way or the other. In the meantime I have placed two Tanto within as it seems to be a perfect Katana-dansu for Tanto. Katana-dansu or Danyaku-bako, or something else; what do you think?

[cabowen]

On one hand you have so many boxes in Japan- as you know, everything is in a box and there is a box for everything....which I would think would make it extremely difficult to say with certainty that any odd box could be attributed with certainty to this particular purpose. On the other hand, also knowing how ultraspecialized things are in Japan, if there was a certain box commonly made for this purpose, it would seem rational to expect it to be easily identified.

 

Since it seems that these particular boxes are not easily identified, I would tend to think that they must have varied greatly and that identifying them as distinct from all the other purpose built boxes will always entail a rather large amount of uncertainty.

[Viper6924]

Well here´s my box for hauling gunpowder, bullets, bulletmolds, tantos, menpos, tsubas, money, smokes, small heads.... :lol:

I think it´s looks very much like Piers box no 1. Of course it´s impossible to be 100% sure what it´s orignal use was. But most ammunition boxes I have seen in books, on the webb or in private collections looks very much like these two examples.

Until an old samurai comes knocking on my door telling me something else, it will be part of my blackpowder collection.

Nice collection of ammo-boxes, Piers

 

Jan

[Bugyotsuji]

Chris, thank you for the sage counsel. Yes, certainty is certainly absent! :D

I still hope that this thread will help form a pattern of recognition for people.

 

Jan, yours looks like a very good example, spot on the sweet spot! Congratulations.

 

They appear to me to be reminiscent of Funa-tansu or Funadansu, ship's safes, but in a smaller and lighter version. Not heavily armoured, I wonder if the almost symbolic metal bindings were simply to prolong their life, stop the box from splitting asunder when dropped during the inevitable transport handling to and from shooting ranges, battlefields etc.? Perhaps the key was given to a section commander responsible for final distribution of live ammo to his individual men?