Antique Meiji Handmade Rice Measure Buckets, Japan, Set of 2

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Handmade antique wooden bucket - Itomasu - made of sturdy wooden slats and thick metal straps, from ancient Japan.

This … Read more Handmade antique wooden bucket - Itomasu - made of sturdy wooden slats and thick metal straps, from ancient Japan.

This itomasu bucket has iron side handles. After a century of intensive use, it has a warm aged patina.
The old stamped markings complete the authentic look. A beautiful and unique interior piece.
Dimensions: height 32 cm, diameter 31.5 cm.
Used as a unit (one masu) - this bucket was a standard unit used by rice stores throughout Japan in the late Meiji and Taisho eras. The bucket held about 18 liters, or 40 pounds of rice. On the side is a stamp with the name of the rice store. Many additional smaller stamps can sometimes also be seen as official symbols given by government officials - they verified and approved that this bucket is an exact standard unit - one itomasu. See less