unknown numbered wooden equipment box of some kind.

[BROBS]

A friend has this item, and has owned it for quite a while.
He was curious what it was used for? It looks like some type of brace or piece was removed from inside?

Thanks for any input on this one,
-Brian

[GHP]

Let's wait for Taka-san on Sunday ..... he's on a business trip.

In the meantime, I THINK these are the kanji on the box:

匣坐托鏡眼

modern kanji would be:
函 [or 箱] 座托鏡眼

Individually, the kanji mean:

• 匣 【こう; はこ】 (n) box
• 坐 【ざ】 (n) stand
• 鏡 【かがみ】 (n) (1) mirror; looking-glass; (2) barrel head
• 眼 【まなこ; め】 (n) eye; eyeball

So it appears to be a box housing some sort of optics and platform. [?????]

??????

--Guy

[Papa Nambu]

眼鏡托坐匣 Glasses ?? Box, right to left?

[GHP]

眼鏡托坐匣 Glasses ?? Box, right to left?

Papa,

I read it from left to right since the number was going in that direction; did I err????

Going in your direction, from right to left .... it would say "Spectacles Receptacle Stand Box" .... That sounds better than what I came up with!!

--Guy

[BROBS]

Guy, Papa,
so perhaps a box for binoculars or optics of some kind?

thanks for your helpful input.
-Brian

[Papa Nambu]

Binoculars is 双眼鏡 Sougankyou 双 Sou (pair) 眼鏡 gankyou (Spectacles or glasses, which uses the kanji eye+mirror). Your box doesn't have the 双 Sou, so it's probably not for binoculars but probably is optics related.

Papa,

I read it from left to right since the number was going in that direction; did I err????

You would think so, and I tried it that way first myself, but it didn't work, and right to left is the norm for the period. When using western numbers and letters though, those have to go left to right.

[Papa Nambu]

After doing a little research, it seems that while modern Japanese uses the English word "scope" written in katakana as スコープ , 眼鏡"gankyou" used to be more common. For example a rifle scope was called 照準眼鏡 shoujun gankyou "sight glasses". That's how a modern dictionary would translate it anyway, I think in it's older use gankyou can be translated as "optic" and/or "lens".
Today 眼鏡 is most commonly "megane" eye glasses that you wear.

[BROBS]

So perhaps a viewing scope like for artillery or more like a rifle scope?
This is ww2 vintage, correct?

Thanks for all the help,
-Brian

[Papa Nambu]

I feel confident about it being wartime or earlier. As for what was in it, the description isn't descriptive enough. You'd have to find a picture of one with the contents still in it to figure out what it was.

Usually boxes like this with the dividers taken out are the result of G.I.s that just wanted a box to bring stuff home in.

[BROBS]

Papa,
I figured the dividers were removed for a vet's storage box.
Thanks for the info on dateframe and use... my friend has had this in his collection for a long time and has always wondered exactly what it was for.

Thanks again,
-Brian