Chicken Kara-age Bento
in a handmade sycamore box
I've been making wooden boxes from locally sourced Sycamore for a while now and wanted to share where i am up to.
Internationally there is a very rich heritage of making boxes by steam bending thin strips of wood into hoops. many cultures have their own interpretation of this idea. From the simple oval boxes of the Shakers, the ornately decorated boxes of northern Europe, the Scandinavian Tines and the Magewappa of Japan, The boxes that i make are influenced by both European and Japanese boxes.
They are made from Sycamore, sourced locally in the west country where possible with the rest being made up from European Sycamore. There is a long history of Sycamore being used for both food containers and utensils. Not only is it an attractive timber, it is also non tainting, close grained and hard wearing. The Sycamore is cut into fine veneers and then steam bent around a form to make the band.
The band is stitched together using a single continuous strip of copper.
Copper is naturally antimicrobial.
These boxes have a low environmental impact, will last a life time and if you did want to get rid of one they will naturally bio-degrade. They make fantastic lunch boxes, the base is water tight, and are also ideal for storing dry foods like rice or flour. The lid is steam bent and formed around the base to give a near air tight fit.
The plan is to make a few of these to sell but I would appreciate any feedback.
if you like these boxes let me know. Please "like" if you are on Facebook or leave a comment and help to generally spread the word.
Many thanks.
.jpg)
.jpg)
