Oribitsu - Oribitsu

A square or cubic box made by bending a thin slab of cypress, used to hold food and sweets. In the past, it was called "oriuzu" because it was made by bending wood. In the "Engishiki," there are various types of box, such as the upper oribitsu, the middle oribitsu, the small oribitsu, the legged oribitsu, and the desk-side oribitsu, and they were used by making a stand to match the box or by attaching legs directly to the box. Plain wood was the rule, but some boxes were beautifully decorated with mud paintings of flowers and birds on a chalk ground, or with artificial flowers in the four corners, as can be seen in the "Sankaiki" (entry for January 6, 1161) about the Imperial Palace meal on the 50th day of the Crown Prince's reign. In later times, lids were added and they came to be called oribako, or "ori" for short, and they came to be taken home after banquets and other events. This is the type of folding box currently used for outings and other occasions.

[Goka loyal retainer]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

檜(ひのき)の薄板を折り曲げてつくった方形または角切りの箱で、食物や菓子などを盛るのに使用した。古く「おりうず」といったのは、木を折り曲げてつくったからである。『延喜式(えんぎしき)』には上折櫃、中折櫃、小折櫃、脚付折櫃、机代折櫃などとあって、箱にあわせた台をつくったり、脚を直接につけたりして用いた。白木を原則としたが、胡粉(ごふん)地に泥絵で花鳥を描いたり、四隅に造花などを立てて美しく飾ったものがあったことが、『山槐記(さんかいき)』（治承3年正月6日条）の東宮五十日の殿上埦飯(おうはん)によって知ることができる。後世、蓋(ふた)もついて折り箱、略して「折」とよばれ、宴会などのあとに持ち帰れるようになった。現在、行楽などに使用される折り箱はこれである。

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