Japanese Pack Frame

And an interesting basket.

Pack frames are nearly universal historically as most cultures encounter the drudgery of carrying heavy loads over long distances.  I am always searching for historic images to delve into to look for inspiration.  Here is a nifty pack frame from the early 20th century of a charcoal maker from Japan.  The frame looks like simple through-tenons in a rectangle.  The pack basket appears to be fairly simple twined straw and I think the shoulder straps are woven fiber.  He is also sporting some nifty looking waraji sandals.

This is what I could find out about the image:

RUSTIC OLD JAPAN — The Charcoal Carrier
From a Sample Set of Classic Meiji and Taisho-era Japan Stereoview images by Japanese Photographer T. ENAMI (1859-1929).

Photo by T. Enami, ca.1898-1905. View number S-392 from Enami’s 3-D Catalog.

See www.t-enami.org