folding bench at the front of traditional townhouses
A rare architectural term referring to a fold-down bench built into the front lattice of a traditional townhouse (町家). Also written ばったり床几.
In some Kyoto townhouses, a folding bench (ばったん床几) still remains.
Standard kanji spelling for this traditional architectural term.
Variant kanji spelling using 机 instead of 几; both are seen.
The term combines ばったん (a mimetic word for something folding or flopping down) with 床几 (a folding stool or bench). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it describes the folding action of the bench.