On 6 Dec 2004 10:39:37 -0800, "Fitz"
wrote:

I'm assuming that traditionally they would have been made out of wood
and covered in something like lacquer.

Sometimes lacquered, often not. Size varies a bit, some have
compartments, some have separate inner boxes, some have neither.

So I'm wondering how tricky it would be to make a Bento box and finish
to look reasonably authentic.

Here's a few that I make from time to time.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/maplebox.htm

You're probably best buying one. They'e nice things and fiddly to make
a thin-walled one yourself, if you're not making a batch. Thick
walled unlacquered ones like mine are easy enough - it's just an
exercise in hand shaping and getting an attractive curve to the sides
and top.

What is lacquer?

Unobtainable (google the rest - I've posted tons to rec.woodworking
and rec.org.sca on the subject)

You can fake it tolerably well with shellac. Use black shellac, or use
red ochre to colour blonde shellac.
http://codesmiths.com/shed/things/knives/daisho/

Is it safe for serving food off of?

Yes.

What's the longevity of the finish like?

Keep lacquer out of the sun. It's waterproof when new, but the usual
mechanism for damage is that sunlight loses the water resistance, then
you get water damage.

Is this the most suitable thing for the application I describe?

If you're working in Vietnam. If you're in the UK, you can't do it
with lacquer.