Wow! This install brings up all sorts of interesting points!

You say that you took the fan down....so, even though I consider that plywood (or is it 1x lumber?) to not be enough support, is seem to have worked out.

I see a box atop the plywood- which raises the question of whether the wood is equivalent to a plastic bushing in protecting the wires from abrasion.

Comparing this to the "old school" method ( a four-square/ mud ring attached to a 2x4, which in turn is screwed to the rafters), I'm not sure it's "wrong;" but it is certainly original!

IMO it's a violation of Article 314.21 Repairing Plaster and Drywall or Plasterboard...

"...no gaps or open spaces greater than 1/8" at the edge of the box or fitting."

Dave

Good point, Tiger!

Besides, as you can see by the spotwelds on the box, it is mounted open upward, so the wires pass through a knockout on the back of the box.

What kind of connector would be approved for passing single, non-sheathed conductors? Plus, the wood is certainly not non-flammable.

Consider yourself lucky. I just pulled down a light fixture in one of my bedrooms and found out that there is no ceiling box, AT ALL. They used 1 1/4" drywall screws and screwed it directly to the sheetrock. I have EMT running from the switch box to the attic space, then for some reason, they didn't terminate at the celing box. Instead, the end of the run for the EMT is right in the attic, individual wires come out of the EMT, spliced with Romex WITHOUT a junction box. The splice was done in the mid-air, no junction box, 1" out of the EMT. Then, they used the white as the hot and the black as the neutral on the Romex. Drilled a 1/4" hole in the sheetrock and slipped it through. Oh yes, very hackish.

The first time I saw the "hole in the drywall" type of install was in my wife's grandmother's house... a circa 1950's tract house in North county STL area.
The sad part?

I got called in to a yard light job by a landscaper buddy... and see the same thing on an exterior light of a brand new (OK... maybe 2004 ) house.

Greetings all, This is my first post!!
First off, i would like to make a few points, most older homes with lath usually have knob and tube wiring, if this was a knob and tube install i can see the reasoning for having the wire come through the ceiling without a box. Usually as an electrician i try to either install a ceiling box or at least get a ceiling fan pan box or some sort of box in there to make it a little more safe. But if all else fails a trip into the attic is probably the best idea, and installing a steel box and some bracing with a junction box to convert it from knob and tube into some romex. Now what confuses me here is that he has such a huge hole, i have fit alot of stuff in a hole the sixe of my fist, he could have easily put some 2x4 bracing onto a ceiling box and made it work that way, so running the wires through the wood like that doesn't make any sence, especially when he had all that working space and the new box in above it, oh well. keep up the good work fellas.. maybee i can catcha few photos here some day and send them in, i have seen some scary stuff.. and i have only been in the feild a year and a half