Viper6924

Sean; what you have here is a matchlock converted to percussion use. The stock and all the fittings speaks of Sakai, but when I see the picture of the muzzle, I’m quite certain that the original barrel has been replaced with the currant one. The barrel is too short for the stock. Someone has done it’s best to recycle parts from at least two guns. Jan

Outstanding, my friend! All that information from a single vase. Like Brian just stated, sometimes it’s nice to just have a long read about something you find fascinating Jan

Dear Malcolm! Congrats to a very fine and rare scroll depicting Fudo Myoo. Being my personal guardian diety, Fudo Myoo holds a special place in my heart. As a result, I have gathered a small collection of intersting Fudo Myoo artifacts. Amongst them are two so called Ash-Buddha’s (not sure about the correct term in Japanese). These small tablets are made from the ash originating from the Goma fire-ritual, which is an important part of the Shingon sect of Esoteric Buddhism. They have a connection to your scroll as both were manufactured at Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. Good luck with your research! Jan

Tony, let me put you at ease! You bought a genuine matchlock and a quite interesting one. We like to call these matchlocks ”cavalry-matchlock” because of it’s shorter size compared to the standard size. I’ve always had my doubts that matchlocks could be used from a horseback as it requires the use of both hands, but that’s another story From the looks of it, I think that this carbine might have some age to it. In good condition with only the ramrod and the rainprotector situated over the pan, missing. Looks to have two mekugi-pins which would render the extra brass-band obsolete. What caliber does it have (in cm)? Would be great if you could remove the barrel and look for a signature. Again, congrats to your first matchlock. You sure did better than me Jan

Regarding the use of tentsuki within the Ii clan; it was only members of the main family that was allowed to use golden coloured tentsuki. Others had to settle for silver. Jan

I took 10 minutes and went through the lots. On the plus side I like that they put some effort into the presentation. And they managed to put together an ”eclectic” collection of matchlocks, most of them late Edo period. On the other side, a lot of what is written is quite frankly rubbish. And just giving the objects a cursory glance, reveals a lot of ”alterations” especially to the stocks. The prices? As per usual, over the top. Jan

and one described as Awa... I guess the person writing these descriptions must have read a book that we both missed :) Jan

”Clear-lacquered full stock of Tosa type”... There is absolutely nothing Tosa over that matchlock. And the ”full” stock is more likely 20th century. I love these auction descriptions Jan

I agree with Piers that this matchlock got some age to it. The ”modifications” is most likely made in the West. I have seen some really ugly work done, orginating both from the US as well as from Europe. But this is nothing that can’t be reversed. We have a guy in Sweden that does amazing work with Japanese matchlocks. I think this matchlock def warrent a ”fix-me-up”. I wonder if it’s signed? Jan

Looks to be a quite complete list of teppo goodies. Something tells me that amongst us tepponistas, we can provide pictures of most of these items. I will check the old archives Jan

After seing the new pictures I’m leaning towards the fact that the stock has been refitted with some new brass work, withvtge possibility of the entire stock being new. The brass protector on the butt looks quite badly made. The brass around the mekugi pins looks very new with sharp edges. Still can’t find any major flaws with the barrel and the lock. The pan looks brand new, which in itself is not unique if the matchlock was made during the latter stages of the Edo period. This also goes for the shiny metal of the bisen-screw etc. I must admit that the bisen-screw looks brand new, which might point to it being replaced. Not having any hands-on experience with reproduction matchlocks, it’s hard to be too certain in this case. Parts of it looks genuine but I guess you need to inspect it ”in hand” to be 100%. Nevertheless a puzzling matchlock to say the least. Jan

Let me go out on the proverbial limb here and state that this is a late Edo period Tazuke-ryu matchlock with one or two unusual features. The square-shaped end to the butt and the round bisen-screw is spot on Tazuke-ryu. The somewhat elongated Kaiguchi (grip holding the matchcord in place) might also suggest Tazuke. That it lacks a signature is completely unimportant as Piers already explained, even if a signature would help us locate where it was made. In this case my bet would be Kunitomo or Sakai/Osaka. The shape of the trigger is really unusual, but if you handled a lot of matchlocks, you know that there is always that odd one. The flat look of the trigger guard also looks a bit strange. The stock? Well, I actually think it might be the original one. The wood is quite light and might have had some polishing done to it, but otherwise it doesn’t seem to lack anything. The fittings around the pan look to be of very nice quality. As Brian said, some more pictures might help us to further narrow it down. An interesting study piece! What’s the caliber? Jan

There’s another ”hint” to this being a modified long-gun; the Hibasami or Serpentine is too long for such a short matchlock. I always look for a sort of harmony on shorter matchlock carbines and pistols. This one lacks that to some extent. I also agree with Piers that this gun used to have four mekugi pins and that the barrel band was added after the gun had been shorted. Also, the total length of 99 cm is also very strange for such a model. Jan

An interesting matchlock. I get a Sakai feeling when I see it with the sakura-decoration and the flared muzzle. These long guns were indeed used to be fired from castles. The shooters could actually stand on raised platforms during sieges. Kochi Castle on Shikoku still displays these constructions in a very clear way. This enabled them to stand one atop the other and engaging the attackers. Jan

Well, I followed the auction live when this beast came up for sale. If I’m not mistaken the hammer price was $8500. So there should be some room for negotiation on the asking price Jan

Well, it’s quite clear from the signature that your gun was made by a different gunsmith. I will leave it to more knowledgeable people to translate it properly. But the 1840s is spot on for this matchlock. If I’m not total off the inscription in the last picture is a year. Jan

This is really interesting. I have an exact copy of your gun with the small brand. The brand reads ”Sho” which is short for Shonai. I dare to say that the signature on your gun might read ”Sendai ju Konno Chozaburo Nobuaki saku”. With the brand in mind, this gun, and mine, was probably part of a larger shipment from Sendai meant for Shonai. Sendai-zutsu was highly sought after all over the northern parts of Japan, as this gun clearly indicates. Would be fun if you could crack open the old lady to see if she carries the same signature. Jan

Sweet!!! Judging by the top picture of the five guns, I would like to place their orgin (left to right) Tosa, Sendai, possible Hizen, Sendai, ? and Sendai. To see three possible Sendai-zutsu is nothing you see every day. Could you please take a closeup of the branded kanji underneath gun no 2? Dave, mostly Japanese Oak. Jan

So many matchlock, so little time You have a very interesting collection. To my knowledge, this is the first 10 Monme matchlock I’ve seen featuring a solid breech tobi no o. As this was a feature made to make large caliber matchlocks managing greater loads of black powder, I see no real use for it on a 10-Monme. But it’s def an interesting detail. Jan

A semi-torn bicep is no fun. You should def not try to lift O-zutsu for a while. Keep posting pics. Not every day you see monsters like this. Jan

Gary, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; great collection of O-zutsu!!! And please, remove the barrel on the Yonezawa. I’m dying to know the signature Jan

Some candy for us tepponistas. Equipped with a solid breech (tobi no o) which is quite rare and only found on O-zutsu from 30 Monme and up. I’ve seen it on matchlocks from Yonezawa, Bizen and the island on Shikoku. Hope you can open it up so might see if there is a signature present. Jan

You can’t go wrong with €200 Jan

It’s a darn shame that someone polished this matchlock to an inch of its life. This is a very interesting gun. Several features, to me, points to this gun being quite old. Look at the rather small pan equipped with a deep compartment for the priming powder. Also the overall size, shape and caliber makes me want to place it in or around the Keich-era. It’s very similar indeed with my Kunitomo long gun from the end of the 16th or beginning of the 17th century. We will never know for sure, but I could be ok with Kunitomo or Hino as its origin. Apart from the ”polishing” a very interesting matchlock. Jan

Looks like a bisen in good condition. As Piers, I’m also currently trying to dislodge a bisen from an old Satsuma-style matchlock. Been going at it since December. I wouldn’t call it a war but there is def ”an absence of peace” between me and that darn screw. But after reading this post, I will continue tapping the metal and adding some new anti-corrosion oil. Hopefully one day... Jan