IanB

I have just read the Victorian exceptions list. I wrote to the Australian legislature in my role as curator of a National Museum back in the late 1990's when news of a proposed ban was first muted. I confess that my letter did contain some rather tongue-in-cheek possibilities as to where a sword ban would cause problems simply because I didn't really think any government would be stupid enough to enact legislation. I do remember coming up with Scottish dancing, the Freemasons, and I also mentioned High Court judges who sat beneath a sword as well as military officers on 'passing out parades'. Sadly I then fell ill and more or less had to drop out of the picture. It is delicious to see that the idiots who finally came up with the exemptions have included most of these instances in their legislation. On a more serious note, might I just sound one note of caution. Setting up societies is certainly one way to counter these lunacies. The existence of such groups did much to help in the UK. It was clear from the reports I have had that the people tasked with implementing the legislation had absolutely no knowledge on the subject at all and I suspect were grateful for the help they received from the various pressure groups. There is a problem however if a society is established whose membership comprises scattered correspondents who are not known to the organisers. It is perfectly possible that people might apply simply to gain the right to own swords for their own dubious reasons. Should such a member subsequently become involved in a crime involving a sword, that society would not only lose all credibility but also give ammunition to those striving for a total ban. How you could positively vet prospective members I do not know, but careful wording of a membership form is a start. Ian Bottomley Ian Bottomley

Ron, A beautiful piece of work - congratulations. The problem the Japanese had using cannons in battles was transport. By and large the terrain and roads prevented them being readily moved around the country. There were however some really big ones on fixed sites such as castles and the defences for Edo and other ports. There used to be a giant bronze cannon, on its lacquered sliding mount in the courtyard of Les Invalides in Paris. This had come from Kagoshima if I remember right. Last time I visited it had gone. There are some very nice ones, including an iron one, at the Yasukuni Shrine, and a couple more at Izumo Shrine. A pal of mine acquired a small bronze gun a few years ago. It had a bore of about 1.5" and stood about 2.5" high, the lower half being plain and apparently intended to be embedded vertically in wood. It really looked like a rather dumpy inkwell, the top being beautifully cast and decorated, rather curiously complete with sights. The bore was just about as deep as wide. Probably for launching fireworks or some such but a very desirable object. Ian Bottomley

Steve, Whilst he doesn't normally do swords, Mr. Chigura at Ki no Kunia, just across from the South entrance to Tokyo Station, is well worth a visit. He is really an armour dealer, but his shop is invariably full of the most interesting bits and bobs - usually with some tsuba and other sword-related items. He is also most delightful and friendly and I can invariably find something that I like and more importantly can afford. Ian bottomley

Ron, You have done a brilliant job - well done. Ian

Ron, Could I join Amati in thanking you for the trouble you have taken in producing the images. What a delightful little gun and what a curious and intriguing feature it has. Like Amati I am curious as to why the small lid needs such an elaborate fitting just to slide to and fro. Can I ask which pieces you have had to make? I am guessing from the colour of the brass the sear spring, and all of the sliding box lid mechanism. If that is the case, I cannot help but feel there was more going on with this feature. Might I suggest the steel bar acted as a safety catch and that it had an upward extension on the end that moved behind the rear of the sear and prevented it moving when the gun was cocked. Ian Bottomley

All, There once was a genuine Japanese shield, or really a pavise, in the Royal armouries collection. Although I never saw it (it was disposed of during a period of madness when the museum was raising money to buy a great helm), I did trace it to the US. It consisted of a number of large plates, laced together like a giant sode, and fitted with a bar at the back that held it open. From what I can gather the lacing was pretty shot and at that time there was little hope of getting any replacement. It was sold in a London sale, bought by a dealer who sold it to a US buyer. Where it is now is unknown, but it would be interesting to know. I have never seen nor heard of anything similar. Ian Bottomley

All, It is I'm afraid it is not a real shield. Dhals have four bossed grouped around the centre for the two loop handles on the back - sometimes with a crescent off towards the top if the user was Muslim. European shields also have similar loops / rivets etc towards the centre for the grips or enarmes and others offset for the guige strap which went around the shoulder. There were also fake shields made in Europe which were carried in parades by a page, but these are usually very ornate. The rivets around the edge should be for the lining strap. You will notice that only one retains a trace of leather, still quite fresh, presumably to hang it on the wall. Ian Bottomley

Eric, Looks like a rather crude attempt to imitate a mixture between a Korean hat and a Chinese helmet. There was a bit of a vogue for this kind of thing during the Edo period when Korean envoys were sent to Japan and marched along the Tokaido to Edo. The plume-tube is a bit of an oddity. I'm unsure about it being Japanese since there appears to be no provision to attach a shikoro. That was normally done to European helmets having a brim by riveting a vertical plate around the base of the bowl on the inside. Ian Bottomley

Carlo, No not really. The RA has traditionally covered the period between the conquest of Britain by William in 1066 and about the Napoleonic era. Prior to the earliest of these dates the British Museum covered the ground and the Army Museum dealt with the later stuff. Indeed, in about 1910 the entire Oriental holdings at the Tower of London were disposed of to the BM. Much has now been recovered and we have branched out slightly but not by much. Ian

Carlo, Yes I was aware of the pieces you picture. It is my fault, but I was thinking more of armours from the 16th century during the Japanese invasions rather than the archaeological material. From what I understand, it was mainly of brigandine construction, of plates sandwiched between layers of cloth. The neckguard and ear-flaps on the RA helmet are of this type, of a tough brown cloth with domed brass rivet heads showing on the outside. What I have never seen before is the lamellar armour you illustrate. What I find interesting is the arm defence which is like an Indian / Persian etc bazuband. The standing collar is also very strange. Is this a real armour or a reconstruction? Piers, Love the turret gun. I've seen a picture of this before but not in such detail. Not the best idea if you get chain-fire between the chambers. Ian Bottomley

Eric, The one we acquired for the Museum is about 6" overall length - this one looks slightly larger. As has been said, the country of origin is Korea. There are images of Korean horsemen riding along with the larger versions of these attached to a shaft spewing out fire and bullets. However, that in the Royal Armouries was mounted on a short wood handle and was used for signalling. I found another image of a Korean rider holding one vertically. The iron band around the muzzle of the RA example extends somewhat forming a shallow recess which may have held a wood or paper cover to keep the weather out. It would have to be primed and held horizontally to fire it so it can't have been very convenient. The one illustrated may well have been acquired by the wako or even during the Korean campaigns and is almost big enough to be a gun rather than a signalling device. Quite a rare thing. A few years ago, the author Stephen Turnbull scoured Korea for arms and armour and drew a blank, other than cannon, even in the bigger museums. The place has been occupied and fought over so many times there is nothing left. We have a Korean helmet in the Royal Armouries and a Japanese helmet made from a Korean / Chinese helmet bowl. Other than a complete armour in Chicago, I know of little else. Ian Bottomley

Eric, Yup I know because one was bought for the Royal Armouries and it is now on show in the Oriental Gallery. It had been in the collection of a former curator and had appeared in several publications on firearms. When he died it seemed a nice gesture to acquire it for the collection to remember him by. When it arrived, I and others were disappointed by how small it was - all the illustrations that had appeared suggested it was much bigger. Anyway, I will not blow the secret of exactly what it is because it took me quite a while to pin down its origins. All I will say is that it had previously been assigned to the wrong country and its real purpose had been misunderstood. Ian Bottomley

As far as I could judge, all of the blades in the Museum were stable. Yes, there was old black rust marks on some blades but it isn't going to get any worse. The swords are also in a stable environment so they are best left well alone. By scouring I meant that they have been cleaned in the past with some abrasive such as emery cloth to remove rust. Sadly the only remedy is a Japanese polisher which would be an expensive venture for the Museum. I would offer the usual advice and leave well alone. It might be possible to glean a little more by studying the tang and inscription on the Bizen blade and comparing it with published oshigata of authentic blades, but without a proper Japanese polish, there is almost nothing to be learned from the blade itself. Ian Bottomley

All, I did say I would publish details of the swords in the Regimental Museum. I hope you will forgive the delay in doing so but I felt it only proper to await Mr. Jones' permission to do so. In all there are 7 swords belonging to the two regiments and, as you would expect, they were all carried by the Japanese military and acquired during WWII. Most were in poor condition with scoured blades that precluded seeing any details. 1. Regular type 94 pattern koshirae with a Showa blade signed by ' .. Kanekuni saku'. This is preceded by the two kanji used for GUN as in Gumma and Sui as in water (Sorry I haven't masters putting kanji in these posts). So far I have failed to determine how these two kanji are pronounced in this context. 2. Sword in Showa civilian mounts with a leather cover over the saya and leather bands protecting the fuchi and kashira. The latter of copper incised with simple parallel lines. The tsuba was of iron, sukashi with radiating gunbai piercings. Blade signed 'Noshu Seki ju Kanenori saku' with a Showa stamp. 3. Sword in standard army mount signed: 'Koa Isshin Mantetsu saku' and dated Showa 13. The date was somewhat odd since the numeral following nen was replaced by the zodiacal character JIN. Since this is used as a jinkan for 49,39,29,19,9 and 59, it would seem to be being used as 19 in this case - 1926 + 19 -1 = 1944. 4. Another similar sword to No. 3 also by Koa Isshin Mantetsu. 5. This sword was in a leather covered saya with a military style hilt and a small iron wakizashi tsuba of poor quality decorated with prunus in gold. The blade was signed katana mei 'Bizen Osafune Kunimitsu'. It is impossible to say just how old this blade might be because of its condition. The tang suggested Sue Osafune, being ubu, rather straight and almost parallel. It deserves further examination. The two other swords were in a distressed state and could not be really examined because the hilts could not be removed. Both are probably Showa period. Ian Bottomley

As someone who has both handled this sword and knows Peter and the sword's owner, I am saddened for both of them about the way this thread has developed. Peter's initial post was simply to show the members of the Board what is a quite unusual tsuba. No, it is not superb quality, nor did he make that claim only that it was interesting - which it is. The assertion that Peter tried to mislead by adding spurious seki-gane using photoshop beggars belief and is totally unwarranted. It is quite clear that the photograph reproduced to make this absurd claim shows the tsuba with that copper-gilt insert fitted with these liners in place on the underside. There then follows various comments about the quality of the koshirae that in my opinion are totally unjustified. The scabbard is better lacquered and finished than many Edo period swords I have seen. Yes, it does seem to have been rebound, but so have many swords today - silk has a very finite life, especially if it has been exposed to light. Nobody claimed it had been done in Japan, but this was raised as yet another denigrating comment. Whilst it is only proper that members who ask for opinions about an object should be told the truth, there are ways of doing it. Falling back on the old cry that we are wasting our time studying, collecting or owning anything that is not 'the very best' is a argument that excludes the greater proportion of Nihonto and collectors. We do not all have infinitely deep pockets and I am sure that the majority of Board members feel both proud and fortunate to own what we do. What has not been said during this thread is that the kurigata, and probably the habaki, were at one time foil covered like the seppa but appear to have been stripped because they were damaged. Another point that has not been raised, but is very obvious, is that the tsuba was designed for some form of inserts - simply look at the formation of the rim and its depth in relation to the surface of the plate. It is obvious that the present configuration is not the original because of the shape and size of the nakago ana. However, somebody thought it worth re-using but as Brian has said we will never know why. Ian Bottomley

Here is the tsuba from an handachi mounted sword I own. The shape is somewhat different than many that have been posted and it has a pronounced hammered rim. The size is 8.4 x 7.7 and 0.5 cm thick through the nakago ana - so quite a heavy piece. The kamon on the front are two of those used by the Date family of Sendai, the mitsu tomoe maru on the back by too many families to identify. These are applied in a rather dark shibuichi giving them a subdued appearance against the dark iron. I suspect they have been added at a later date to the basic plate - but have been inlaid rather than just applied. In the hand you can see the KIN stamp plus another that looks rather like a snake. Most of the punched marks are simple squares. Ian Bottomley

Carlo, The armour you illustrate is in fact fairly typical of those made in Kaga during the Edo period. They are supposed to have put their lower ranking soldiers to work making armour under supervision to raise capital. They also traded extensively with the Dutch in Nagasaki and hence their armour often include foreign materials such as velvet and 'Dutch leather'. The armour shown by Jacques is one of several produced at the time that incorporate European elements. Ieyasu also gave one to Sakakibara Yasumasa, and of course had one himself; that now displayed at Nikko. There were a few other namban armours that have survived including a recently discovered one made from two Dutch pikeman's armours on Hirado. I suppose these should be regarded as being the reverse of hamamono. At the Royal Armouries is a purely Dutch curassier's armour presented to Tokugawa Iemitsu by the VOC. It was originally fully silvered and gilt, but that is all lost. Judging by its size and proportions I suspect it was tailor-made to fit him. It came out of Edo Castle in the Meiji period after being damaged in a fire. Ian Bottomley

I have a friend here in the UK who has had dealings with the owner of this site. Like Brian I am not saying anything at this stage. Ian Bottomley

Peter, May I offer my sympathy to both you and Paul? I know you have both done your best in trying to launch this event. Delaying it until next year may well be for the best, particularly if the economy revives somewhat. I'm sure you know that the Northern ToKen will continue to offer what help it can. Ian Bottomley

Weather permitting, I will be looking at these swords on Tuesday. As requested I will report back to NMB. Ian Bottomley

Mr. Jones, You say your museum is in the North of England. The obvious place to enquire is the Royal Armouries in Leeds. As 'Curator Emeritus' of Oriental Arms and Armour of that establishment, I would be delighted to have a look at your swords and identify the blades. Since I also live near Leeds, I could come to you rather than you bring the items to the Museum. Ian Bottomley

The whole concept of making things for a specific European market has a long tradition in both China and Japan. Obvious examples can be found in the field of porcelain and perhaps even more pertinently to the topic in hand, of sawasa. In the latter case, sword hilts, boxes, urns and whatever were churned out in profusion during the 17th century. I am convinced that these latter products were in fact Chinese, despite being acquired by the Dutch in Nagasaki. Somewhere I have a book written by an artist whose name escapes me but who was a follower of Whistler. In Japan he was captivated by its art and commissioned a Japanese antique dealer to obtain, of have made for him, objects for his London house. The acquisition of a suitable door knocker is hilarious, the object eventually produced being a weight on a string that struck a gong. It does however give a great insight into the market in real antiques and pseudo antiques of the period. Ian Bottomley

All, I've read this thread with great interest and enjoyed the banter. But, now that the tsuba for the daito has been revealed, it makes sense. The theme shared by the tsuba relate to the famous poem (?) about not tying your spirited horse to the cherry tree since it will cause the blossoms to fall. This theme was used as a kamon by the Tanaka family and others. One other factor is also pertinent. The Japanese were perfectly aware of Western horses and how they looked. Two were brought back from India by the the Tensho Mission to Europe. Tokugawa Yoshimune requested the VOC to send him Arab horses as a gift, even specifying the face markings they should have. Five horses were delivered in 1725 and even more in subsequent years. By the time these tsuba were made, the traditional Mongolian stock was all but bred out and the new horse was taller and far more Western looking. I appreciate that this does not mean that all artists altered the way they rendered horses, but at least they had the models before them to give their depictions a more Western emphasis. Ian Bottomley

Maurisz, I do not think they are dragonflies on the rear of your tsuba but sasa (bamboo grass). Ian Bottomley

Dear Ted, I read your posting with great sorrow. You have been a steadying, sensible influence on this board. I for one will miss your contributions. Ian Bottomley