Bugyotsuji

I’m eating my hat. An open eight-petal lotus flower. https://kyuanji.jp/blog/2022/09/post-28.html

I have more questions than answers. The box says simply 'silver zogan tsuba'. I can see it's a thick, almost maru tsuba in iron, quite large, with an unsually wide square-cut mimi fukurin, silver nunome-zogan lattice-work pattern, no hitsu-ana, showing some evidence it may have been in use. Edo Period I reckon, but that is a wide ballpark. Where was it made? Maybe Spartancrest below will have some ideas. (I'm getting a 'show his reply' message as I write). Is it really a lotus, or are those leaves of a sunflower, I am asking myself? Sunflower seeds are often suggested by a crosshatch.

Good questions!

Nothing untoward here the last few days.

Possibly Gimei, subsequently someone has erased the Mei.(?) PS What is 'piling'?

A Nanako-Shi from the Masatsune line is shown here, c. Ansei, Tōnan, 9 from right.

Line two says that it depicts/suggests an absent Ebisu (rusu-moyo) by means of a fishing line and a sea bream, and on the reverse waves crashing on the rocks.

You probably mean the Tokugawa clan, like royalty in Japan.

You may be looking too far ahead and counting your chickens before they are hatched. A katana? The immediate decision is whether to have this blade polished and would it be worth the considerable cost. A joint work is however a nice little background bonus.

I'll admit that I was confused by your original post and reply too, as so much ground was covered historically and geographically that it was not easy for me to formulate any kind of consistent reply. At the propect of all or nothing, I kind of gave up. By the same token, this was a subject that I had not really thought about. Some self-defense requires use of the pommel, and it was also pushed with the left (armo(u)red) hand on occasion. It makes sense that the kashira pommel in particular would have taken repeated knocks when either worn, in action or in transit, and anything truly artistic could have been spoiled or ruined. Horn and iron would show less damage at first glance than soft, delicate (precious) metals, and scratched or chipped horn could be rounded off and buffed out.

Further reading shows that 俦 can be read in names as either 'tomo', 'toshi', or 'hisa'. (光俦 can also apparently be read as 'Kōzaki', but probably not relevant here.) In the listing below, going by alphabetical order, ‘Mitsutomo’ (9th from right) seems to be the suggested reading. 古今金工全集 by 清水澄

Puzzled by the word 'Ebitsu' above. Daikoku and Ebisu are two gods, their presence indicated by the articles normally associated with them. Ebisu is often shown with a sea bream, for example, so a depiction of a freshly caught sea bream will suggest him. A sack likewise as in your link, will be ‘rusu moyo’ for Daikoku (actually for Hotei).

A little birdie told me yesterday that they now have only ¥100,000 to go before reaching the 3 million yen target. Congratulations! As part of their activities drive, there was a special panel discussion with invited swordsmiths and Togishi. A film crew from NHK turned up to cover the event. Sukesada blades from over the ages were laid out for viewing.

Hello Peter!

Spongiform encephalitis is the only expression that leaps to mind. Copper, so therefore soft, but those holes do not look like they could be reproduced with a pin or needle…(?) Besides, the elaborate bubbling or stippling stops at the edge of the seppadai, so it’s surely not part of the original overall casting process. Perhaps it’s a unique process known only to the artisan (ideal scenario!) so maybe it has no ‘official’ name, leading us to go generic with ishimeji, etc.