Bugyotsuji

Ah, thanks for that Tom. There are some scenes with early pole guns in Miyazaki Hayao’s Princess Mononoke. I suspect Studio Ghibli did some background research before introducing them into the story, although the early squeezing matchlocks shown in other scenes are probably too unlikely. The photo below shows ‘Ishibiya’ carried by Eboshi Gozen’s troops in Mononoke Hime.

Yes, oshigata are common on NBTHK certificates.

Agreed! It’s certainly very different, almost eccentric.

Single barrel and three-barrel side-by-side. Poles are temporary props. From muzzle end From behind

Apologies to Kiipu (Tom) for thread napping, but this looked like a good thread to keep alive. Approximate Total length: 54 cm (21.25 inches) Barrel length: 46.5 cm (18.25 inches) Bore: 1:55 cm Weight: 2.4 kg The Chinese names are a separate study. Ishibiya 石火矢 , hiya or hiyari 火槍 these were called in Japan, although the name Ishibiya lingered on and was later used for breech-loading cannon like Furanki-hō. There is an Ishibiya-Chō in Takahashi (old Matsuyama Han territory). Ishibiya probably refers to the original function of scaring people and horses with bangs, flames and assorted stones. In Okinawa they once used coral balls. I’ve heard of and seen pottery ball examples. Iron was also used for ball until sources of lead became readily available.

A couple more fire lance angles. (Some measurements to follow.) Iron block underneath, on opposite side to touch hole. For insertion of pole, receiving end.

Imagine the amount of work that went into creating that!

Sorely tempted to agree with you Brian. Will update as necessary if I find out more. It had a tag attached to it interpreting the inscriptions, but only half of the tag still remains. The date

How’s this bronze hand gonne pole weapon? They have various names in Chinese and Japanese. It’s covered in hard-to-read inscriptions and dated, but there are warnings of fakes out there, so I’m not holding my breath. The date works out to 1583; the Ming (1573-1620) were indeed still using these at that time. I already have a three-barrel example so grabbed this single barrel. Interestingly it has a small iron block underneath, on the opposite face to the touch hole, possibly to hook onto wall edges and absorb the recoil.

Once you get the hang of posting photos it’s dead easy. (Crop each of your photos right after you take them. Get rid of the unnecessary background.) Once you choose the photo you wish to post, (start with one), your iPhone will offer a drop-down menu where you can choose large, medium etc. This NMB site is comparatively good though when it comes to permitted sizes. Good luck!

Not really possible to judge much only from the decorations (for which Sakai/Settsu/Osaka was famous). The silver Mon above is a ‘nine-star’ Kuyōmon, a family crest used by the Hosokawa of Kumamoto and the Daté of Sendai among others. I’d say this one is a merchant’s long gun for birds and small game. Mid to late Edo period around 1800 plus or minus thirty or forty years… (Again guessing in advance! )

Are you wanting to give it to a museum, Matt? I am sure a museum with the right collection would be interested, but we have not yet seen the whole matchlock! The little mark is probably the lockmaker. It seems to be in the shape of an Uchide-no-Kozuchi mallet. If the middle kanji (?) is 国, it may be possible as a bonus to work out the lockmaker’s name. I’ll check it out when I get home.

Hi Matt, Everything you have shown so far looks legit. Early indications are that your gun was likely made in Sakai, Osaka. You are missing a pan cover and pin but they can be made up for you. Hara (or Gen) 原 on the butt probably indicates the owner’s name, or the important part of it, such as Harada, 原田, etc. Looking forward to some overall shots and an under-barrel shot if there is a ‘Mei’ signature.

Unless I’m missing something, those Menuki are not just legit, they are really very nice.

Tsuka seem to come in endless variety, always something new comes along. Thanks for sharing. As to the tsuba, my impression is that it is made and patinated to look old, with a rather unsuccessful attempt to imitate a Mei.

Hi Clark, welcome to our corner here! First of all, thank you for your honesty and objectivity, which are rare qualities today, and refreshingly appreciated! It is good to know that what we suspected is not far from the truth. Also it is very interesting to learn about where these NLO are manufactured. Your masks have a pleasingly rustic appearance. Mingei 民芸. They could easily be older than your estimate, I feel. The Okame looks almost Korean. The closest signature I have found so far is a Suisen 水仙, but not yet a Suizan unfortunately. Can we see the backs of your two? Anyway, we are all learning here. Sadly I let some of my good Noh mask Netsuke go, but I still have a couple somewhere, oh, and a hyottoko ojime! Thank you for posting and introducing yourself!

Nice potential! PS ‘Rust’ is a better word than ‘tarnish’. You would need to consult a trained Japanese blade polisher ‘Togishi’.

I guess BaZZa is asking for some context.

祐包 The one at the end of Edo and into the beginning of Meiji had a different kanji for Suke.

These things do pop up in the market every so often, but many are in a terrible state. I had a couple of kabura for a while but they were sad-looking objects. Would you look to repair, or do you want pristine examples? PS You probably mean quivers in the title, not quills!

Brian, yes, our paths often cross.

Finding myself reluctant to join this conversation as clothing styles varied greatly not only by class but also by area of Japan. Kimono fashions in Edo for example, were quite different from Kyoto and Osaka. I can imagine someone looking at examples of Netsuke and then trying them on their obi for size, grip, etc., but there must have been some measure of flexibility rather than one rigid rule. Some obi were relatively hard, others soft. As pointed out above, the obi-hasami type of Netsuke may have been somewhat impractical and that could be one reason (beside the ending of the era) that it was not in fashion for long.

My impression from admittedly shallow experience is that shinaé manifest across, not along, the blade.

Two threads running now!

No. 2 is Hara/wara (Gen) 原 No. 3 is… Gei/Kujira??? 鯨