Bugyotsuji

That’s the stuff, yes. Functions like sandpaper. Also widely used for polishing lacquer. 砥草 Tokusa, often pronounced Togusa.

Hmmm… good spot. It could be used as part of the process for making a Tanegashima, granted, but it’s not strictly related to Tanegashima. Apologies. Hint, why is the Japanese name Tokusa?

Not quite in the slot just yet.

Apparently yes, it is a type of horsetail grass. (Had to check the English before I could answer that!)

No, not the answer to this quiz, (they’re light and hollow so would not be much use as whips) …but it is the answer to the next quiz I was lining up.

May have had this question before, but apart from their decorative appeal what were/are these plants used for? (The wife brought these home last night.) If you know, then let’s hear it! Cheating OK. Closer…

On the ethics of restoration, I have been thinking a little more recently. If you look at the photo below, a lot that came my way last week, you'll see there are bits and bobs that would normally get thrown out in any kura clean-up. Pieces of attached rag and wire look like junk. And that would be the end of their history. Occasionally I will find a powder flask body that has lost its cap and/or other fittings. Conversely in the photo you can see a necklace string with two caps, (one primer flask, one coarse powder flask) but missing flask bodies. There is an apostle 'hayago' tube with no cap, and the remains of a kurigata from a powder flask. Fairly useless on their own. What looks like a coin purse has a slit in the side for insertion/ removal of musketball. This at least should clean up a smidgen. These things, made with design and purpose, need to be saved. If I can find a new life for any of them, I will.

Ishikawa 石川 is one of the Japanese looking/sounding names often used by Chinese workshops.

柴山工 Work by Shibayama? The signature 芝工 looks very weak, so I would skip any attempt to understand why it was written like this, i.e. probably in order to give a cursory impression of Shibayama. (The decorations under the base look to have been undertaken to hide the natural cracking.)

Thanks for showing these. A nice overall package!

Will do, Colin! PS I was joking about the cheating bit. Too many years in education!

Genbu of the north is the ancient Chinese tortoise upon which the universe stands. A snake appears from its rear end. Genbu is the black warrior of the north, chief of the four directional guardians. Genbu is painted on ancient tomb walls in Japan. Genbu later became Bishamonten, chief of the Shiten-no-o guardians. Bishamonten was the god of warriors and listened to their cry. For this reason the turtle Genbu has ears, although tortoises and turtles don’t. Genbu is the turtle shell, the brain pan, the crown, the 甲 shell of armour. 甲 the shell is Number One, the top/best, in the old counting system 甲、乙、丙、丁… Recently I bought a pair of Menuki with a gold-shell Genbu on a shakudo background. You can see the ears, …but the tail is from a Minogamé.

Guessing that no one knows the answer. Genbu is very interesting though for a number of reasons…

You're too honest, Colin. A cheater can lie, and after looking it up, say he or she already knew the answer! As it is, you have gained two points already. The minogame is a symbol of old age, having been in the water so long that waterweed grows off the back of its shell. I once actually saw one in a nearby river, but did not have the camera with me. Countless times I went back to that bridge, but never saw it again.

Turtle/Tortoise quiz question. What’s the difference between Minogamé and Genbu? Do these two traditions ever get mixed up, and if so, in what way(s)? PS Marks/points deducted for cheating!

Happier now to leave them like this. Genbu on Aoi plants

Hydrangea leaf today.

Hmmm… will post photos to illustrate problem. (The remaining tubular copper post has been squished sideways. Impossible to replicate exactly.)

That idea goes easy on the old ticker, Barry, and it makes sense! Thank you. (Just having a curry made by the missiz. This one’s a hit.)

Recently I showed a menuki with a missing central post (tubular) to a couple of people, asking whether it could/should be replaced. The answer was no, as the use of heat would affect the gilding zogan on the front. No alternative solution was suggested. This answer was not really very satisfactory. Apart from aesthetics, is it really a problem to have a missing central post in one of a pair of menuki, or am I unduly worried? Asking for a friend from Ilkla Moor baht 'at.

Anthony, great shot(s). Might just show those on the day!

Haha, no John, just a decorative fan with some martial exhortation written on it. Just in front of it though is a pill-lock squeeze gun, nigiri-deppō or kaihō-jū.

On 6 June we will hold a meeting at Kibitsu Hiko Jinja for everyone to bring a photo and reminisce about Mr Ō. There will be obento for lunch. Mrs Ō has kindly agreed to attend. Last December I made some video shorts of him and the teppōtai performing in the Budōkan. He was physically weak, but stood straight and spoke with authority. Little did I know at the time that this would be his last active role as leader.

Anthony, it is so good to hear from you. Yes, your ‘baby whale’ is happily performing great active service, a new life for the wider community, no small thanks to you and Marjolijn. As to the flaming bolt, what you say makes sense and I will convey your idea to the members. We have a 30 Monme with similar short barrel too, but Mr O was steadfast in his opinion that these were Hiya-zutsu, i.e. especially for firing Bo-hiya. I carefully said nothing.

Concept. Hydrangea example. Look at the ‘coffee bean’ leaf tip. Oak leaf examples. Row 2 from right,No.4 ’Nakagawa Kashiwa’