Bugyotsuji

Unfortunately Jeremy, more of the same as above. Designed in okimono form a couple of holes were added to give a somewhat netsuke appearance. Same comments apply. Fairly modern, Chinese, and sadly looks like ivory which will make it illegal to buy or sell in most countries. The sticker likely added to make it look like an ex-museum piece.

Great question. I have a piece too, but feel the need to reserve final judgement.

Chris, my immediate thought is Tada 忠

Actually as it's unsigned I think the 'Soten-style' wording is better than outright 'Soten school'. Strictly speaking these were made within the *Hikone Han, the Soten being a line of smiths within that area, the earliest ones signing their work. Becoming popular, later they were apparently emulated elsewhere in Japan. I have a similar one, papered by the NBTHK as 'Hikone'. *Think of Hikone Castle, home of the Ii Daimyo family.

Saw some sets of those buttons at an antiques fair the other day. Not cheap!

Day trip up to Leeds if you can make it...

The second kanji looks more like a different -nari, i.e. 成 Nice object!

Maybe an X-ray would pick up more definition?

Alex, that is painful to look at. I am in danger here of breaking the 11th Commandment. ”Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s sword.”

Specifically Nihontō alone in quality and large quantity maybe no, but the Wallace Collection in London is well worth seeing, as is the Tower of London, plus the arms and armour in the Japan section of the Royal Armories in Leeds.

Colin (Matsunoki) is an expert in this field.

Although it says 細川家, Hosokawa Household, I suspect that someone has simply added that later.

“Who were the Shōami tsuba makers in Japan?“ I just fed that into ChatGPT.

Correct

The tsuba is unfortunately just too large to go on a tanto which has inlay of silver arrows all over the koshirae.

Besides the two seppa washers, you also seem to be missing the fuchi rim fitment for the tsuba end of the tsuka haft. See ‘metal sleeve fuchi’ in the illustration above.

Is there such a Japanese name as 求助 Kyūsuke?

See this for reference, Keio/Meiji, Yamashiro, Kyoto.

Did you buy a single lot at auction, Kirill?

Kirill, the first one has all the marks of a late 1800s Meiji okimono, the central nerve channel being used to pay lip-service to netsuke. Good work, the artist was possibly a netsuke carver first before the end of the Bakumatsu and changes in fashions. The second one (stork?) is hard to make out; if it is not resin it could well be a legit boxwood netsuke. The third one, bamboo shoot and toads(?) gives indications of later Chinese work, the signature written typically in a ‘casual’ manner to suggest Japanese, but not.

Sweet tomobako, and one looks like a nijūbako double box. Dare we ask to see the jizai, or is there a better thread for them somewhere? That reminds me to update this thread myself. I’ve come into possession of some nice bits over the last year or two.

Further thoughts above!

Ah, thank you. *The second one could start with Yoshi spelt not the standard 吉 with 士, but with known variant 土 on top. Borrowing -hisa from Ray above, Yoshihisa? 吉久？

Hi Ryan, No that’s it! Make sure all the details of the registration card match the gun, and send off the change of ownership paper to the Education Board of where the gun was registered, or do it online. It also asks for the previous owner’s name and address and contact details. You will need to keep the reg card preferably with the gun or within reaching distance, and you’ll need to keep the gun well wrapped if ever you need to carry it somewhere. Also if the police find it in your car for example you’ll have to provide a good reason for its presence.

What do you mean when you say you 'found this by google'. Are you wanting to buy a blade, or did you run a search for unreadable Mei? Usually posting one photo alone makes the job exceptionally hard for anyone to decipher. Two or three photos from different angles is more friendly. Re 'help me identify the smith'; by reading the characters alone you might not be identifying the smith, since it could easily be gimei. Confused in Gotham