Bugyotsuji

Ah thanks. Yes, Norimune (Norisada?) as suggested on the other thread.

Thanks guys for the running commentary!

Two or three angles and light conditions would make the job easier for people, but I tend to agree with 則宗 Norimune.

Uwe, of course you are correct. I needed to go back and check this and see why I used the expression 'agemaki' and discovered that although it originally meant the central fitment at the back of an old O-yoroi, in time it came to mean a metal fitment with a ring and hanging decoration anywhere on an armo(u)r. 'Kasa-jirushi' though is much more specific, indicating an attachment for an identfication flag to the kabuto. Thank you! 具足櫓　－ぐそくやぐら－　甲冑・鎧・兜・当世具足・戦国武将フィギュアのページ

Wow, that’s a great find! And your smith Aoi Takezo line is mentioned in the second paragraph, under 答 (answer)! 『松阪市史　第６巻　資料編　文化財』（松阪市・1979）には、鉄砲師「勢州松坂青井丈蔵」、「勢州大石青井源次陳聴」（江戸後期）などについて記載されています。

Actually, Jake, I have not come across this Mei before, so I cannot answer all of your questions. Sei-Shu refers to the province of Ise, which you can look up on a map. The famous Ise Jingu shrine is located there, an ancient focus for pilgrims from all over Japan. Following the logic of Mei, Oishi refers to a village or town called O-ishi (Big Rock). It’s probably still there if you look on a map of Matsuzaka. The list of gunsmiths shows ten starting with 青井 Ao+i (Blue well) so this must be the family business name, inherited or passed down. There may have been branches of this because two smiths are listed as Aoi Takezo, 1st and 2nd generation. Your gun however, has Aoi Takezo plus this further name which confuses me as it is not listed. It is however listed for a smith called Aoi Chin Takanaga. I wonder if this is the same person. The Chin name looks somewhat Chinese to me, so I wonder if he was taken in and taught the business? Just my own imagination, however. In a minute I'll post for you here the names section for Aoi smiths in Ise, Matsuyama, O-ishi. You can play with them.

One could be for an agemaki no kan... (?)

These are Kabuki actors playing their roles. Lovely prints though.

濃州住兼俊 No-Shu Ju Kanetoshi 昭和十八年十二月　December, Showa 18 The habaki looks to be on back to front, by the way.

Assuming you prefer suji kabuto to koboshi kabuto, this looks like a good choice to me, seeing your parameters, and with papers, and not too expensive either. PS Ask them to throw in a kabuto stand for you.

Myochin Minbu no Jo Munesada Saku? So where does this other (not very well written) kanji fit?

Ah, now those are much better! Many thanks.

経理部　Accounting Dept Family name 吉川, personal name 治 Osamu?

Apart from the magnificent translation work above, it should be noted that this is not a right 袖 sode as described in the Japanese, but a 籠手 kote. (The sode was a kind of hanging outer shield protecting the shoulders, although nowadays the word 'sode' has come to mean a clothing sleeve.)

In all my years of handling and discussing teppō I cannot ever recall hearing of 桑の木 Kuwa no Ki used for the stock/butt. Not saying it didn’t happen or it’s impossible, just that I have never run across such a suggestion until now. Overwhelmingly they used 赤檮赤樫 ‘yew oak’, which is a super hard material that does not splinter easily when planed. Used also for bokutō and spear hafts.

Ah, I had imagined that they had sent it off and that the result had been announced to them. Usually it then takes a couple of months for the final certificate to arrive, so they had simply posted a photo of a generic NBTHK envelope.

From the tone of the Aoi description one gets the impression that they were a little disappointed by the NBTHK Hozon attribution. Did they actually expect it to fare better, and did it force them to start with a lower price? Do they still entertain the possibility that this blade may be better than the paperwork states? (I checked the original Japanese and it needs some editing as of this moment. Two or three howlers in the description. Editor off sick? See if you can spot them! 時代:平安時代後期1184年 841年前 体配:身幅尋常な重ねしっかりとしており 反りが深くつき、精良な地鉄となる。 地鉄：小板目肌実によく詰んで精良な地鉄となり、りが微かに現れ鎬地は小板目、小杢目肌で柾目が現れず、鎬地にはところどころ焼きが見える。 刃紋：小沸出来直刃うるみ心となり、匂口が深く元々無垢鍛えであった作品です。帽子丸みを帯びた潤み心の作品ですがしっかりとしております。よく再刃は無価値と称する方も多いでですが、3度くらいは現代刀でも刃文は入りますので再刃とは言っても全くダメな刀剣とは申せません。日光にも多くの刀が再刃として保存され、康継が焼き直した作品がかなりあるのです。刀剣博物館では再刃となりましたが、そのことを了解してオークションに参加してください。 葵美術より一言：　備前国友安は友成の子供で、さすがに貫禄のある作品です。本作は刀剣博物館では再刃と鑑定されましたが、地鉄もよく刃紋もよく入り素晴らしい作品です。 時代背景：平安時代、罪名で正真の作品は滅多にでるものではありません。) PS I am off sick, myself!

There are millions of NLO (Netsuké-like objects) out there to catch the novice. One of the challenges for any budding collector is to swim through the field, avoiding the tricks and traps, and to train the eye to recognize those rare gems. In the same way perhaps we need an expression like TLO to designate such ‘tsuba-like objects’ as the one you spotted. Of course, if you have the time you can study, and if you have the money you can go to a reputable dealer, hear their story, pay top dollar, and buy more safely.

Now at this end I may need to qualify once more. For some reason I was thinking this was a yari nakago even though you clearly stated yajiri! It was the kerakubi that finally caught my eye. Whereas yari Mei follow the conventions of sword and gun Mei, yajiri seem to be more free, perhaps because the narrowness of the nakago makes inserting an inscription problematical. Often they are unsigned, but when signed you are more likely in my (admittedly limited) experience to find a Mei inscribed somewhere on the blade of the arrowhead itself.

C'mon Rob, no need to be coy!

All’s well that ends well! Just reading this whole thread for the first time. What a saga! And what a result! Great to see all the advice and cooperation here leading to a happy ending. Vive le/la NMB. (Is a message board masculine or feminine?)

Apologies, tip of the blade upwards is correct. Just shows how much I cannot ‘see’ what is written there, like a doctor or bank manager’s signature. I was expecting it to say 下坂　Shimosaka, but even that does not seem to fit happily!

The first three photos are upside down and almost equally blurred. The latest shot, while the correct way up, is also of quite poor quality for an attempted reading. It would need serious editing with contract, sharpness etc., to bring up the Mei to visual recognition standard. Better shots would be a better start.

Can be checked with a magnet.

Is the blade signed? They can be worth a lot, but usual ground rules apply. Is it a genuine Chigo-to, or a toy?