Bugyotsuji

Ah, egg on my face. I have just discovered that the Kanji for 世 and 三十 are just about interchangeable. They come up together in my etymological dictionary. '30 years' means (or meant) 'one human lifetime' or 'one generation', or 'the human world'.

Is there another signature underneath, or is it just my bad eyesight?

Well, I think the meaning will change depending on whether the last character should be read '30' or 'world'. I was hoping that Morita san might come back and offer his further thoughts. (A collector friend sent me this photograph and asked if I could help him decypher it.) My calligraphy friend is sometimes wrong, but Morita san is rarely wrong! :D (I hope that Morita san can be my friend too...) I respect both of them and their opinions, and I am still open to further advice. I had imagined that the first two characters were a phrase on their own, and that a comma should go after them. Then I was thinking that 非would go with 輪 or 輪世, because in both Japanese and Chinese the word 非tends to come before what it is negating. I understand the text is probably old Chinese, and this was learnt all over the Orient, but I was wondering if the writing was more typical of Japanese So-script, or of Chinese calligraphy. Actually my gut feeling says Japanese, but the whole thing lacks a really old feeling to it.

Aaaarrrgggghhhh.......... I thought we were getting closer, and now I am all at sea again. Help! Thanks for the first offer of an English version, John!

Quote: but this sort of thing is meant to be vague... I like it! :lol: (Although the carver probably knew exactly what he wanted to say!) Can you provide an English translation of the words, YimuYin? Oh, and lastly, does it look Japanese or Chinese to you?

PS A friend has just sent me this. Does it add or subtract, I wonder? I think the kanji of the netsuke is「満目非輪三十」。 「満目」means "as far as you can see" But the meaning of「輪三十」is not very clear for me. I guess it may be related to the saying of Laotzu as I pasted bellow. Virtually, it can read 「満目、輪三十に（は）非ず」。 I am happy if this can be useful for you. PS:老子道徳経 11章 三十輻共一轂。 "Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub" 當其無、有車之用。　 挺埴以爲器。 當其無、有器之用。 鑿戸以爲室。 當其無、有室之用。 故有之以爲利。 無之以爲用。

Morita sama, this is very kind of you to take the time to read this. Would you say "Man-moku-hi-rin-yo", and would the meaning be something like "Wherever I look, I see a world that is not in accordance with spiritual law" (?) Is that Daruma on the right, and could this be what he was thinking when he sat down in the cave for many years? Is that why he shut his eyes, perhaps? Many questions, but the last one is how to read the Mei. Would you think it might be Sho-sen-to To?

Nut Netsuke, but cannot make out the reading. Any ideas/pointers welcome. Piccie file was too big; coming in a minute!

A wonderul whale scene! To those who say that Japan never in fact whaled, here is a little piece of historical proof, even if not so old. What is an unusual theme for Menuki? Almost every Menuki I see seems to have some originality. Wishing I had taken shots of the more unusual now... grrrr... although I do remember a beautifully-worked set of long (4 cm?) Vajra symbols on a lovely Mihara Kai sword. Posted somewhere on this site, but one tanto I have shows a rabbit seated upright on one side and the full moon on the other. Surely a little unusual?

Two lovely Saya you have there!

Are you hoping to mark, and find reasons for, each and every change in the shape of the Japanese sword throughout Japan's history, such as demands of the latest battle formations/tactics, maximum length by Imperial Edict, etc.?

Apologies for the delay, but only just seen this thread. For a very slightly different variation please see this old katanadansu interior, from an earlier thread, as found and after cleaning: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2554&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=510

Again the depth of the knowledge on this site makes itself evident.

That is interesting. Thank you. I know it is a common design, found on many household objects. I have a very old candle-holder with this motif. Westerners used to think it was a heart mark, found even in Japan, until they heard the explanation that the hanging folds of the boar's eye make the heart look upside down.

Yes it's odd. He did say when he sold it to me that whenever I got bored with it he would happily have it back. I think he gets into situations where he mentions something that he has owned recently and the dealer or whoever becomes really interested. He then tests my resolve or desire to really own whatever it is. Generally he knows my motivation is weak and I am always short of money, so then he starts reeling me back in.

Must be the wife...

Carlo, I am obliged, indebted to the person who wants it back. Since he will continue to be in a position to hold doors open for me, I feel that I must go along with his 'suggestion', even if I do not personally want to. This has happened on three or four occasions before; last time I put my foot down. This time I think I owe him, and I hope he will remember me for next time around!!!

Stupidly or not, I bought it and brought it home for the photos you see. Now I have been asked to sell it back again!

Ukiyo-e? Not particularly, but why do you want to sell?

Looks like Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi. 1797-1861

Just did a search through J sites on Namban Tetsu and came up with an interesting article. A Shizuoka Museum group analyzed steel from some J swords on which it was engraved that they were made with Namban-Tetsu. Their conclusion was that the swords were in fact made with J steel, and the appellation Namban-Tetsu was a sort of brand-name to raise the value at that time, "Namban-tetsu" carrying a special cachet ever since guns had arrived in 1543. Links for the study are provided at the bottom. (None of which seem to now work) http://mimizun.com/log/2ch/newsplus/1151754259/

It does say that 'owners' are required to register them. If the museum where they have temporarily resided cannot find the original owners, then at some point I suppose they would have to declare them. I suspect that the time period has never been properly clarified under law, and the general position of museums in this regard is also not clear. The system has probably worked pretty well until now, even better than any new legislation might succeed in introducing. As the element of flexibility gets inked out they may fall into the same trap as other countries where increased legislation has rendered systems unmanageable and arbitrary. This may be a chance for common sense to prevail. Good luck to all concerned, for the sake of humanity's common heritage.

May I join in and wish you a very Happy Birthday Brian. Hope you can find something especially interesting to do today! Or just chill if that's what you need.

Thinness, hmmmm.... Splidge, another very interesting read there. Thanks.

A quick clarification. Although it has a Hyotan shape, this is not the original shape of any ingot or mold. An original patty of iron, (280 grams in the box above), seems to have been hammered out when still hot, pinched, and extruded again with a final twist. Kind of like a candy wrapping twist. Perhaps to demonstrate the purity and malleability at a glance. Oh, and I just hit it with my dinner spoon... Perhaps the sound of it also told the potential buyer something about the quality. (Imagine flicking a Tsuba)