Bugyotsuji

Over the last week I have been attempting to recatalog my small assortment of kozuka, menuki, and tsuba on this side of the planet. It's confusing because I have a different set of numbers at either end, and when I carry some backwards or forwards the numbers can clash, needing renumbering. There were a couple of tsuba I do not remember buying, and for some reason left no record of how much I paid. Aaarrrgghhh... While doing so though, I rediscovered several that I had forgotten, or was thinking that I had swapped out or sold. It was a joy to see them again, and to consider that years ago I had appreciated them enough to have chosen them back then. Some of them I would never sell, I realized, as they speak to me personally and it is not a question of market value. It was a delight to hold them in hand and to find new aspects or details to appreciate. Why collect these things, people ask? Well, one answer could be that as my Alzheimer symptoms progress, I will soon be able to experience the joys of rediscovery as often as there are weeks in the year or days in the week! "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Endymion, John Keats.

This thread, and the other one linked, has opened my eyes to Teimei tsuba. Many thanks. I had one a couple of years ago without knowing what it was, but I think I must have given it away as part of a deal. The shape of your new tsuba reminded me of square iron hooks hammered into old Japanese building walls and pillars, or those adorning the uprights of shokudai candle holders, but I am more than happy to go with sashigane!

Top left, John, looks like the outer box of two nesting boxes.

Shotoku Taishi holding a sashigane. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hs=jbFp&sca_esv=24bda720f578b1cc&hl=en-gb&udm=2&fbs=ADc_l-aN0CWEZBOHjofHoaMMDiKp9lEhFAN_4ain3HSNQWw-mMGVXS0bCMe2eDZOQ2MOTwnRdx8cTjotWVyC2QMTVww_YBFX02fOeR-h4YTkfXLtUjsbkEQ71TRGYdTT7QocLO7g195D6ib_0dpEb3QJhPc8RuH5fi-Zj0WZCt67f8e5UnyfeSxo0pAD9Pd3ZdooYNG4m6TtZkeX60E_yiJ6whrL47XaLA&q=差金骨董&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi86_Tgx6-SAxX8slYBHdUTMLEQtKgLegQIFBAB&biw=390&bih=699&dpr=3&aic=0#sv=CAMShgUa5gQKkAIKuQEStgEKd0FNbjMteVRsdWdUcE1xMUJpWUxLRW1hRnFqbC0taEE0NzluekFPbHpHRi1ySHgwOUstLVVZeWNDRHJRVUdrNEh4WHlkZmthSkMwMlpoUzVYT2J5dVdPajJuLXBqaTZ5VlVwbEFvOUlhMC1tZkF3NkNPOEFJQ1hvEhc5cko2YWM3WklMeUEycm9QdU8yQm9RURoiQUpLTEZtS0ZrZGp3OWlQQm1sQTU0NEFFWkFpdWd5RkZ6dxIDODQ5GgEzIhEKAXESDOW3rumHkemqqOiRoyIHCgN0YnMSACIuCgRlcWxkEiZDZ0lJQUJBQUtBRTZCQWdCRUFGQUFVZ0JWVjJYWVQ5dFZ1b2ZQdxK-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

Yes, liking that, simple but strong. Does it actually say that they are carpenter's squares? (Took a long time to work its way through!) Congratulations.

Smaller, for ojime perhaps? Do they have crisscross schreger lines internally like elephants and mammoth tusks? Learn something new every day!

When you say barrow, it does indeed look like a seoibitsu armo(u)r chest with shoulder straps. (Nearly bought one just last week!)

Good point. Although some of them are made of elephant ivory, it is not easy to say what others might be, and I've never come across elk teeth before.

Unfortunately I think you are right, Jeremy. Possibly she bought them before the stringent ivory laws were introduced under Obama, but none of them look really old.

Despite the fuzzy shots I get a strong feeling (especially from the classical Chinese clothing) of Chōhi and the oath in the peach garden. Three Kingdoms. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/桃園の誓い

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.