Bugyotsuji

BYW Kenukigata often referred to as ‘dog bone’ in the West. No guesses as to why.

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Yes, those both look to have decent age to them. Interesting objects. The tonkotsu seems to depict battlefield aftermath. The ‘kōgo’ (?) is signed Somada Mitsuhisa, as you say. There was also a Hisamitsu in the Somada line of lacquer artists. There is a general *discussion of the Somada family line, (starting with Somada Kiyosuke in the early 18th C) but although his name is listed there is nothing specific for Mitsuhisa. *”The Index of Inro Artists”, by E.A.Wrangham, pp 271,271

Yari poles originally came in different 'standard' lengths of course, which could vary by age or by region. The famous 三間槍 Sangen yari was 5.45 meters long, but some were longer.　(See below) Even within Japan today the longest ones 長柄槍 (naga-e no yari) still require serious logistical consideration in order to transport and display. Shipping abroad. Hard to generalize, but not an easy prospect to ship intact. Most carriers will refuse if the paperwork suggests any type of weapon. Each carrier will have different rules on maximum length of package... 150 cm(?) for Japan Post, etc. A friend who was a BA captain carried home a long yari in his cockpit one time, he was telling me. A merchant mariner might be able to move yari as souvenir.(?) Some interesting yari lengths and descriptions. 物見槍： 約2m前後で、偵察兵が使用する槍。偵察活動中に目立たないよう短く設計されています。 用心槍： 2～2.5ｍで、護身用の槍。主に家の中で使用されることを想定しており、比較的短い場合が多いです。 馬上槍： 2～2.5ｍで、騎馬武者が使用する槍。馬の背丈に合わせた長さが求められ、槍の先端にある細い穂は馬上の戦闘に適しています。 士の槍： 2.5～3.5ｍで、個人用の槍。武将を含む個人が所持する槍であり、多様な形状や長さの槍が存在します。 持槍： 3.5～5ｍで、足軽向けの槍。柄を長くした槍で、長いものでは5mに達するものもあります。 長柄槍： 4.5～6.5mで、非常に長い槍。織田家では３間半（約6.3ｍ）の長さの槍が使用され、上杉家や北条家では２間半（約4.5ｍ）の長柄槍が使われていました。 【戦国時代】槍の歴史や種類について解説「6mの槍もあった」 - 草の実堂 https://kusanomido.com/study/history/Japan/sengoku/77937/ PS I have a 二間槍 Ni-gen yari at 3.6 meters (12 feet with saya) which takes up one side of the entrance hall.

That is closer to 150 Monme, which is exceptionally large.

A pretty spear head. It looks to have some age to it, especially with the long kerakubi. The Nakago has broken at the natural Mekugi-ana, the weakest point when being forced from a haft. Tempted to agree with Tensho, to fit a haft and maybe saya but not bother to alter it any further by boring a new Mekugi-ana, etc.

Oh, as to the large sage w/peach okimono, agreed concerning age. This one is stunningly large, from a goodly-sized antler base, and the carving is not bad. Quite heavy in the hand, it looks and feels at first like stone, marble perhaps.

Mmm… I like that one Pietro. And for shiatsu too! As requested, the tooth, a very small Netsuké which I chose for quality of carving rather than age, per se. a b c d

Hmmm... not aware of what they are, but John, I was wondering whether the ajiro-gasa straw sombrero might not be decorated with a constellation map... oops

The 'bag' may be a Mino straw cape, and it could be symbolizing or recalling the mino-game (Mino + Kame) , the turtle of long life.

The tag on the left does not seem to correspond...(?)

Still a bit fuzzy, but yes, the paperwork does seem to correspond to that tsuba, Marcin. 杢目鍛日足紋鐔 Mokume Kitae Hi-ashi Mon Tsuba 保存刀装具 Hozon Tosogu 平成十一年 Heisei 11, April 14

The paperwork is too fuzzy to read, but yes, the Mei on the tsuba says Ōmi no Kami Tsuguhide, as above. Although I pay J Yahoo action monthly, they have locked me out a couple of years back as I misplaced the password and they send emails to an old alternate work account no longer in use. :headbang: Interesting tsuba btw.

We often decribe Netsuke as tactile objects to roll around in the hands, almost like worry beads. (Shades of the steel worry balls of Captain Queeg in the Caine Mutiny.) Just had an original thought! (All clapping gratefully accepted) These Netsuke of Chinese sages with elongated heads have been explained in one way or another, but last night my daughter handed me a specially-shaped wooden massage pointer that she had bought in Tokyo. As I was pushing it into various acupuncture points in my hands it suddenly struck me that these pointy-headed or other long Netsuke may just have had that very function, for Shiatsu no less, traditional manipulation of pressure points, which would take our understanding a step deeper than that of rolling a Netsuke around in the palm for passive pleasure. Two okimono in background, stag antler Momo Sennin and Bizen yaki Daruma. Four netsuke, one of which is a silk seal. Whale tooth, ivory and stag antler.

Hmmm... normally you might expect two kanji to follow 紀

Something I need to get my head around. Many years ago a friend handed me a tsuba and said 'Kagamishi'. It looked like a sandwich construction, with a copper core and identical design (bronze?) plates on the front and back. Could that have been an example of later Edo period construction?

Hi Hector, you are absolutely sure there is no sign of another kanji anywhere?

Original to what? Never fitted to a sword probably. I do not think it is modern, if that is what you mean. It seems to be in Hikone (Soten) style, which became popular throughout Japan in the Edo period.

Interesting process, Jean. Many thanks. The presenter kind of scrambled it, but the rough-cut carving style 一刀彫 ittōbori is pronounced like ‘It - toe- borry’. (= one-blade-carving)

Yes, Michael, and this 1.8 cm bore is equivalent to a lead ball weight of 10 Monmé. Samurai guns (Shizutsu) are also sometimes called 10-Monmé guns. 十匁筒 (Jū Monmé Zutsu)

Most regular ashigaru battlefield guns used around 1.5~1.6 cm ball. These are called 軍用筒 gunyozutsu. Longer bird guns and target guns (as in the photo) tended to have a bore diameter of 1.3 cm or less. Lethal close up, yes, agreed. Then there was a shorter, heavier gun with a bore of around 1.8 cm, and these rarer elite better-quality guns were called 士筒 or　侍筒 (Shizutsu , literally ‘samurai gun’) for ‘proper’ samurai, as opposed to the mass of ashigaru riffraff.

Long gun, small bore, probably not samurai caliber, hard to judge, but it looks generally ok from just that one foreshortened angle shot.

Away from my books right now, but like Marcin above I spent some time searching the Japanese web and found some possibly related Mon/Kamon, but no exact matches. Sometimes ‘family crests’ were created in the post-Edo period during the proud era of militarism.

That last kanji is probably 嘉 佐渡の守国富基嘉 - 検索

Ah, thanks for that. At 3.556 cm it seems to be closest to 50 monmé Gary.