Bugyotsuji

It doesn't matter now really, Koichi san, as I have added the close-ups. But thank you anyway. Actually I had a hard time getting the meaning of the vertical writing on the 'book'. It is either a famous quote from Admiral Togo Heihachiro, or it may be the title of a treatise that he wrote. An old professor finally helped me to understand the reading, and the meaning, well to some extent the meaning. I believe the Admiral only lived for another four years after this. The medal does not have its original box, unfortunately, and it looks as though it has been in a house fire. Many of my Japanese friends have told me that this kind of medal has little value in Japan today, but I really like it as a fascinating piece of undeniable history.

Here is a medal commemorating... what do you think? I had been looking at this medal for about six months, but the dealer was asking what I thought was far above my budget. It did seem like a nice object for this corner, even if a 'little' outside Edo, so I eventually made him an offer he couldn't refuse. About the size of an average Tsuba at 7 cm across, copper.

The comments are generally correct, ie that Chinese circular cash with a square hole were the dominant coinage throughout the Far East for a couple of thousand years. Japan produced some locally from about Asuka and Nara onwards, 708-958 AD but Chinese coins continued to move freely back and forth. John's second photo, top left. The Wado-Kaiho (or Wado Kaichin) 708 AD coin pictured there is the one posted by Brian in his bottom photo, and was long thought to be Japan's first real domestically-produced coin. There were also some special coins produced in Japan in Muromachi called Bo-eki coins, such as Nagasaki Boeki-sen. Then as Brian says, from 1668 one type, the 'New' Kan-Ei Tsu-ho One-Mon (Photo One) and Four-Mon pattern (waves on reverse) dominated the scene till the end of Edo. Neither this coin nor the oblong Tenpo-tsuho is apparent on your Tsuba. The cross on the back of one represents the back of a Kanei-tsuho of 1736, however. Is one example enough? I can probably check the others but it will take time that I will have to find. As Rich says, the rest look like Chinese trade coins, to me too. Some of the representations seem to have been deliberately altered in some small detail as though it might have been a problem being too accurate. One at least looks like a representation of good luck, the one that says 'Long life'... :lol:

Where did the description 'Iris flower heads' come from?

Thank you Koichi san. Hmm... not so good for me! Oh, BTW there is a 日on the end of the date according to the paperwork! :lol:

Well, if no-one is going to help I will fill in off my head until the specialists appear. The first one seems to read And down below, the date is printed on the right of the sheet, and the Mei says something like:

Mmmm.... very nice!

Thanks for the update. The Japanese site seems to be nearly ready too, but it's strange the way they've done it. When you click on the titles, nothing seems to happen, but you then need to scroll down each time to see the pages.

Hmmm... the plot thickens. Illustrations welcome!

I wonder if the soft metal, the peculiar openings and the groove around the cicumference are all designed to catch and absorb the momentum of the point of an enemy spear or Naginata/Nagamaki?

Some examples on pp 82 & 147 of Ian's "Arms & Armour of the Samurai".

Very good question, Ford, and I for one shall be interested in the answer, if anyone can help.

Koichi san, I finally went for Nissui, (or maybe your Nichizui is better), because I found that actual name 日随　(in your variant form) in a list of known Tsuba makers. The pronunciation was not listed, but the name was listed according to the Japanese alphabetical order under 'Ni' 二　in the book.

Ford, thanks for the clarification. I can't tell what it is. Dark greenish patina overall; it must have lain untouched for a long time. Only tiny little exposed flecks show yellowish or reddish hues. Dents along the mimi suggest the metal must be fairly soft. Dirk, your examples above in copper and shinchu seem to reinforce an impression I am starting to form of overall simplicity in design. Should we be splitting this discussion into Nagamaki and Naginata, or are they treatable in common, I wonder ?

Thanks Richard for the feedback. Very interesting to hear your views and to see your tsuba. A turtle? Well, that's what I was thinking, but what else could it be? When you say 'rustic', do you mean like a piece of garden furniture? :lol: Dunno.

The other day I found this Tsuba. "Yamagane. It's probably a Nagamaki Tsuba. They are pretty rare," was all the seller could tell me. That is the sum and the limit of my knowledge, other than that Yamagane (?) must be brass of some kind. Oh, it's 7.3 x 5.6 cm, and it's heavy & very thick, about 5mm at the seppa dai. Can anyone flush out the picture here, re motif, material, usage, etc? Have I got the wrong end of the stick? Does anyone have a Nagamaki or Naginata Tsuba in their collection for comparison? Hoping like will attract like!

The Mei seems to read I like this tsuba too!

Methinks I may have to get that. The more the merrier Thanks Stephen.

What book is that, Stephen?

Yes and no. To cover the length of the seppa-dai, the width of the leaves has been used. I like it.

Wasn't there a thread near here somewhere mentioning Tsuba for Naginata/Nagamaki? Well, I have what was described as a Nagamaki Tsuba, and was going to post it up there, but despite running a search I've completely lost the plot!

Peter, look forward to seeing the pics, and then perhaps someone may be able to help. Had a long chat with a friend in antiques today, Ian, about the lid/tray. He agreed with you and said it is definitely old, and probably a family heirloom; a Hiro-buta, 広蓋 which literally means a 'wide lid'. It shows evidence of relacquering, which suggests someone tried to take good care of it. Apparently it was placed on the floor outside the bathing quarters where garments (kimono) were laid into it; the lip kept all in order. He said you could not make one of these for even 100,000 yen today, and the Mon are partcularly expensive to order and have done, something like 10,000 JPY each. He agreed that, sad but true, no-one in Japan today would want to buy such a thing, and recommended that I take it to the West where it can have a new lease on life. Very interesting background to the Shokaku-tsuki Kabuto. Thanks for that. There is a picture of a modern reproduction in one of the links above. (The chap wants to sell it, but has no idea what to ask for it!)

Thanks Ian. Japanese burial mounds, right? The design looks like it might be for warding off arrows. There appear to be traces of some form of pitch/lacquer coating. Under Shokaku-tsuki Kabuto I found a few pages on Google. They are in Japanese but most contain a nice little illustration of what you were saying. http://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E8%A1 ... rt=10&sa=N

It's quite late (2:10 am) so I may leave the pics up a little longer and sleep on them. Lid/tray cost. Stephen is the closest so far and flies in under the line. Ian's comment includes a suggestion of the same thing. Well done. The dealer asked apologetically for 1,000 yen, and I told him I would think about it... as I didn't want to carry it around the market. It was absolutely filthy. When I came back it was still there, and he apologized again for the weight. I showed it to a collector friend later and he said "Who has room for that in their house?" I imagined my wife complaining and had to agree with him. (She hasn't seen it yet.) Poor thing is embarrassingly large. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is a Kiri Mon, but it's called Saga-kiri Mon, and in Saga in Kyoto there is also the Saga Kiku, with the imperial 16 petals. There was an Emperor Saga, and a Saga Genji among other famous names. It cleaned up wonderfully, but unfortunately it's been pretty battered at some time in its life. Are we rescuing history here? A box lid? Interesting. As to the Shokaku-tsuki hachi, Ian, do you know if the sound Sho- is short or long? I wonder what the kanji are? Need to spend some more time looking it up. The chap who has lent it to me is going to float it in the dealer's auction this weekend, and he wanted to know what we thought of it. I asked if I could borrow it for a few days and ask around. He said fine. He's either playing me, or he really doesn't know. I know that he has links to the Chinese antiques market and to people who make 'fake' antiques, but he also digs up some amazing genuine finds too, so really anything is possible. Thanks for your thoughts, though, Ian.

Come on, all you good folks out there! How much did this cost? (Brian is disqualified because he knows my Scottish nature.)