Bugyotsuji

Nothing to do with reindeer, I wot, but here are this week's mystery objects. Picked them up at the antiques market, but the seller scratched his head. The two scythes (Length 16 cm) appear to be made of some dark wood, like Shitan or Kokutan? The other is made of... bone? (L 18 cm) Some ideas were suggested as to what they are, but what do you guys think?

The Wakizashi should be 1 shaku 3 zun in length...

Jim, Most of that is fairly easy, and certainly good material for attacking the Japanese language. It is NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho paperwork from Showa 46, for a Tempo Wakizashi owned by a Rodini (Rodney?) J Henriksen. How much detail do you want?

Just had some feedback re: 'Sekigane' and 'Ategane'. Although the received literature says Sekigane, the word Ategane has been observed in NBTHK paperwork for Tsuba, regarding for example the reinforcement strips in the photos earlier in this thread. ('Sekigane' is still used for Nakago Ana though.) Apologies to Brian.

Rich, point taken, but I have a fundamental dislike of lead, even though I know the Romans used it for plumbing etc. I have to say, however, that I do like the look of both of those Tsuba illustrated above, and the lead is almost forgivable in that wonderfully eclectic scenery. Then I notice that the Sekigane or Ategane? of the hitsu-ana is missing in your Tsuba on the right. Would you be tempted to replace that, knowing that the job is reversible, and it can be removed if ever necessary? PS I can hear you saying "NO! WHY ON EARTH?" :lol: from here...

PS What about a Tsuba with the hitsu ana blocked off with lead? I am tempted to take the lead out... :|

Had a chat with a Shirogane-shi the other day about this. He collects Tsuba as well. One of his mostly perfect old Tsuba had lost a section of Shinchu flower Zogan, and I asked him if he was considering restoring it. He said that it would be nigh on impossible to get the exact mixture of metal to reproduce the same color/colour as the rest of it. In a word, the colour would always look odd. He is a perfectionist, and to illustrate he showed me an iron Kashira and the gold wing of a tiny sparrow that he has just restored. If you look very carefully, and with advance knowledge that it has been repaired, you can see a faint line in the wing feathers, but I would never have noticed it otherwise. Maybe a good idea to experiment with a hopeless Tsuba to start off!

Hi Carlo, thanks for the thought! I wonder if those musket related bits are not new?

Agreed with Henk-Jan above. What an interesting discovery. Thanks for passing this on.

Henk-Jan, I have banged it a few times, and it makes that sort of sound, but the wife grimaced. Stephen, it's a bit late now, hahaha :lol: The paint is a non-gloss water-based paint and looks fine, so apart from the general light clean-up I have left the work almost reversible if necessary. Ian, many thanks for the pics. Your taiko is magnificent. The wash-tub lid (?) is fascinating. Are you sure that's what it was? Not a lacquer tray? As to the bill-fold/hold, it's Kinkarakawa, isn't it. Quite valuable even today. The double Mon could be what you say, or it could be the two Ura and Omote Mon of a family made up like that as a special order. As you can see in the below photos, there are two Netsuke with Mitsu-domoe Mon, the bone one in the shape of a drum like yours, and the other in ivory with a silver centre/center. The two pouches are kinkarakawa, with the one on the left having a brass tang for slipping behind the belt and possibly being part of a soldier's equipment. The one on the right is a fold like yours with no holes or anything. In the back outside section was a wad of folded Washi paper (see photo) as though for writing or drawing or poetry.

Thank you, Koichi san. The Taiko with Mitsu-domoe Mon. The skins are flabby, and one side has a small hole in it. There is something rattling around inside (like Ian's!). It would really need to be completely recovered in new skins, but it still looks pretty good to me as as a decoration, so I plan to keep it this way. (The wife is not convinced. She doesn't want it in the house.) The wood rim is fine, and the iron byo and three iron rings are in good condition.

Yes, their mouths do seem to be open and shut (like the Shishi?) http://ise-miyachu.net/SHOP/266647/list.html

John, thanks for the feedback. I have put that in the pot! When you say Kamiya, are you referring to some kind of Kamidana?

Many thanks Ian. Did you buy those in the UK? It's pouring with rain here so the proposed touch-up with black 'Cashew' is not looking too feasible. Will take some pics anyway.

(sshhh... :lol: It's on Fuji Terebi (Fuji TV) but their local station to you will be set on a different channel number I expect. 1:35 am for quali, and 11:50 pm Sun the race. NRN)

Ian, I would love to see a picture of what you are describing. Not 1 GBP today, surely... I saw a Hibachi in iron not too long ago with the Tokugawa Mon that was described as having been 'fashioned out of the iron plates from the main gates of (now non-existant) Edo Castle'. Sencho, yes, please ask her. Representations of Raiden the god of thunder show his taiko drums with these Mon on them, as I now recall. I also have an ivory Netsuke taiko with Mitsu-domoe on either end. Hmmm... maybe not so exclusive after all!!! :lol: PS Good luck in Bahrain

This week's item is a large drum with a Mitsu-domoe Mon on the two diaphragms. This Saturday I am planning to sit down and do a bit of restoration work on it. At first I was thinking it might be either the Mon of Mizu-no-Ya of Takahashi, or of Shimizu Muneharu who was forced to do Seppuku in a boat on the Mizu-zeme lake in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. But it was on sale in Ako, so the tempting thought is that it belonged to the Lords of Ako Castle before the 47 Samurai's revenge attack in Edo... :|

An enthusiast, yes, but a collector, no. To rephrase, I have a small collection of almost anything Japanese, just not specifically Nihonto. Two tanto and one Katana do not really a collection make, I suspect. Plus five J spears of varying lengths. And seven or eight J arrowheads. When my ship comes home, however, I may venture into deeper waters... Once a month I take part in a Nihonto study group here in Japan. One or two of the members are in their 20's, a couple in their 30's, one or two in their 40's and so on up. Evenly spread, I would say. Oh, and most of them probably do not own their own blade. PS Does that chart above suggest that people start selling off their collection in their 60's???

Is 'we' a shop, or a number of people?

Mark, The replicas here are not generally able to shoot anything and people avoid them if they can, unless they want a wall decoration. It is much simpler to find a real one if you want to fire one. They were so solidly made that they go on and on, with perhaps an occasional bit of repair. If you want to fire one abroad, you may be able to find replicas made in the States, for example, but again I would look at several genuine old ones and choose one that is in good condition. Gunpowder is strictly controlled in Japan, so you would have to join a club and get special permission from the police, or join one of the reinactment groups, none of which are easy things to do here. If you managed to buy gunpowder somehow and set it off in the hills, someone would surely report you, and it is a very serious offence if you are caught. No fun, agreed. Thus there is no market within Japan for good solid reliable replicas, and even if you made one you could not register it legally anyway. PS I like your hand cannon experience! (I have a Chinese three-barrelled pole arm, possibly from the 1500s)

At Ako Castle Fair last week I found these two little fellows, A and Um. Brass. The seller knew nothing about them, but suggested they might have been part of a set of candle holders. You will notice that they have squared hollows and Ichi-moji and a Ni Moji on their bellies, supporting the idea that they were probably created as a pair. Nothing missing or broken, despite tempting ears and fancy tails.

Some of our members carry a Hora-gai (Triton's Conch), which was blown in battle to signal charges and retreats. (Yama-bushi famously carry/ied them too.) Before a matchlock demonstration our 'Kai-tai' step usually forward for a special blast, but I have been resisting carrying one for two reasons. We carry so much clobber already that it would drive me insane to have to look after a large spiral shell on top without breaking it; more importantly, I have never until recently been able to get a good note out of one. On Sunday I secretly brought one along just to see if there would be an opportunity, having practiced a bit at home, and without telling anyone in advance I decided to give it a go. Our lot are Pics 11-18 below, from someone's 'Ryoma' blog. You can see me in pics 11 and 15 blowing the Triton, recognizable by the Tora-no-o Maedate. Not too sure as to the comment about why there is a foreigner blowing a Horagai... grrrrr.... :lol: http://ryoma00.at.webry.info/200904/article_21.html

Carlo, keep us posted on this!

Well, I enjoyed that, Rich. Thanks!

Embedded with the regular privateers (not Ashigaru)