Bugyotsuji

Of course other marine ivories were often carved to look like narwhal as it was considered a valuable material. Here is a walrus ivory Netsuké. And the ‘crushed ice’ secret is in the design!

Nice find! (Abalone) shells feature throughout Japanese art, such as in Netsuké. There’s the food angle again, of course, but also the strange shape. In English they are sometimes called ‘ear shells’; you do find them used as ear-like tatemono on kabuto helmets. One of my own favorites is a little iron awabi Tantō tsuba with sea-themed decorations, which I need to photograph one day.

Something we have often discussed in the Netsuke world. The large central secondary dentine section of walrus has this 'crushed ice' look, often recognizable, but disguised in some way by artisans working with walrus Netsuke. Examples available!

Here is a narwhal Netsuké for comparison:

It’s walrus ivory btw. From the International Netsuké Society site

Kozori Hidemitsu - 検索 (bing.com) Some reference work

Remember never to clean the tang. Good black rust gives an indication as to age, and can add value.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=90f0e14791cac1c8&sca_upv=1&hl=en-gb&q=梶原帝刀軒&source=lnms&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWd8nbOJfsBGGB5IQQO6L3J5m2RNdZ7TqBBDB_EAGU4N1t7e22dNzi6Ptvst2Hpv731pBiUvxgDvUESDs0vKAlth6ur43VDuwQ1MImp4aZ3Y2lPg3d2HHfVr3_Srl6mbihAxhk0-zRVOZLL2JBEzp8wKcaTBbFec6XsALxtj8EyBkTLXCFtU_6cl4NUx4_1TL9kuPYHw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9qr-_u-uHAxW4Z0EAHdHoKFAQ0pQJegQIChAB&biw=390&bih=663&dpr=3#ip=1 Look up this guy. 梶原福松　帝刀軒 Kajihara (Kajiwara?) Fukumatsu, Teitōken I found some links but he is on FaceBook so I couldn’t open them. Also wrote some sword books: https://www.google.com/search?q=梶原福松&client=safari&sca_esv=90f0e14791cac1c8&sca_upv=1&hl=en-gb&biw=390&bih=663&ei=j-i3ZoWIBuCrhbIPvdTl4Ao&oq=梶原福松&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIgzmorbljp_npo_mnb4yCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEjAiQlQkssHWIGFCXAWeAGQAQKYAVigAYYPqgECMzC4AQPIAQD4AQGYAiSgAr4JwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICBRAAGIAEwgIKEC4YgAQYQxiKBcICBRAuGIAEwgIKEAAYgAQYQxiKBcICBhAAGAQYHsICCBAAGAQYBRgewgIHEAAYgAQYBMICBxAAGIAEGBfCAggQABgEGBcYHsICBBAeGAqYAwCIBgGQBgqSBwIzNqAHzDU&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#ip=1

Terrible. Hoping that is fake news.

Interesting reading material above. Thanks. Tumi, I found the captions at the newly opened Nagoya Token Museum needed editing, especially in the vast sword floor. Can't remember too much about the armor floor, except the standing figure displays were generally awful. The guns floor is much better edited and with more information. Actually apart from the shop and workshops, the Osafune Sword Museum does do several other things very well in my opinion. The cards give both English and Japanese, and for some exhibitions French too. If there is a mistake in the English, I usually point it out to the staff, who always seem grateful, but in recent years this has not been necessary at all. I really like how they point out the particular features that can be seen in each blade, and using a diagram on a card, where exactly to look for it on the blade. In the starting room there are white lines on the floor indicating where a person of a certain height should stand to be able to 'see' things in the blades displayed. The blades are carefully placed to reflect the light available. One suggestion might be a notice on the wall in several languages inviting guests to ask for guided interpretation if they want it. (I know there are willing volunteer guides available at Osafune. )

Don't forget those are hand-written approximations, not done performed with a cold chisel. (BTW, some of those captions Lewis are in the wrong order, it seems. "Early years in Etchu" should be second from left, for example.)

Found this in the back of a drawer recently. Good size, tiger mother and cub in silver. Filled with resin/rosin, into which a bolo/loop tie fixture has been set. (Not touched the back yet.)

In a real battle, however, it would be 100x better than nothing at all! It could save your life!!! ((Even after 400 years!)

Yes, but they do not seem to follow the remit for Udenuki-no-ana, too large, and in a strange orientation. I feel sure they had some other purpose.

Could be water damage, and possibly two sukashi 'coins' could have come loose or been knocked out...(?) The word 'ware' generally means crack or split. I am not sure how to describe the damage to yours except 腐食 'fushoku' corrosion from deep pits of 錆 'sabi'?

Well, I was reading his X account and it seems last week he went without me while I was away! Dang… An old faded sign indicates where the Un school (Unji etc.) lived and worked by the Ukaigawa around 1300, Namboku Chō. (Still looking forward to finding my own way there sometime though when the extreme summer weather eases off.)

備（以下きれる）says "Bi-, (cut off below)" 関谷吉廣 Sekiya Yoshihiro (?) on the right must be a previous owner's name.

Yes, it's a different Kanji, but that does not always mean it is a different person. Sometimes people changed their kanji during their lifetime, especially artists!

Good point. It makes you wonder what they are thinking. (To be fair your second set of papers does say Heianjo.) Also there is further variety on the paperwork such as: Mumei, Yoshiro Mumei, Yoshiro zōgan Mumei Koike Yoshiro

Liking the workmanship, but not so much the signature…

Kyle, see your pm seven hours ago.

Dale, re that strange hooked bend above. Today I was watching a programme about Ainu art, and noticed just such a feature in the design on the back of a long Ainu cloak.

I like it.

鶴焦… Kakushō?

Just to help you with the reading. I didn’t follow the rabbit hole any further!