Bugyotsuji

If it bothers you, do not buy it. Was it done to deceive??? If not, why? A rabbit warren. Many people will offer their opinions on the reasons for Shinto or Shin-Shinto shortening, but such a blade will never satisfy you more and more. Probably less and less, until you are bored or disgusted, unless the work is so stunning that the critics are all blown away like flies.

And from the British Museum’s Netsuké (although the one on the left may be a Chinese medicine doctor’s help).

Yes, I like it! "Paradox embodied".............. two birds with one stone, the best of both worlds, perfect balance, any more (?)

There were two or three smiths using these Kanji characters. Both readings are possible, although sometimes people will refer to one specific smith with the alternative reading to distinguish him from the others.

Colin, thank you.

The video is in this thread. Search function works.

What the man said!

Fujiwara Kinju, as Ray says; the same 金重 Kanji are also sometimes read with their alternate reading as Kaneshige.

There was a very good video on Japanese axes posted somewhere on this site just recently, well, a few months back.

John, the quick answer is yes, you are correct. The reality is however that there were degrees of subtlety in genuine old Netsuké. Use of a shell for example would say more than overtly open legs. And ladies might not have followed our modern ideas of beauty. See this stag antler Ama San.

It is a crucifix, but the question remains as to when it was inserted there, centuries ago or more recently.

Bladed cross 剣十の字 'Ken Jū-no-Ji' Mon motif. Not recorded, but from circumstantial evidence, probably the Hachisuka Mon while they were openly Christian.

Perhaps not 'explicit' as it would have been somewhat covered by both seppa.

線刻銘「法實」 Search Results (nii.ac.jp) Compare with Hojitsu Netsuke.

劍白　靖俊　Yasutoshi Saku (variant Kanji?) See https://www.samurais....jp/sword/15137.html

In for a penny, in for a pound. The remains of one…

Managed to retrieve this and enhance it.

The other two photos not showing up…

Himo means ‘string’ or ‘cord’, tōshi means ‘passing’, so the string passages. Their type, size, shape and placement can tell you several things. You don’t need a microscope, just a closer shot of the underneath!

Ah, many thanks. It looks like an old barrel has been updated for the percussion fitment. The Mon looks to have lost too much of the original inlay to be deciphered. The silver disc says 寶 Hō (Takara), meaning treasure.

That all sounds healthy, William. This kind of rather crude craft carving is sometimes described as 民芸 Mingei (pronounced min-gay), but many were genuine honest hard-working Netsuke in their own right. Yours is heavily stained, so it is difficult to decide exactly what type of material it is from those distant shots. PS You could crop out 75% of the featureless foreground and background.

Gama Sen-nin was a Chinese sage usually shown with a frog/toad. These frogs often have only three legs.

Sadly Brian, I cannot remember exactly how it worked. During a sword exhibition in April in Kurashiki last year or the year before, a friend said “Do you want to see something unusual?” He laid it on the verandah of a temple building, and I recall taking photos. Did it click-lock at a right angle like a kagiyari? Is this the same one or are there more? Never seen anything like it before or since. It did not look like a practical weapon.

Hmmm… I seem to recall seeing that a year or two back, but it did not have a Koshiraé at the time. Took photos, but maybe with the camera, as I can't find them in the phone. Grrr... The 'real' blade is hidden within the spear-looking blade, hinged to swing out on a pin which you can see near the tip.

Now that the technical aspect has been addressed somewhat, I’d like to add that Mitsukado is more generally used for three-joining road junctions, meaning ‘three corners’, a three-way crossroads. Similarly Mitsugashira is three heads, or the place where the heads of three road heads (for example) meet. Not too long ago someone was saying that a sword had had a new kissaki fashioned at one time. When I inquired, he pointed at the mitsukashira, how it looked sort of ok on one side, but didn’t quite match up on the other.