Aloof Pegasus

Anyone else got any ideas?

Personally I love them. Just as a matter of interest why do you think Japanese people (and other Asians) are so good at such small intricate work? Philip

Only that the koudai is done separately on the succeding day once the pot has had a chance to dry. Til then the underside of the chawan looks like the base of a chaire with the marks from the string used to remove it from the table mat. The second day is also when the shaping of the base is done. Philip

Hi John Just for the record I was down in Izu this holiday weekend at an onsen in Amagisou. They have an arrangement with a nearby kiln for guests to try their hand. The kiln owner glazes and fires it and sends it on to your address. He studied in Bizen so you would like his pieces. I have to say after this experience my respect for all all potters no matter how humble increased a hundred-fold. My 'chawan' looked like something you might find in a dog park. The owners wife very kindly promised to arrange an 'accident' in the kiln and to send me something different. Philip

Hi John I'm wondering if the honest wear from the whisk that you might see in an old Raku bowl is another example of what you are thinking about, I'm talking about the speckled effect where the glaze has worn away through years of usage aided by the agi- the 'flavour" of the tea residue. Surely the point here is that the wear is from actual use. I don't know of any potters who contrived the look, or are you thinking of the bubble effect around the inside of the koudai inside the bowl? That is deliberate as you know and a sign of a good bowl. For myself I don't really like Bizen-ware principally because of it's monotony and because even with very expensive pieces for some reason, especially with the pinks and red glazes the effect is strangely monochromatic- even plastic looking sometimes. In terms of chawan the imperfection is deliberate in the shape not the finish wouldn't you agree? The glaze is the accidental thing . Philip

Hi Hal A quick check of on-line info suggests your best bet would be to try and identify the purple stamps because they are probably the same as the shoulder patches for whichever raiding group this tanto was carried by. Can you make out what kind of image the stamps contain? The kanji are tough! No one who s seen em can translate em. Its not Teishin Shudan nor Giretsu Kutestai or Daisan Dokoritsu Hikotai which I had hopes of since they raided the B29 bases in the Mariannas and Saipan and one other island which fits with the island part of your provenance. Maybe its a Marine Commando unit. Philip

Thanks John, hadn t realized it was for glass and silk also! Philip

Group not force Philip

Cud someone kindly post the kanji for "nanako"? Many thanks in advance Philip

Hi Piers A lot depends on whether or not the bokken will come into contact with another bokken during training. If yes then the bokken will usually be stouter and straighter. For example Kashima shin uses a straight bokken or a straight fukuru-shinai. The Kashima bokken is heftier than other bokken and a thick round wooden tsuba protects the hands. There are a few techniques using the tsuba. Additionally in some dojos you may see an old tire sunk in a cement block. This is struck with the bokken in order to practise lowering the hips on impact and avoid having the bokken bounce off the tyre. Generally aiki-bokken, the one used used for aikido (and it's most often Katori shinto ryu) will have some sori and be quite a bit lighter because there is rarely much contact and if there is it's usually glancing. Generally there's no tsuba although individual practitioners may decide to put one on. Jigenryu practise repeated strikes against a variety of training aids like bound branches etc. Typically during an all day session a practitioner may perform 10,000 strikes. There's a lunch break though so it's not all hard work. You will also see bokken which are 3-4 times heavier than a normal bokken called subarito and which are designed to find the shortest route up and down. They also destroy shoulder muscles, and an old dojo maxim says "shoulders are the enemy." Philip

Hello David You made it home safe and sound then? I don't s'pose you remember if it was wildly off or a close call? Philip ps The Sadatsugu mei I meant not the return leg

Piers... there's no need to explain to US! But I would smooth out some of the rougher bits before running it passed She Who Must etc. Philip

:lol:

Uh huh

Piers Since when does the local sword and gun shop serve tea with milk? Have they got McVitie's digestives as well. Tell the truth! Where did you take the picture. Philip

Several schools Kashima, Kashima shin ryu grip with the little finger of the left hand circling the base of the sword/bokken like the koudai of a chawan. It prevents the sword from slipping through the hand. Philip

George, that was a really interesting post. One other idea: My J gf's grandfather, born in Meiji, recieved a sword as a present from somebody. He was sent to Manchuko but he didn't take the sword with him, he left it at home. Instead he took a purpose-bought gendaito to China. Subsequently his older swords were hidden by his family when the army began collecting household metal etc for the war effort. They (and he) survived the war. I suppose it's possible that in that situation if the sword he didn't take had had a mei then he might have had the same mei put on the sword that did go to war? She doesn't have that kind of info, but will see if I can dig something else up for the discussion from other family members who might remember. Regards Philip

Hi Joe, I was just trying to think about it from the point of view of some J soldier off to war with his first or grandfather's or whatever sword. Perhaps a relative paid to have a name put on the sword to give it more kudos- not meant to fool anyone by doing so. In that period it may have been a patriotic gesture to put a smith's name on a sword that was going to war. I'm just speculating here and asking for more informed input. It may even have been tongue in cheek. By any chance do you any know of any written accounts about the prewar era when someone recalled such an event happening. Much as the origin for the spurious mon-gunto detail must have come from some such recollection. Thanks your help Regards Philip

A little while back there was a post which raised the point that some J officers were not above putting a mon on their gunto rig to make everybody think they came from a Samurai family. In that case I s'pose there also must have been a slew of gimei gendaito/showato swords around that time for the same reason, patriotic/good luck gesture. Is that right? Philip

Have you seen Usagaya sword 8? They say something to the effect that it's not suitable for hadori which hadn't occurred to me b4- 'course now having been told seems obvious enough. Philip

Mike Tag is owner s name and address Hagiwara Kiyosaburo (or Seizaburo) Isezaki-shi city Saiwai-cho 51 Cheers Philip

Should have thought that was obvious. Our minds re occupied with thye lofty concents of hada, hamon etc In conflict with the evil world of gimei (Jacques' speciality) sword prices and ebay conmen. NE?

Hi Ted and Alan Thank you very much for the suggestions. Rgds Philip

Does anyone have a good man to do saya repair in Tokyo? Cheers Philip

Quick update. All went well, took about an hour. I had another wak with papers and the Seki seems to have got in on the strength of the association plus Ed's paper. (Piers, they called the dealer). For def I'll not try and take anything thru Kansai again! Philip