Caracal

Silk-Goods Lane, Odenma-cho Utagawa Hiroshige Japanese, 1797–1858. Silk-Goods Lane, Odenma-cho, No. 74 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 7th month of 1858. The procession is moving along one of the streets in Odenmacho, a wealthy central quarter of the capital, adjoining the Nihonbashi. This quarter, which appeared as the focus of the transport system linking Edo with the rest of the country, became with time one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. Silk fabrics were the main goods sold here and shops selling them could make up whole streets. The print shows the quarter's Third Street, where the largest firms had their trading premises. The most prominent such business was Daimura and the decoration of the awnings and the advertising sign in front of the entrance here feature its trade mark - a circle (maru) containing the character meaning 'big' (dai). The sign proclaims 'All sorts of fabric' and, higher up, either side of the trade mark 'Payment in cash. Prices are not negotiable.' This way of trading was introduced by another cloth dealer in the late seventeenth century...

Thanks Uwe, Yes, it doesn't seem easy to find this Mon/Crest. After reading The case of the upside down mon”,Katchû n°4, Jan 2021, it all became a bit more difficult.

This mon (crest) is found on a fukigaeshi, and I wonder if anyone knows it and what clan it might belong to.

Bungo Yukihira Teikei (定慶)1200’s to 1220’s, early Kamakura period Property of Futarasan Shrine Yukihira

Thanks for sharing with us Gary. //Robert

Thank you very much. I appreciate your translation Thanks //Robert

Need help translating this text (Hakogai) on a Kiri Box //Robert

Thanks! Robert

Hello, I would like help with translation on this Kozuka. Very grateful for help //Bob

Interesting, comments about this kozuka Ko-Kinkou-style, Kurikara Ryu Zu The surface of this Kozuka is decorated with the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique. It is made by hitting the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, chisel used for this technique). Although the surface is worn down due to aging, you could see delicate fish egg-shaped protrusions. About the design, you see a dragon that coils its body around the blade. This motif is called the Kurikara-Ken (倶利伽羅剣), which is the sword that Fudo Myo-O (不動明王, acalanātha) holds with his right hand. Fudo Myo-O is one of the objects of worship in Buddhism. According to a theory, it is the incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, Mahāvairocana, the principal image of esoteric Buddhism). The Kurikara-Ken was named after its appearance that Kurikara Ryu-O (倶利伽羅龍王, dragon) is winding around the sword. It is believed that the Kurikara-Ken could cut off worldly desires: Sandoku (三毒). Sandoku is the three fundamental human desires; Ton (貪, greed), Jin (瞋, anger, grudge), Chi (癡, delusion, complaint). The handle part of this blade looks like the Sankosho (三鈷杵, a type of item of esoteric Buddhism). This Kozuka is recognized by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, which is known as NBTHK.

Hello, Thanks for your comments, its no Mei and judged as you say. Thanks //Robert

Hello members I would like a statement/assessment of this kozuka with nanako and dragon that I found at a dealer. Is it common, mediocre or? It is a dragon that eats a Varja. The ritsual thunderbolt, vajra in Sanskrit and kongo in Japanese, is a symbol of wisdom. The name vajra means both thunderbolt and diamond, as it is a symbol of brute strength and indestructibility. //Bob

Momonari Kabuto, it seems freshly painted (restored?) I wonder what shape it might be as someone paid almost 4000 euros for it. Interesting if anyone has knowledge of this type of helmet. I've never seen one like that before, but you never know.

Here is the description: Kabuto helmet with yoroi mask, Edo (1603-1868). Kabuto with a moon-shaped datemono. Menpo men yoroi with mustache. Black lacquered. Shikoro with four slats laced with sugake-odoshi. Yoroi mask with red lacquered inside.

This his one is sold at auction what is it? Can someone describe it?

Dōjigiri (童子切, "Slayer of Shuten-dōji") Tokyo National Museum

I picked up this tsuba for my collection some time ago. Interesting Kyo- Sukashi Tsuba in very good condition. The Kyo-Sukashi-Tsuba is an open worked tsuba that was produced centered around Yamashiro Province (now Kyoto Prefecture). Feel free to discuss and comment on it. TSUBA - KYOSUKASHI 京透鐔 NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon The Kyo-Sukashi-Tsuba is an open worked tsuba that was produced centered around Yamashiro Province (now Kyoto Prefecture). *Hakogaki written by Dr. Kanzan. KANZAN (KAN'ICHI) SATO was born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1907 and until his death in 1978 was regarded as one of Japan's foremost experts on the Japanese sword. He graduated from Kokugakuin University and worked in the National Treasures Section of the Ministry of Education and the Tokyo National Museum. He was the Executive Director of the NBTHK Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords and the Deputy Director of the Sword Museum. His publications include works on Kotetsu and Higo metalworking and The Japanese Sword Book. Sayagaki: Often a sword's shirasaya can have an attribution written on it. Usually these days we see work by Mr. Tanobe Michihiro (Tanzan) of NBTHK, and his opinion is very highly regarded by collectors as one of the current top experts on Japanese swords.

Hi Piers, Interesting!

Thanks Piers for the translation. These are not my pictures and this is the description from the auction house. (Japanese fuse-lock gun, 18-19th century, signed barrel with decorations in brass, lock with mark, lock and mounts in brass, 120 cm, barrel 84.5 cm; trigger and parts missing.) The bid today is $275 //Robert

Thanks Geraint for the translation, They are not my pictures but they seem to be swordsmiths from Bungo "豊後" bungo Takada school and Shimada School in Suruga Domain (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture), and yes it is a wakizashi. //Robert

Hello I would like help with translation on this Katana. A. B.

Hello I would like help with translation on this Teppo. It is up for auction.

I got this answer from Jesper, a colleague at NBTHK-EB. Several schools use openwork, geometric and symmetrical designs. Normally one thinks of Kyo-Sukashi and Owari, but Shoami, Kaneyama and others use it as well. Kyo-Sukashi tsuba normally have a thin and fine design that is very symmetrical. The school was very widespread and influenced other schools. A characteristic is that Seppa-dai and Ryo-hitsu ana tend to be quite slender. Owari tsuba is e.g. also symmetrical, but seem "heavier" in design. Higo tsuba, eg. The Nishigaki school also sometimes used geometric patterns. The same goes for Shoami, Kaneyama and others, also Yagyo and Yamakichibei. We can therefore not only go by the design, but also have to look at the surface, e.g. Tekkotsu and Tochime, steel quality, etc. Eckhard Kremers mentions in his book Sukashi Tsuba that several tsuba attributed to Owari and (Ko-)Shoami may be Kyo-Sukashi. In other words, it is not simply…

Thanks Ray for your help. I really appreciate it. //Robert

Need help Help to translate a signature on a Naginata //Robert