Baka Gaijin

Thank you John, so was this a Bakumatsu thing for export?

Good morning everyone., What was the purpose for applying red Urushi to the hi on swords and Yari? From what period does this come?

The koshirae reminds me of Mamorigatana , the lack of kurikata in the normal position makes me wonder if it was for a bride?

Hi Greg., Do you mean original items or links to the Beato Collection? If the latter, then try this: http://oldphoto.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/OldPhotoCollectionDB_en.pdf http://www.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/siryo-search/ecolle/ If the former, Antiquarian Book sellers in the UK often deal in folios which contain photographs, I would imagine it would be the same in Canada. http://www.aba.org.uk/ These may be of use in your quest: http://www.japansociety.org.uk/2290/old-Japanese-photographs-collectors-data-guide/ and http://www.oldasiaphotography.com/photos/images

Despite the pressed metal, the tsuka ito looks as though it has been tied well. Someone took time to care for this.

Hi Steven., Back in the day before the interweb, works on paper, even by old masters, were not regarded very highly.

Hi Stephen, Looks like a hot stamp like you see on Tembo Tsuba only in this case done with smoe kind of a power hammer, notice how flat and even the interior base of the kanji is.

I agree cut bamboo, and, here's a wild guess.... I wonder if it is an allusion to the virtue of 文武両道 Bunbu Ryodō (Harmony of Pen and Sword)? As kanji was originally written upon strips of wood and bamboo before the introduction of paper.

Oedipus & the Sphinx - begun 1808, enlarged to what we see in 1827. I had (briefly) a fragmentary pentimento drawing by Ingres.

Many years ago, when God wore short trousers, there was a very long example on display in the Horatio Nelson Museum in Monmouth.

Good call Steve., There's also the illustrated series of Folk Tales and Fairy Tales published in English by Kobunsha, Tokyo in the 1880's: Basil Hall Chamberlain together with the American Missionary Rev David Thompson and other Ex Pats in Tokyo penned the classics of Taketori Monogatari, Tongue Cut Sparrow, Momotaro and Shutendoji etc: Later on some of Lafcadio Hearn's original works were published by Kobunsha. Courtesy of the National Diet Library: http://dl.ndl.go.jp/search/searchResult?searchWord=%E5%BC%98%E6%96%87%E7%A4%BE&featureCode=all&filters=4%3A8&viewRestrictedList=0 (I've also posted them individually over on the Japanese Armour Forum).

Hi Guys., Looks like this one is dated to Meiji 22 (1889) Hyakki Yakō, 百鬼夜行 "Parade of a hundred demons" was and is a popular subject for entertainment, reinventing itself in new forms: "Gotta Catch 'Em All!!" sound familiar? Here's two eMakimono scrolls from Edo based artists c.1700 both called 百鬼夜行絵巻 ヒャッキヤギョウエマキ Hyakki yagyou emaki http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2540972 http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2541003 http://dl.ndl.go.jp/view/jpegOutput?itemId=info%3Andljp%2Fpid%2F2540972&contentNo=13&outputScale=4 http://dl.ndl.go.jp/view/jpegOutput?itemId=info%3Andljp%2Fpid%2F2541003&contentNo=12&outputScale=4 Addenda, courtesy of NDL, dated as 江戸中期 Edo chūki (Middle Edo period)

Hi Ray., I'm going to make a wild guess which is an archaic Chinese version of the character 龍 for dragon? Can you please show a side view wide and side view close up of the complete tsuka?

Hi Guys, If it helps, the Life Magazine photo archive is now stored on Google, courtesy of Getty Images, it is vast: I've put the basic filter in for late 1945 & 1946 and here is what came up....if you have a few hours to spare, maybe try different keywords in the search engine? Warning, there may be graphic content, also there are cross referenced images, which may not make immediate sense: 1945 https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=p4ddW9jcO8fcgAbT57vYCA&q=Japan+surrender+1946source%3Alife&oq=Japan+surrender+1946source%3Alife&gs_l=img.3...262588.265232.0.265827.10.10.0.0.0.0.69.538.10.10.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.fkua8zqvVaQ https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=sohdW-TcJMfWgAatvYCgBw&q=Japan+sword+surrender+1946source%3Alife&oq=Japan+sword+surrender+1946source%3Alife&gs_l=img.3...291249.292813.0.293329.6.6.0.0.0.0.70.318.6.6.0....0...1c.1.64.img..0.0.0....0.4OkO6vYtAMk Here on pinterest, courtesy of Mariko Nagai, is a collection of images of that period, by many of the pivotal Magnum photojournalists of the mid 20th Century including Werner Bischoff and Marc Riboud: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/marikonagai/occupied-city-tokyo-1945-1952/?lp=true Still haven't tracked down "The Photo" but we are going in the right direction. Addenda: The name Carl Mydans (1907 - 2004) who was a photojournalist for Time Inc amongst others keeps cropping up. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/346566133808914649/?lp=true https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?498113-Sword-Capture-Pile-Japan-1945 Trying the military archives and random blogs: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205208251 http://www.182ndinfantry.org/Japan-victorious-occupation-1945/ https://twoandahalfwars.tumblr.com/post/138908575151/fujisan-ni-noboru-hinode-a-us-marine-chooses-a

Hi Stephen, All this talk about knots got me thinking (and that's a real bad thing......... ) Anyway, I got to wondering how far back does the tying of Sageo in formal knots go? And why? I'm off to the archives now and hopefully shall return with something interesting.... Pip Pip

Hi Grey and Peter., The Kashima Sisters have something like it, bottom of the page, just turn 180 degrees to make work for Tachi: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/sageotying.html

Hi Jan The positions of the characters is all about status in Sanja Takusen 三社託宣. 天 照 皇 大 神 宮 Tenshō Kōtaijingū always appears dead center because it represents the incarnation of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, the most important deity of the Shinto Religion and ruler of Takama no Hara (the High Celestial Plain), the domain of the Kami or spirits. She's way way above War Gods in the pantheon. Don't forget this came from a Syncretic pre modern era where the lines between Shinto and Buddhism were not defined and universal belief in the Spirit realms was palpable. This will explain it all: http://eos.kokugakui...hp?entryID=1317 Also the more you look, the more you will see these three, everywhere, it was only the reforms in the Meiji era that dimmed their importance in the Japanese mindset. https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&biw=1600&bih=767&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=bbNWW7adDc3FwAKR_qXABQ&q=%E4%B8%89%E7%A4%BE%E8%A8%97%E5%AE%A3&oq=%E4%B8%89%E7%A4%BE%E8%A8%97%E5%AE%A3&gs_l=img.3...37137.39216.0.40569.14.7.0.0.0.0.183.348.3j1.4.0....0...1c.1.64.img..12.0.0....0.LpL9zpb202M PS imagine Tenshō Kōtaijingū as a 1000 Monme gun and you have her talismanic importance to the wearer of any armour.

Hi Maurice, Just to expand upon Ian's comments, from the left as you look at the Kabuto: 春 日 大 明 神 Kasuga Dai Myojin 天 照 皇 大 神 宮 Tenshō Kōtaijingū 八 幡 大 菩 薩 Hachiman Daibosatsu These three often appear together, and it is no coincidence that Tenshō Kōtaijingū is given pride of place in the center. If you take a look at the Takeda Hata (war banner ) with the crossed feather Kamon in the link below, you will see the same order: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My%C5%8Djin#/media/File:Hatajirushi3.png Now the question arises why are these three connected...............? Clue: Sanja Takusen............. Spoiler: http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=1317

Top Man!! Check out Jan's Book: http://www.lulu.com/shop/jan-pettersson/the-yonezawa-matchlock-mighty-gun-of-the-uesugi-samurai/hardcover/product-23384395.html (PS no financial incentive was offered in the promotion of this excellent book).

Hi Roy., Please do not be concerned, the crew here that you have met thus far are decent, handsome and witty (They have all told me that they are, so it must be true). You only truly learn by having the courage to fail. So 頑張ってください Ganbatte Kudasai!! KEEP AT IT!!!! PS most here have skins thicker than choice Alligator.

Stephen, esteemed Oyabun, Not only are you a fan of Treasure of Sierra Madre but now Foghorn Leghorn impersonations?? "Dust gust ing its a joke son i say a joke...jerk "

Good morning Justin, Maru ni Mokkou refers to the outer parts, the usual form of description in the kamon books is to add another ni and then the description of the central lozenge. It may be in one of the Daimyo Bukan, so if we can find the modified Hotta/Takeda Bishi, we should have the correct name for yours. Here's a link to the six volume Daimyo Bukan from 1774 at the National Diet Library. http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2605727?tocOpened=1 I'll have a trawl through today, pesky clients allowing, and see what comes up. Hi Again John Try Book 2 pages 64,65 & 66 Not exact match, but getting there

Could be John, what would you call the central lozenge? Takeda Bishi?

Thank you Roy, The details on the Kamon are not that precise, but there looks to be some indent detail within the four points of the central lozenge. It looks a little like Hanabishi which means flowers or petals in a diamond configuration. So my call is Maru ni Mokko ni Hanabishi. Anyone else?

Good morning Roy., Could you please post a closeup photograph the Kamon (Silver Circle) at the base of the barrel. It looks like a varient of Maru ni Moko (Maru ni - Contained within a circle Moko - Stylised crest element based upon a Japonica Flower motif). It is the lozenge shape in the dead center that will qualify its full name. Sometimes the Kamon is a direct link to the Clan origin, but more often added to increase its value when sold post 1868. The most common Kamon encountered would be a variant upon the three leaf patterns contained within a circle used by the Tokugawa families. The Kamon (Crest) is also known by the terms Mon, Monshou and Mondokoro