Baka Gaijin

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

Good afternoon all., The insignia on the saya looks like IJN cap badges have been applied: http://www.icollector.com/WW2-IMPERIAL-Japanese-NAVAL-CAP-BADGE-INSIGNIA_i20293212

Google translate to the rescue: Tsuba 鍔 = Flange Kashira 頭 = Head Habaki 鎺 - A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GC83w0z0ec

Thank You Mauro, an excellent resource.

Brilliant John, So like Fecit and Pinxit in Western Art. Thank You

Good afternoon everyone., Although it is not sword based, I wonder if someone can help me figure out the format for an artist signature on an Ivory Okimono. 宗 山 刀 I'm a bit stumped regarding the reading of 宗山 I thought perhaps Sōzan or Muneyama ? Also, I was thinking that 刀 means carved in this context?

Morning Matt., Here's a good site, not Nihonto but excellent for explaining Modern era dates: http://shinhanga.net/dates.htm Here from the site is a quick way of working out dates for Taisho And Showa: A helpful shortcut to converting Taisho years to Western years is to add the Taisho year number to 1911. For Showa, add the year number to 1925.

I agree with Ray, if you zoom in, there is a granularity visible.

Good evening Ray, That's a really interesting and perplexing item, but is it a pre modern Kamon, or Kamon at all, I wonder? It looks like two large Ken on the horizontal and two smaller Ken on the vertical cardinal directions, with stylised leaves in the ordinal directions. What age do you think it may be?

Hi Paul It looks like one of the kneejerk Amber Rudd statements re possession of Acid by under 18's and banning blades on local authority property and banning delivery of knives to home addresses, mooted back in April.

Thank you Javier., They also produced one on Yoshindo Yoshihara:

Hi Piers., I didn't know what Bikō meant...... Now I do!! Bikō 備考 Notes Cheers

Hi Alex., There was a manufacturer called Maruhei in Osaka who produced high end miniature Katchu and Sonohoka for the Tango No Sekko. They were based in Osaka, but the factory was destroyed in the late WW2 period. I briefly had an armour and accessories from that maker, early Taisho, and it was superb, just like the real thing. This link may help as a start in the history of such matters: http://www.kyoto-shimazu.com/en/History_of_Yusoku_Gogatsu_Ningyo_Dolls.html Also check out Maruhei Okiheizo IV, who was a genius at facial expressions in Gogatsu Ningyo dolls.

Thank you Bruce., Excellent and good on you for acknowledging sources!! These days too many "Harvest" without acknowledgement. BTW always smile when I see Warrior......or should I say Pac Man Hey Stephen are you a fan, like me, of Treasure of the Sierra Madre?:

Sound thinking on the Tsuka and Gunto Koshirae Kevin. However, please choose your Tsukamaki shi very very carefully, and make doubly sure that they understand that the Tsuka is to be used for training. I would suggest a full Samegawa wrap and that the Itomaki is both paper packed and glued in the traditional manner at each twist. It ain't cheap, but well worth going the extra mile, as I've seen a few near misses and one unpleasant Atari with both Gunto and "Collector Display level wraps" being used for training in the UK. Good luck with the project!! PS the term for a holding blade in wood is Tsunagi

Hi Kevin., "One of the second dans at my dojo has studied Iaido and I would like to use the katana in that setting ,so more valuable to me for this reason than sitting it on a shelf." Just a heads up, it is not a good idea to use an old mounting for any form of training, due to the possible deterioration of the Tsuka. PS the Tsuka was quite a high status job back in the day.

吉源美術刀剣保存協会 Yoshigen bijutsu tōken hozon kyōkai ?

Many of the items in the sale are from the collections of senior (in age group) members of the To-Ken Society of Great Britain. Also just keep clicking on the image in the online catalogue and they get a bit bigger. Alternatively use this portal and keep clicking, gets it way bigger: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/thomas-del-mar-ltd/catalogue-id-srthomasd10012/lot-50fb0c2d-2f88-4054-8f89-a8f901103e27 PS... Hi Ed, low estimates as a pure marketing ploy? I have never heard of such a thing...................................................

BTW you can visit Hakoyoshi main store at 1-27-12 Higashi Ueno, Taito-ku in Tokyo. They use Sanada Himo for their cords. Here is the Sanada Himo website: http://www.sanadahimo.com/en/

Sorry chaps, sold yesterday afternoon. However, I will keep you both posted by PM when more come to light. Now about that box full of Teppo at the back of the stock room...............

A selection of coins:

I may have some similar items in the stock room, I'll check tmw.

Don't beat yourself up Oyabun, you did Good!!

Spot on Piers!! Puts Odaiba into a whole different perspective. I suspect you may have touched upon something most Bakumatsu Edokko and present day Tokyoites weren't and aren't aware of....

Without letting the feline out of the portmanteau, they came in two sizes and there were 80 parts involved in both cases. You can bank on me to be discrete.