rematron

I just found this fun article that outlines the evolution of the tanuki in mythology and art from its early mentions all the way to the little statues you see around Japan outside of shops and izakayas and the like. It’s a good read. https://hyakumonogat...gory/tanuki-stories/

@Soshin, your tsuba sounds intriguing. Could we see a photo of it for reference?

2 Duplicate threads. @Brian

My first thought:

What is the significance, if any, of the signature and stamp of Fujii Kiyoshi on the inside of the box lid? Random person's private collection?

@Larason2 Carlos, hahaha! I don’t know! I mean, I’ve read the same mythical abilities attributed to the raccoon dog. I do like the link you posted though. Hadn’t read that yet and it was a fun read. The tsuba is papered as “tanuki” but we all know that doesn’t necessarily end the debate, especially since people call badgers AND raccoon dogs “tanuki”. Which tanuki did they mean at the NBTHK? Perhaps we’ll never know…

This is awesome! Thank you so much, @SteveM! No qualms here. @Brian

More images of ominaeshi in art:

Here are some photos with more detail of the leaves and stalks as they look later in fall.

@thutson nabbed it. (It's a few comments back)

Here's a very comprehensive article with links inside: Hayefield

Hi, Colin. You and I both love to research these things. I've said it before but tosogu is one of my favorite aspects of nihonto just because of how much I learn about Japanese culture by studying pieces. I appreciate all efforts and opinions. I'm somewhat sure at this point, after doing even more reading and researching today, that the inlayed flowering plant is indeed ominaeshi. To me, the achillea leaves look even further removed from the inlay design. The Mt. Fuji print above has similar looking leaves to the tusba on its depiction of ominaeshi/golden lace/easten valerian (lots of names for this one) and the history of ominaeshi in literature goes all the way back to the Tales of Genji. I also think it was a very conscious decision to use it in combination with the tanuki considering the tanuki is in the process of beating his stomach as a drum to lure travelers off the road and into the wilderness to get them lost. The tanuki is also fabled to be able transform itself into a seductive woman and thus lure people to it. Ominaeshi translates as "maidenflower" or "ladyflower". Check out this link: A Waka Anthology, Volume Two: Grasses of Remembrance - Edwin A. Cranston - Google Books Cheers, Jeremy

Thank you, Peter. The stem and flowers of the water chestnut didn’t really look right to me so I kept digging. After staring at Japanese flowers and herbs for the past couple of hours, I think it could very well be OMINAESHI. It would makes sense with the autumn moon and grass and coloring of the actual inlayed flowers. What do you think? https://howtojapan.net/2022/08/25/the-seven-autumn-flowers-or-herbs～lets-enjoy-seeing-flowers-in-the-fields-of-autumn～/ http://wildplantsshi...a_scabiosaefolia.htm https://en.m.wikiped...trinia_scabiosifolia https://collections.mfa.org/objects/217860

At long last I’ve managed to add the elusive tanuki to my ever growing collection. I really like the detail and coloring of this one. 7.28x6.94x.35cm My question: What is this flowering plant? Some sort of fennel or anise maybe?

New tsuba arrived today. There’s a lot of kanji. Tsuba, box, white origami. Please help!

for easy viewing:

Congrats, @thutson ! It's a catch. Also, why I never post stuff on here that I'm actually seriously interested in before the auction ends. Thanks, @BIG ! Nice job!

Sold for 70,000 yen. It went for a lot less than I thought it would. I wasn't the buyer. It's interesting to see how much things sell for. I continue to "watch" items even if I'm not going to bid on them just to see. On a different day I might have joined in on the little battle.

I came across this example and thought I’d post it. https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1096034423

Well, it’s a small detail that might not be significant but I believe that the figures are coming from inside his sleeve. To me, his right hand appears to be hidden in his sleeve and the material of the sleeve/bag has the same print/design as the rest of his garment. The bottom of the sleeve/bag has the same curvature and form as the bottom of the sleeve of the left hand. I could be wrong, of course. Regardless, I do enjoy the image.

I came across this charming tsuba on jauce and wonder if anyone here knows the context of the imagery. It looks like there’s a story there. https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1101033346

Photos for future viewing:

Photos in case the link ever stops working: