Edo Period Corner Part II

[Bugyotsuji]

Monster toasting fork… 

[Bugyotsuji]

Something that has been bothering me about the Tazuke gun, is the question of where it was made. The Tazuke were one of the gunnery schools patronized by the Tokugawa Shogun.

 

As an example of the Tazuke school style of gunnery it checks most of the boxes for me, and I was happy to find a Mei under the barrel. The Mei is 宮下一致 Miyashita Itchi, so I looked it up in two gunsmith lists.

 

There was no indication of place of manufacture. There are five Mei listed, but two of these, Miyashita Itchi and Miyashita Kahei Minamoto Itchi are said to be the same person. The other three Mei, Miyashita Onosaburo Minamoto Isshi, Miyashita Tanisaburo Minamoto Isshi, and Miyashita Minamoto Isshi are also indicated to be one person. Perhaps we may be looking at father and son.(?)

 

First I looked at the name Miyashita to find out how common it is and where the name is most prevalent in Japan. Nagano Prefecture comes top, followed by the big cities of Tokyo and Osaka. Concentrated in Kanto and Kansai.

「宮下」(みやした)さんの名字の由来、語源、分布。 - 日本姓氏語源辞典・人名力 (name-power.net)

.Although this gun is registered in Saga in Kyushu, the name Miyashita is quite rare there, perhaps forty or fewer souls.

[Bugyotsuji]

Then I checked the lists of gunnery schools to see if there might be a hint connected with the spreading Tazuke 'family' tree. The gun looks fairly early to me, so I concentrated on the first 100 years of Edo. (Naturally I am ready to be corrected if and when.) Would there be a reference to the family name 'Below the shrine' Miyashita?

 

Thoughts I posted earlier on another site:

One line I am following is that 'Miyashita' might refer to serving the Tokugawa in various Han close to Edo. (They served the Takazaki, Kawagoe, Takada and Sayama Han, inter alia.)  In the history of the Tazuke-Ryu it mentions early Tazuke school teachers serving the worshipful 東照宮 Tosho-Gu shrine from Keicho 18 (1613), (quote: 東照宮に使え奉る), the Gu/Miya 宮 referring to the shrine of Tokugawa Ieyasu at Nikko Toshogu, i.e. they were serving the Tokugawa Shogun. So, is it possible that the name Miyashita ("below the shrine") could be a statement by an early gunsmith of not necessarily geographical place, but the proud Tazuke/Tokugawa relationship, when not everyone yet had a family name?

 

It's a long shot, I agree, and it may indeed be a simple but historically illustrious family name, located in the general area of today's Nagano.

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, it's been a busy week here with various sword related events. Spent yesterday and today helping out with a display in the Achi Jinja shrine on top of Tsurugata Yama, a hill in the middle of Kurashiki. (One of the events they have been holding up there marking a combined Children's Day and Golden Week, also hosting some periphery meetings for the upcoming G7 in Hiroshima.) We were showing swords and koshirae owned by the Kurashiki area NBTHK members, mostly made in this Bitchu region over the centuries, further west of Bizen.

 

Anyway I was involved in this conversation which I think the members here might enjoy. I was standing in front of a superb Daisho, perfect in almost every respect, admiring the green speckling glitter in the two saya, and getting ready to take some shots.

Possibly the owner (?) sidled up and asked what I thought of the saya finish. "Superb!" I replied, "This crushed Aogai (blue-green abalone shell) is lovely!"

"No, it's not Aogai", he explained. "It's crushed beetle wings of the iridescent *Tamamushi!" (Koganemushi?)

"Oh wow, that must have taken so much time to find enough wings to crush up. Those beetles are very rare!" I said, thinking of the two or three times in my life I have seen a lone green-gold Koganemushi. He nodded solemnly.

 

Just then a famous elderly swordsmith walked over and joined the conversation. "Yes, the aogai abalone shell effect is wonderful, isn't it!", he commented. We nodded in silence, and I wondered if my knowledgable and voluble friend would say something. He didn't. 

 

Today I mentioned the conversation to an artisan from Osafune. He said rather drily, "Actually they are abalone shell."

 

(*As an aside, and not relevant here, in Japanese an expression which is unclear, particularly in politics, ambiguous enough to be taken either way is said to be Tamamushi-iro, an iridescent expression.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

That should have been not beetle 'wing' above, but 'carapace', I have been thinking, but the edit function has timed out.

 

Just a quick update.

The Uchine blade is entering its final polish stage; it should be ready by the end of Golden Week, he has just communicated.

[Bugyotsuji]

Given a complimentary ticket to the Fukuyama Castle Museum's special exhibition on swords of the area. Planning to head there tomorrow as I've been offered a lift. 

 

Originally, smiths from Bizen came further westward to Bitchu in the Kamakura Period, and with the first generation Sukekuni 助国 began to make blades in the Kan-nabe Goryo area. The second generation Sukekuni was hired by Bingo Kokubunji Temple, and having studied Yamato-Den, he introduced that influence into his blades. This was the beginning of the famous mix of Yamato Den and Bizen Den peculiar to Fukuyama, and became known as 芦田郡物 Ashida Go-ri Mono.　The 法華一条 Hokke Ichi Jo were part of that. Following the installation of the Lord Mizuno Katsushige/nari, smiths were drawn from the surrounding areas towards the castle town including from Osaka, and sword smithing continued to the end of the Edo Period, according to the brochure. (My rough translation)

[rematron]

Piers, I really enjoy reading this thread.  It gives me a tiny taste of what it would be like living in Japan.  Thank you.

[Shugyosha]

Me too - really envy Piers “living the life”. 

[Bugyotsuji]

The jury is still out on that guys. It's a different world, to be sure, and a great place to visit, no mistake.

 

When it comes to living here, though, the same cake is just sliced differently, but I also envy people who have found their own feet in their own country. It's something I think about every day.

 

Anyway, I do appreciate the words of support.  Watch this space for further snippets and updates. 

 

Incidentally, I had a message from the Togishi last night that the uchine blade is ready. Hoping to collect it at the local sword meeting on Saturday evening. 

 

That will leave just one more project out there, the Sukesada with  the damaged mune. I wonder how that is going? 

[Gakusee]

On 4/30/2023 at 2:36 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

Well, it's been a busy week here with various sword related events. Spent yesterday and today helping out with a display in the Achi Jinja shrine on top of Tsurugata Yama, a hill in the middle of Kurashiki. (One of the events they have been holding up there marking a combined Children's Day and Golden Week, also hosting some periphery meetings for the upcoming G7 in Hiroshima.) We were showing swords and koshirae owned by the Kurashiki area NBTHK members, mostly made in this Bitchu region over the centuries, further west of Bizen.

 

Anyway I was involved in this conversation which I think the members here might enjoy. I was standing in front of a superb Daisho, perfect in almost every respect, admiring the green speckling glitter in the two saya, and getting ready to take some shots.

Possibly the owner (?) sidled up and asked what I thought of the saya finish. "Superb!" I replied, "This crushed Aogai (blue-green abalone shell) is lovely!"

"No, it's not Aogai", he explained. "It's crushed beetle wings of the iridescent *Tamamushi!" (Koganemushi?)

"Oh wow, that must have taken so much time to find enough wings to crush up. Those beetles are very rare!" I said, thinking of the two or three times in my life I have seen a lone green-gold Koganemushi. He nodded solemnly.

 

Just then a famous elderly swordsmith walked over and joined the conversation. "Yes, the aogai abalone shell effect is wonderful, isn't it!", he commented. We nodded in silence, and I wondered if my knowledgable and voluble friend would say something. He didn't. 

 

Today I mentioned the conversation to an artisan from Osafune. He said rather drily, "Actually they are abalone shell."

 

(*As an aside, and not relevant here, in Japanese an expression which is unclear, particularly in politics, ambiguous enough to be taken either way is said to be Tamamushi-iro, an iridescent expression.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abalone or beetle, these are beautiful!. Thanks for sharing, Piers

[Dave R]

Beetle wing covers were very popular in India, and early 19thC England, usually as an embroidery highlight. I  picked up a small sample of top end Indian work some years ago. A small snippet of a Rajahs sash from 1794. Cloth of silver, Gold and Beetle wing. I am posting a few pics of the piece because of the way the light changes on it as it is moved round. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Wonderful find! Thanks Dave.

[Bugyotsuji]

Fukuyama has a fine castle with museums, one museum inside and a large modern museum down below in the gardens. It's right beside the shinkansen station, the tracks following part of the in-filled moat. The castle's weakness was on the north side with a more gradual slope up to it, so that side of the keep was covered in iron plates, against gunfire. Burnt down during WW2, the castle has gradually been restored, with new iron plates completed last summer.

 

The city is well-known for the バラ園 Bara-en Rose Park, which I had never bothered to visit before, but in the variety of roses there, it was better than I had expected. 

 

Sadly, photos of the swords were not permitted this time, so my shots were mostly external.

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Update. Last night at the local NBTHK meeting the Togishi handed me the little blade that he had been polishing. It was as if I was seeing it for the first time, which in a sense I was. The Nakago and the Mei 'Hitachi no Kami Terumasa' 常陸守輝政 were the same, but the ryo-shinogi tip has now taken on a new vibrancy, and I can see the hamon at last! 

 

"Do you think I should have a new shirasaya made for it?", I asked, but he said "Probably not worth it, when you think of the expense. Just be very careful not to create 'hike' 引け(pron. like he+keh in English) when using the old saya."　(引け傷 Also, hike-kizu, 'pull scratch')

 

"Oh", he added, "there is a light coating of red rust on the nakago. You'll need to deal with that."

 

Regarding this early Edo Settsu+Iyo smith, it is said that he was the son of Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke, and a disciple of Ise no Kami Kuniteru; he also signed in various other ways, including

Izumi no Kami Kuniteru, Hitachi no Kami Fujiwara Terumasa and Settsu Ju Terumasa.

 

PS No photos for two/three reasons.

 

1. Your imagination will be better than any photo.

2. I think I've exceeded Brian's bandwidth recently. Making amends.

3. The blade is lightly oiled and packed away, and I can't really be bothered to prepare and photo it, especially with a work deadline approaching!  

[Brian]

1. No. We prefer photos over imagination.

2. No. Keep going, I have plenty available for you.

3. Ok..this one is valid. You get a pass.

 

[Bazza]

Piers san wrote:

>  The blade is lightly oiled and packed away, and I can't really be bothered to prepare and photo it, especially with a work deadline approaching! 

 

YOU STILL WORK??!!  Excuse my intrusion into your life, but how do you find time with gunnery and the Board??  I'm retired and can hardly find time for anything else with the Board and Nihontou on my 'to do every day' list!!

 

BaZZa.

[Bugyotsuji]

Barry, not possible to answer properly here. 

 

Let's just say that I exercise my shrinking brain, on a semi-voluntary basis. See PM.

[Bazza]

I'm sorry I asked...  See my pm...

 

Barry T.

[Bugyotsuji]

Barry, I am glad you asked, but sorry that I had to keep it to private messaging.

 

Here are some before shots. There are actually three mekugi pins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Some exploratory blade shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

18 hours ago, Bazza said:

I'm sorry I asked...  See my pm...

 

Barry T.

You OK there, Barry? No personal messages received yet... 

[Bazza]

Piers san,

 

Yes I'm fine thanks.  Delayed by Mother's Day here and a slight attack of empty bottle plus granddaughter baby sitting today!!  I'll be back on the PM 'ere long.

 

I've also dug out some old files from my arrow head collecting mate's days of the UCHINE he made.  He did the eggshell lacquer as well and polished the arrowhead.  Photos below FYI.  Also attached is a document with info from a search I made at the time.

 

Best regards to all,

Barry T.

 

 

 

 

 

Classical Weaponry of Japan - UCHINE info.doc

[Bugyotsuji]

Phew, now I can relax, and you are entirely forgiven. I thought it might be something like that, but you had it bad!

 

As to the linked illustrations, you sure do hide your light under a bushel. It seemed as if hardly anyone was interested in the semi-mythical uchine concept!  

 

Full of admiration for your friend's eggshell lacquerwork! 

[Brian]

15 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

It seemed as if hardly anyone was interested in the semi-mythical uchine concept!  

Faaaar from it. I think it;s an awesome item, and very rare. But there is not a lot we can say about it except VERY NICE! which somehow seems redundant since that is obvious :-)

[Bugyotsuji]

20 hours ago, Brian said:

Faaaar from it. I think it;s an awesome item, and very rare. But there is not a lot we can say about it except VERY NICE! which somehow seems redundant since that is obvious :-)

This is a fair comment, and it got me thinking. Yes, I know, too much thinking, but this probably needs to be added.

 

Last year a famous collector (and friend) died, and this was one of his incomplete projects. I bought it when his collection was sold off. He had fashioned a temporary cardboard box for it with boxcutter and tape. The blade had some spots of rust on it and needed a polish. Now I feel that I have somehow completed it in a manner that he would have approved of, with a wooden presentation box (following his design) and a new polish.

 

PS I think it still needs restraining straps inside the box to stop it shifting when being carried or stood upright for display. 

[rematron]

Piers, finishing that project in honor of your friend is a wonderful gesture. I’m sure he would appreciate it and thank you. With both of you having worked on its restoration, it will be a good item to remember him by and be a symbol of your friendship. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Akashi Castle Park, 11 June 2023. Short 'n sweet video.

(It was a rainy day and the ground was very wet yesterday as the typhoon was passing.)

 

Yours truly in the foreground, left, with mokko ni suhama mon, trusty tachi hanging at my side. You can see the 50 Monme, and finally young Mr T successfully having his first attempt at the 100 Monme. (Mr K taking a break as his left wrist suffered from repeated firings.)

 

Forgive the misfires with the damp weather, and powder... 

 

 

[peter]

Amazing display Piers always a delight to see the 100monme letting loose.

Well done to all involved

Peter

[Bugyotsuji]

Great to hear from you Peter. Rest assured she is well-loved and the cherry on our cake!!! 

[Bugyotsuji]

Next summer there is a plan being floated to display tsuba at a regional museum near here. We were asked to provide candidates for selection, so yesterday I placed about 30 entrants into two bags and set off for judgement. He will be holding a general viewing this August too.

 

About 10 or 15 years ago I went there with my early collection of 50 or so tsuba, and he was like a Ninja flicking shuriken. "No, no, no, no, no.......................no!!!!! Piers, ...buy ONE for ￥100,000, not 10 for ￥100,000."

 

Yesterday he was generally silent, but took much longer examining each one before rejecting them. Perhaps he had matured in the meantime? Occasionally he would say why he didn't like one, or mutter a life-saving word of ..... (was that?) praise. As James Murdoch once famously said, "Words are like bullets. Use them sparingly."

 

Finally he had seen them all, and handed them all back. I was a little disappointed. As I was searching for something cheerful to say, attempting to fill in the silence, he suddenly said, "You need to 'te-ire' (TLC) some of those. The YamaK looks promising. (= Yes, send it for papers). The Cho-Shu tsuba and the Kyo Daigoro were good, if you still have them next year. Of course, Mr H (who recently published a tsuba book around his own collection) will probably provide the bulk of the eventual display."

 

He seemed to be saying that even at this early stage they already had too many, and it will be hard for him to reject any tsuba offered by famous collectors. And here I was innocently thinking he wouldn't have enough. 

 

But, but, but, he hadn't rejected them all!!! 3/30 is 10% folks!