Edo Period Corner Part II

[Bugyotsuji]

Showed it to my ‘mentor’ (tormentor) today and he ripped it to shreds. Having criticized everything, he suggested bringing it round to his place where he will show me how it should really be done. Maybe this is the real Japan…

[Alex A]

Think maybe best not showing stuff to your mentor in future

 

As said, think it looks great.

 

As time moves on and the finish becomes less new and shiny then as Jean said, folks will think it was made years ago.

 

For me, its not about perfection, its about just owning something you made yourself, no matter what.

[Bugyotsuji]

Alex, you sometimes say just the right thing. 
 

[Bugyotsuji]

OK, a little light here at last.

 

The phone rings early this morning and the guy has been worrying about my results. "Have you been using 'tomei' (transparent, colorless) urushi?" he asks. "You should be using 'suki' (translucent) urushi."

Well, how would I know, so I go back to check the bag of stuff he gave me and sure enough there is nothing labelled 'suki', but there is one tube of this honey-like stuff that I have been using, which yes, now that I look at it it, does say 透明 tomei on it. Now he starts apologizing. In the kit he handed me he had meant to include some suki urushi, but says he must have made a mistake. 

 

So all this time we have been talking at cross puposes. But now he definitely wants me to bring it over and have a go at it. It needs sanding down, and the bumpy bits reduced, and then it will need re-lacquering with suki urushi, he says.

 

I remember he once told me that his father was a joiner and plasterer, of Japanese style wattle and daub walls. He himself makes the most beautiful fishing rods. So it is true, he is a kind of perfectionist. I am sorry if I have taken his name in vain.

[Alex A]

Think we have all learned something here Piers, i had no clue they used Urushi on those cannons.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Well I hope so Alex. I’m trying to describe the learning process I’m going through with this, fer better or fer wusser. Thanks for your encouraging words.

Today I made a trip to where he lives and he squeezed out something darker than molasses. One coat of that worked wonders. In a couple of days he’ll sand it down gently to reduce the shine/glare.

 

As I left it with him…

 

 

Now I’m beginning to think ahead to studs perhaps, or retaining rings.

[ROKUJURO]

It is obviously meticulous work, and it is slow where necessary for good results. My impression is, it's the same with most crafts!

Making bamboo fishing rods is a special work. You don't just need fine fingers and a lot of patience for that, it also needs a special condition of mind! It is like a philosophy!

Not for everyone!

By the way, I liked the colour of your 'gunstock' as it is! I hope it will come out the same after the next round of work! 

[Alex A]

The darker colour does give it a more antique feel.

 

I guess most antique gun/cannon stocks appear darkish in colour.

 

Sometimes, really dark.

[Bugyotsuji]

I gave his wife a bar of traditional translucent Pears soap. It was good to see his brushes and tool kit. I kept asking him where he buys the suki urushi but he said it was special order. Plays his cards close to his chest, this guy. Eventually he gave me various bits, and an amount of suki urushi to take home.  Worth making the trip just to watch each brush stroke.

 

The other day I found a box of lacquer worker's spatulas (spatulae) at an antiques fair. I think I'll give them to him next time around.

[Bugyotsuji]

Well, he said he makes all his own lacquer tools so he didn't need the spatulae. (My other friend who was also there however, did want them.)

As he handed the 'finished' article back to me, he added a final word.

"I still do not like this. You should strip it all back and start again."

"The cannon is probably just an old casting reject," I said, "so I am not too bothered about getting everything 100% correct. Besides, I do not have your patience."

 

Footnote. While I was preparing the guns for Sunday's live event, I gave the barrel of the little cannon a quick clean-out. Imagine my surprise to see how much blackpowder came wafting out of it. I wrapped up the pile in a tissue and burnt it outside. Gunpowder indeed! The pungent smoke gave off that familiar burning blackpowder smell which we get at every event. The inner walls must have been caked with it. Perhaps it had once functioned as a powder tester after all.

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Piers,

that gunpowder residue sounds as if it could represent a real danger! 

[Bugyotsuji]

In case anyone is tempted to play with the stuff, I was reading yesterday about someone who blew the top joint of their thumb off, when loading an old toy cannon.

 

Jean, normally I would just just flush it away in water, but I was curious to know what it was, so I took care to burn it on a flat rock in the garden, and not under any compression.

[Bugyotsuji]

On another topic, I mentioned earlier a little mid-Edo Nami-no-Hira blade that I purchased last year. The togishi was unwilling to work on it as it was a little loose in the saya, so it went to the shiroganeshi who inserted some 'koppa' shavings to grip the habaki better. Finally it went off last week to the now-satisfied togishi for a 'light polish'.

 

(Something to look forward to in the background!)

[Bugyotsuji]

Hoping it harmonizes into the display.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Forgive the chatty nature of this update. Some things need to be written down to get one's head in order. 

 

1. Where is our mentor Stephen? He went lurker for a while and then... silent...(?)

 

2. This Saturday I am hoping to get the little Nami no Hira back from the Togi-Shi.

 

3. This Sunday we have the third black powder event of this year up at Susai Castle to the east.

Yesterday I cleaned the guns after Sunday's event and prepared them for this next one, and today I have been doing some running repairs on armo(u)r and guns. Like fishing nets, your equipment on the battlefield needs constant little adjustments or you're in trouble. 

For example, my tachi often gets knocked out of the saya by the weight of the pistol holster as I'm performing, and having tried everything I have resorted to tying it shut with string. Looks bad at close quarters, but hanging half out looks a whole lot worse.

Then my matchcord keeps falling out of the serpentine as the hammer falls, causing misfires. Naoe Kanetsugu said around 1600 that you should have a matchcord that fits your gun, not too thin and not too fat. I think my problem is that I cleaned the inside of the serpentine pinch flaps too enthusiastically, leaving them smooth. So, fiendishly clever I know, but I have applied rubberized glue to the inside of the flaps. Cannot be seen, but it increases grip and pinch, reducing the inner diameter of the flaps inner side walls. (Why not squeeze them together slightly? With shinchu you have to be careful bending them or you could easily introduce cracks into the brass.)

 

4. On Children's Day (5/5) we have a blackpowder event at a big shrine near here. But they have also requested a static display of interesting artefacts, and the son of the city mayor also needs to be dressed up in full armo(u)r, apparently, which means sourcing a complete spare set of everything for him. Ashigaru light armo(u)r won't do. Our organizer is in hospital, so I have a nasty feeling that he is expecting me to arrange all this, on top of getting myself ready to perform. Besides, what theme should this display have? How many other people has he requested artefacts from? Aaaarrrggghhhh................ This will need focus and close cooperation.

[GeorgeLuucas]

3 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

 

 

1. Where is our mentor Stephen? He went lurker for a while and then... silent...(?)

 

I spoke to Stephen a couple weeks ago, and he asked me to extend his best wishes to all of you.

(thanks for the opportunity!)

He's taking a step away from NMB after his 20,000th post. He seems happy and garden focused for the springtime.  

I certainly miss his presence here, 
Cheers,
-Sam

[Winchester]

Thank you for the update, Sam. I, too, was a bit concerned/worried and hopeful everything was OK.

 

Good time of year for the peace and tranquility of a garden. 

[Gakusee]

6 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Forgive the chatty nature of this update. Some things need to be written down to get one's head in order. 

 

1. Where is our mentor Stephen? He went lurker for a while and then... silent...(?)

 

2. This Saturday I am hoping to get the little Nami no Hira back from the Togi-Shi.

 

3. This Sunday we have the third black powder event of this year up at Susai Castle to the east.

Yesterday I cleaned the guns after Sunday's event and prepared them for this next one, and today I have been doing some running repairs on armo(u)r and guns. Like fishing nets, your equipment on the battlefield needs constant little adjustments or you're in trouble. 

For example, my tachi often gets knocked out of the saya by the weight of the pistol holster as I'm performing, and having tried everything I have resorted to tying it shut with string. Looks bad at close quarters, but hanging half out looks a whole lot worse.

Then my matchcord keeps falling out of the serpentine as the hammer falls, causing misfires. Naoe Kanetsugu said around 1600 that you should have a matchcord that fits your gun, not too thin and not too fat. I think my problem is that I cleaned the inside of the serpentine pinch flaps too enthusiastically, leaving them smooth. So, fiendishly clever I know, but I have applied rubberized glue to the inside of the flaps. Cannot be seen, but it increases grip and pinch, reducing the inner diameter of the flaps inner side walls. (Why not squeeze them together slightly? With shinchu you have to be careful bending them or you could easily introduce cracks into the brass.)

 

4. On Children's Day (5/5) we have a blackpowder event at a big shrine near here. But they have also requested a static display of interesting artefacts, and the son of the city mayor also needs to be dressed up in full armo(u)r, apparently, which means sourcing a complete spare set of everything for him. Ashigaru light armo(u)r won't do. Our organizer is in hospital, so I have a nasty feeling that he is expecting me to arrange all this, on top of getting myself ready to perform. Besides, what theme should this display have? How many other people has he requested artefacts from? Aaaarrrggghhhh................ This will need focus and close cooperation.

Piers, please do share with us videos and share photos of your gunpowder exploits. I really love them! Thanks in advance 

[Bugyotsuji]

Found this Tanegashima Island video from last year celebrating the first arrival of guns there 480 years ago, and their relationship with Portugal.

 

In the footage at 2:18 I spotted a shot of me in armo(u)r from 2008! See the gun troop with Ikeda Bizen-Cho butterfly Kamon, which is our lot when we visited the island for a national event 16 years ago.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

And just now I found this photo from 2018 on the bridge in Shinjo Village. Staring at it closely I suddenly realized that that's me there in my 'good' kabuto, and a slightly different outfit! 

 

'Different' means I no longer wear that jimbaori, and I have now upgraded the red leather Hosokawa doran waist ammo box for a green leather padded-top makura-doran (Pillow doran). Holding my trusty Hosokawa Kumamoto Castle

large-bore army gun. The hoshi kabuto may be mid-Edo Haruta from Kaga, but I have not opened the ukebari lining to look for a Mei. Kote chain-mail sleeves are Muromachi.

[Bugyotsuji]

Looking ahead to Children's Day in early May, I am starting to 'picture' the static display up at the shrine. Recently I bought a shield which needs some work done to it, but it could be good as a backdrop. Someone made me an offer I could not refuse. The little peek-a-boo hazama windows are too small for a gun, but perhaps an arrow could be fired through them. (Might wreck the flights?)

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Although shields were not carried by individual Bushi, they were placed on the ground, e.g. propped iron or wooden boards as in Yoshitora’s woodblock print of Hideyoshi’s army in action, or often tied into bamboo bundles which proved more effective against larger bore matchlock fire.

Iron examples can be found at Osaka Castle and at Tokumori Jinja in Tsuyama.

(very heavy)

 

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:01 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

..... The little peek-a-boo hazama windows are too small for a gun, but perhaps an arrow could be fired through them. (Might wreck the flights?)...

Piers,

I don't think that is possible. Arrows do not start straight off the YUMI, they fly in sinus curves, so you would need a really large "window" for them. It might even be too small for a cross-bow arrow. But a YARI or a sword blade would probably pass through as a last measure.

[Bugyotsuji]

1 hour ago, ROKUJURO said:

Piers,

I don't think that is possible. Arrows do not start straight off the YUMI, they fly in sinus curves, so you would need a really large "window" for them. It might even be too small for a cross-bow arrow. But a YARI or a sword blade would probably pass through as a last measure.

Very true Jean. Either these are purely for observation, or more likely merely for castle-aperture-like-decoration.

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Michael asked for updates, but I've been run off my feet since Saturday. The spirit is willing but the body is weak.

Saturday morning to Shikoku.

Saturday evening NBTHK local meeting. Displayed some more tsuba.

Sunday all day up in Susai Castle for their cherry blossom festival. Some blossoms remaining among the green leaf shoots, petals falling like snow. Former Prefectural Governor Mr Ishii Masahiro, LDP House of Counsellors representative was there with his wife to watch us. I noticed he placed his fingers in his ears as the guns got bigger and louder.

Back home I dragged all my stuff inside to discover my wife had piled the front hall with heavy boxes. "Help me load the car", she said, disappearing somewhere, so I ended up doing the whole load. Every bone in the old body aches.

Monday. Up early for the hour's drive to the antiques fair in Ako, then back to meet someone for lunch before returning home after more than three hours on the road in order to clean the waiting guns at last. No rest for the wicked!

 

PS Some photos and a video from the bridge at Susai last week have finally emerged.

PPS Last month I finally managed to acquire a Sendai long gun, and on Saturday there was a quick window to get a fabled Satsuma gun, which I grabbed. These are both as rare as hen's teeth, in these parts anyway. Why have they suddenly appeared when everyone was complaining there was nothing on the market?

This spring has been a mega expensive time for me though... but these chances do not come up like this.

[Winchester]

Hi Piers,

 

Hang in there and trust the energy will come back when you have a chance to rest.

 

On rare or uncommon items surfacing, I have noticed this across the board in multiple hobbies and collecting groups...I will speak factually, from a US perspective on the timing and possible causes: 1) tax season (people pay in or may be awaiting a refund, etc.); 2) inflation which has been consistent and years in duration, increasing further; additionally, inflation has impacted literally everything, be it day-to-day items (food, groceries, bills) to property, rentals, you name it.

 

It is my opinion that these factors are causing a buying opportunity in a number of markets.

[Gakusee]

Dear Piers, thank you so much for entertaining us with these exciting stories.  I hope your body recovers swiftly and the spirit is already high, I am sure, after the acquisition of these rare guns. Congratulations on pulling off these gems.

 

I have also noticed some rare swords coming up lately - for sale or also being papered by the NBTHK. I however attribute this, as it is happening inJapan, not to tax reasons or the like, but simply to the ageing or demise of older collectors. Their collections are probably being dispersed by heirs or even the collectors themselves. 

[Alex A]

Piers, when something rare comes along that you have been after for a while then you have to pull the trigger (even when skint lol)

 

Who knows when it will turn up again, maybe decades

 

Well done, looking forward to seeing them 

 

Ps, coincidentally, also noticed a few rarities lately.  Seems to be quite a few of those pocket pistols around lately that i like, does seem like some old collector has sent them on to the market.

[Bugyotsuji]

Alex, what kind of pocket pistols do you mean? Short flintlock and percussion jobbies? 

Yes, all of those possibilities mentioned above must be at work. The Satsuma has a fairly old registration paper and everything about it looks like it has been in a collection untouched for the last fifty years, and possibly untouched since Tokugawa rule.

 

So although I sold a Kishū long gun to release some cash, I have spent well over ten times that amount since the 1st of February for three kabuto, five tsuba and three matchlocks! All on a pension. (This money should have been part-payment on a house here. Ssshhh…).

 

And the sword polisher will be wanting payment, as too the gun restorer who is fixing the lockwork for me.

Strangely there’s no sense of pain. I always find there is so much more pleasure to be had from historical artefacts, handling them and learning from them, than from raw money itself.

Maybe they come with a mild shot of anaesthetic, like a mosquito bite?

[Bazza]

Piers san,  how topical!!  Your musings have been pertinent in my house since the Cooper auction here...  and for decades before!!  I love how you put it "Strangely there’s no sense of pain"

 

BaZZa.