Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 Lots to report from the last two or three days, But allow me to post something simple. Up in the hills this afternoon, dropped by a little roadside market which has a junk corner in an annex outside. Occasionally the owner has something interesting hidden in the cobwebs, and today I noticed a fairly large Katana-bako which I had not seen before. It was covered in dust, all the metal fittings were heavily rusted, and it was full of woodworm holes, but it looked as though it could be cleaned up. A quick haggle and it was mine, much to my wife's horror, as I lugged it over and stuffed it into the car. What a fine way to spend a Sunday arvo. In the sunshine a bit of restoring soon got me warmed up. First I opened up the lid and tipped out the contents, which included piles of dust, some bills and old stamped letters from the Taisho Period, and a section of wall-to-wall Washi paper along the bottom which proved to be reusable. Pulled out the five bridges. Banged the whole thing with a rubber hammer to wake the woodwormies up from their hibernation and also to give me saw-dusty holes to aim at. Fired long bursts of insecticide into all the worm holes. Wire-brushed the rust off the lock, the metal hinges and reinforcements. Squirted rust preventer all over the metal fittings and rubbed down. Finally used a little olive oil on all the wood and metal surfaces to bring back some colour/color. Been wanting a Katana-bako for some time, but they don't often come up, and when they do the price is never quite what I had in mind. Will post pics if anyone wants to see a few before and after shots.
Stephen Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 of course we do you ol raider of the lost ark, don't know about the rest but I thoroughly enjoy your Sunday adventures.
Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 You have a way with words, Stephen. Here are the before shots:
Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 And here she is a couple of hours later:
Stephen Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 Splendid! what a great looking chest to hold from swords to futons, good show!!! now if you could only find a key to fit.
Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 Splendid! what a great looking chest to hold from swords to futons, good show!!!now if you could only find a key to fit. Have you been drinking the spice? You have just read my mind! AAAaarrrggghhhh... no escape! Funnily enough, I shut it earlier and bound it through the holes with something (un)suitable, and it locked itself. Had a sweaty moment! You are not going to believe this, but another acquaintance is a traditional locksmith and made a replacement set of 'old' keys for my Edo Period ship's strongbox. You have just given me an idea... Okay, okay, so you don't have to stretch your belief, here are the keys he made. Nothing much to look at, but I was real pleased to see what was actually possible in this life!!!
Baka Gaijin Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 Afternoon Piers, Great find!!! Looking at the internal dividers, it looks set up for 4 katana length. Are the internal dividers free to move? If so, it looks as though it could fit three katana and three wakizashi. Cheers Malcolm
Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 Afternoon Piers, Great find!!! Looking at the internal dividers, it looks set up for 4 katana length. Are the internal dividers free to move? If so, it looks as though it could fit three katana and three wakizashi. Cheers Malcolm Hi Malcolm, yes, all the 5 dividers move and there are three sets of slide guides. The central solid double-viaduct one could go at one end. The others are interchangeable. It's surprisingly large, nearly as big as my Teppo-bako. Stephen suggested it could be used for Futon!!! :lol: 126cm long, 34cm high and 26cm from front to back.
John A Stuart Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 I was fortunate to find one several years ago in San Diego in pretty good nick. Daito above, shoto below and possibles drawer. Metalwork fairly nice. Nice addition Piers. John
Bugyotsuji Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Posted February 8, 2009 John, yours is really nice, and ideally that is what I have been wanting.
Stephen Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 John, yours is really nice, and ideally that is what I have been wanting. yea but could you put Futons into it John, that is a very fine one to own. wheres the green with envy smilie
John A Stuart Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 I love the style of tansu. Here is the one I use for clothing. I'm tall so the pic is looking down, it really is a rectangle. John
Baka Gaijin Posted February 8, 2009 Report Posted February 8, 2009 Afternoon all, Piers, is the timber Keyaki (Zelkova)? And could we see some pics of your Teppo Box? Hi John, also thanks for showing some Great Tansu. Cheers Malcolm
Bugyotsuji Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Posted February 9, 2009 For Malcolm. The wife doesn't like the Teppo-bako so it serves as a compromise. Body 130 cm long, or 133cm if overlapping lid measured overall. Total 38.5 cm high, and body 32 cm wide (34.5 if lid measured). As I remember there is some brush writing underneath attesting to being a gun box, with a Keio date putting it right on the end of Edo. The box is quite battered, but retains the iron rings for carrying from a long pole. PS Went round to the sword & gun shop today and showed them the Katana box, hoping for advice on how to tie it up. They pulled out a roll of flat grey-green obi ribbon and whipped up something exactly suitable. The Banto looked long and hard at the box inside and out and then pronounced, "Quite an old box." I said that it might be Edo. "Certainly Edo, yes, of course, but kanari noborimasu", he said, "judging by the worm damage etc." He seemed to be suggesting very early Edo or even older. "It's made of Kiri" (Paulownia wood) Then he rather wistfully added, "Of course it's not worth much. Too big. No-one has the room for this sort of thing nowadays. Maybe worth 10,000 JPY". I imagined it getting trashed from lack of a willing owner and quickly said that I will be giving it a home. Now, how to keep the wife happy? Get rid of the Teppo-bako, and replace with smaller (!) Katana-bako?
Stephen Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 wow, how many futons can you get in that???
Baka Gaijin Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 Thank you Piers, Is the flat himo called "Sanada Himo"?; like the type you find on Tea ceremony bowl boxes??? Oh and Stephen, it depends upon the caliber of the Futon Cheers Malcolm
Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 Piers and John, I'm full of envy. I wantn't even know how much it would cost a shipping to Italy. Oh and Stephen, it depends upon the caliber of the Futon Right. John's futon would need a custom-made one. :lol:
John A Stuart Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 Well Carlo I think it goes both ways. I see auctions for European antique furniture that just about knocks my socks off. Shipping it here is cost prohibitive. Shipping for the large tansu was around $1100 US. So not too bad. The shipping on the Katanadansu about $600 US. Luckily duty was waived as they were over 100 years old, but, I still had 7% tax to pay. John
Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini Posted February 9, 2009 Report Posted February 9, 2009 Luckily duty was waived as they were over 100 years old, but, I still had 7% tax to pay. Here when you get lucky is 10% for antiques. Otherwise 20%.
Jean Posted February 10, 2009 Report Posted February 10, 2009 More or less 5% in France, it stop by Customs, I had 3 katana which went through Customs without any taxes
Bugyotsuji Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Posted February 10, 2009 Interesting that in the States there's no duty if it's old, whereas in Europe there's a heavier duty for 'old' stuff! Malcolm, I am not sure if Sanada Himo is what they gave me. Look at the picture and see. In the meantime I will ask on my next trip!
Baka Gaijin Posted February 12, 2009 Report Posted February 12, 2009 Hi Piers, it looks like what was described to me as Sanada Himo. Here's a useful "how to tie the knot" used on some boxes http://www.hakoyoshi.com/mame/mame01.html The company are very friendly and will custom make paulownia boxes. Cheers Malcolm
Bugyotsuji Posted February 12, 2009 Author Report Posted February 12, 2009 Hi Piers, it looks like what was described to me as Sanada Himo. Here's a useful "how to tie the knot" used on some boxes http://www.hakoyoshi.com/mame/mame01.html The company are very friendly and will custom make paulownia boxes. Cheers Malcolm Hi Malcolm, great site for boxes, & nice little link there for a NSEW four-hole box. Essentially the same. Go straight into the bow without our Western intermediary step. Thanks. Actually someone gave me a quick lesson last night in tying the knot (after that picture was taken). Personally I love old boxes and have quite a few around the house, much to the wife's annoyance.
Bugyotsuji Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Posted February 15, 2009 Well, you may have noticed that last week I was offered something exquisite. The Kote and Sune-ate. Unfortunately, a week after the bloke sold them to me, he asked if I could let him have them back. Well, I owe him a lot of favours/favors, so it was a no-brainer, even though I have some seriously mixed feelings internally. I never took any photos of them, so perhaps they were never meant to be mine??? So tonight I am a lot richer, but also a lot poorer.
Bugyotsuji Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Posted February 15, 2009 As to this week's Edo Corner, I found an interesting bladed implement at Ako this morning. Neither the stall holder, nor the ever-present 'experts' who flock around to see what you are buying could say exactly what it is. There were two or three theories. "It is a kind of Kanna (plane)." "It is a kind of Bashin (fleam)". Does anyone on this site have any clue? What is clear to most people so far is that it is a) 'kitaete-iru'. It is b) a weapon. It is c) something quite rare. (It was bent out of shape, and somehow I have managed to bend it back close to true, using a cushioned vice and pliers, but it took huge muscle power, and equal and opposite delicate strength to stop it cracking or snapping!) Below are some photos. I was going to make this a quiz to see if people could guess the size, but maybe I'll just stick with the above question of function. Brain storming welcome! The photos make it almost double life size. PS The Tsuka is elliptical/oval in cross-section, having no perceptible flat side or obvious front of back, being mirror image.
Stephen Posted February 15, 2009 Report Posted February 15, 2009 did a search for kote some may like this link, be sure to check all other pix of kote http://www.likemybody.com/hot-picture/k/kote.htm
kusunokimasahige Posted February 15, 2009 Report Posted February 15, 2009 Stephen................: On the small weapon..... What you have there is a throwing dart used by shinobi as well as some samurai. its name is kunai. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunai there were many variants. yours is a very nice one! KM
myochin Posted February 15, 2009 Report Posted February 15, 2009 Piers, could you describe the kote and suneate that you returned as I am curious. Pity that you didn't take a picture. Do you think the owner would be willing to send you one ? Thanks, Paul.
Bugyotsuji Posted February 15, 2009 Author Report Posted February 15, 2009 Henk-Jan, thank you for the suggestion and the link. So, you think that there may have been a ring on it which has broken off? There is some unevenness on the end there to support your idea. The shape of some of the Kunai blades are similar, but they seem to be much larger in general. This thing is tiny, 10cm long, of which the blade is 4cm. Kunai are also said to be ordinary iron tools, but this seems quite specialized and hardened, and it is very sharp. Also it is very similar in feel and looks to my Higo Bashin, if half the size. The colour of the steel and the rust, and the workmanship all point to a common origin, perhaps. One influential collector friend took one look at it and said, "It's for quick despatch of someone very close up. You would maybe pull it out from under your pillow, find the exact spot and push it rapidly into the head or neck of your opponent, as if to administer the death stroke to a fish. Not enough weight for throwing", he added, when I suggested a Te-ura ken, or Shuriken.
John A Stuart Posted February 15, 2009 Report Posted February 15, 2009 I would think a medical instrument for lancing boils and carbuncles. John
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