Sakai teppo

[IBot]

This is just a 'flash in the pan idea' .  I have a fairly standard Sakai gun that has the stock embellished with all the usual brass inlays, including an extended pine tree running along the underside. These inlays have no functional purpose and obviously cost money to produce. This set me thinking as to why so many guns are so over-decorated. We know that during the Sengoku era there were a large number of guns that were plainly mounted - essentially utilitarian. Could it be that some of these were re-mounted in fancy brass encrusted stocks during the Edo era specifically to look impressive for the daimyo gyoretsu?

Ian Bottomley

[Bazza]

Or the Meiji touristas?

 

BaZZa.

[Bugyotsuji]

Agreed on the Meiji additions to many guns of all sizes.

 

Back in the Edo period, though, when things were more strictly defined, larger guns were mostly undecorated… the bling guns were narrow-bore (less than 3.5 Monmé) Sakai ‘merchant’ guns, (according to Sawada Taira) copied to a certain degree for competitive sales by Hino and Kunitomo. We know that they each had groups of artisans creating characteristic fancy kirigané decorations. (Certain repeating themes in each area.) Since these were not serious military guns for troops I cannot immediately imagine them being carried to Edo and back.

Along the way though, there could easily have been pleasurable hunting and shooting game parties for the more well-to-do. 

[IBot]

Many thanks - Yes Meiji additions is almost certainly the answer. The gun I am thinking about has a very poor rendition of the two generals at the river Uji on the barrel. 

Ian B.

[Viper6924]

Hi Ian! Hope all is fine at your end of the world.

It’s funny, me and Piers have just instigated a conversation of our own regarding this very topic 🙂

You write that your Sakai got a Pine-decoration running underneath the stock. Have you checked the inside of the stock. Is there any cracks or old repairs running the length of the stock?

 

 Jan 

[IBot]

Jan,  How good to hear from the land of the Vikings. I haven't noticed anything from Anthony recently - I hope he is well.

Back to guns. No, there are no cracks or anything in the stock. The decoration simply covers the unsual slit in the ramrod channel.  When I wrote the above, my guns were all wrapped up and put away, so I was quoting from memory. In fact the decoration is not pine, it is of leaves and butterflies - the butterfly's wings looking just like pine branches until you look carefully. I was also wrong about the length of this decoration- it only extends about 1/3 the length of the stock - it still however has no real function as far as I can see. (This shows how mistaken you can be if you rely on memory. I hate to admit it but I am getting old) There is also another decorative brass strip on the Saki gun running along the top of the butt. This is in the from of 'waves and hare'. This piece does not extend around the end of the butt so it is not to prevent the end being damaged if put on the ground. As it only covers about half the length of the butt, again I can only think it is pure decoration and nothing else. 

 

  So, back to the original thought. These Sakai guns, and there seems to be quite a few of them around, have a lot of brasswork that seems be pure decoration. It may have been added in the Meiji period but it has involved a lot of work as the brass is fitted into the wood, not applied on top. I take Piers point, but would merchants be allowed to own guns? My other two guns, one from Satsuma and the other made for the Boshin wars have only brass eyelets and barrel bands - so totally practical. The former, that from Satsuma has a Tokugawa kamon and kao on the barrel that was probably silvered originally. This raises the question as to why the Shimazu added a Tokugawa kamon to their guns.