Tanegashima rookie

[tinman0629]

Hello, new member here.  I recently inherited a tanegashima or teppo. I am very uneducated on tanegashima weapons. I have some basic knowledge from reading articles on its history and relevance during Japan's isolation period. It is very unique to my collection and I knew the barrel had to be removed in order to reveal its identity.  I had my friend, who is a local gunsmith,  remove the barrel. I am hoping some of the experts on here will be able to help me identify some of the markings. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this group.

[Bugyotsuji]

Hi David, congratulations on your new acquisition! I remember how proud I was to get my first Tanegashima, the weight in my hand, and a kind of unbelievable feeling. Lovely wood, nice steel.

 

Your gun was made in Sakai/Sesshu, which is present day Osaka, a major merchant city. The gunsmith is from the House of Inoue, one of the most famous workshops, which largely remains today as it was back then in the Edo period. The writing is particularly nice, with some unusual combinations of characters. The barrel was made with a double-helix reinforcement forging.

 

In the stock it gives the stockmaker's name and the No.5, probably one of a series.

 

I'll need to hit the books to double-check some of the kanji, to give you an exact reading overall, but in the meantime someone else might be tempted to step in to help. 

[Bugyotsuji]

1. The smith is Inoué Sekiuemon living in Sesshū. Uses an old form of Shū with three 刀 blades.

摂州住　井上関右衛門　作

He is listed among 31 Inoué Sekiuemon smiths, but he alone has no individual name.

 

(But I’m not sure about the character at the base of the barrel… is it possibly 馬 or a kaō 花王?)

[Bugyotsuji]

2. The stock maker is Okada 岡田, a known and listed stock maker in Sakai, but I cannot yet make out his lower (individual) name. 

[Bugyotsuji]

3. The barrel says Jigane So Chin Makibari 地鉄総鎮巻張 telling you the base steel has been strengthened with a double helix forging, which is normal except for the character 鎮(?) and I am not sure exactly what its meaning here is.  (None of the other Inoué smiths are recorded as having used this character.)

[tinman0629]

Thank you Bugyotsuji! This is very exciting.  I do not know where my father obtained this piece. He was a collector and probably purchased it with an entire collection.  He owned samurai swords and armor as well. He sold the swords during his time, but held on to two samurai suits of armor that my brother and I split. I will have to share pictures of that another time. I have always admired this gun and was glad to have received it. Is there any way to narrow down the period/year when it was made? The Edo period lasted quite a while. My uneducated guess would be early 1800's.

[tinman0629]

Here are a few pics, not the best, of the gun with barrel intact.

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, many thanks. This shape was unexpected, i.e. not at all a typical Sakai gun, but in a sense understandable. The people of Iyo on the large Island of Shikoku to the south, traditionally had their guns made in Osaka, mainly by these Inoué smiths. There was a centuries old relationship. They were able to create the traditional shape that the Shikoku Iyo orders specified. 
Personally I like this smooth long shape, in fact I rather prefer it to the typical bling appearance of a Sakai merchant gun, but that is my personal taste. 
 

What is the bore, internal diameter of the barrel size in centimeters?

(I have owned two of these Shikoku guns, made in Sakai.)

[tinman0629]

The gun is still at the gunsmith shop. I will get the dimensions possibly on Monday. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks. Normally the Iyo muzzle is straight but on some of their larger bore guns I have seen a muzzle surround like yours, which is why I am interested.

 

It's a well-made example, and in good condition.

 

(You might get the pin for the pan lid/cover changed at some point to imitate the original pin. These pins were traditionally brass, hollow, with a rounded head. The hollow was for insertion of a wire which held a small rain protector.)

 

As to your question about the date, perfectly valid, but difficult to pin down. Edo Period without a doubt. Your smith is halfway down the generational list, and it's a matchlock, and the panlid has a markedly long catch, so I would agree with your early 1800s estimate with some leeway either side.

[tinman0629]

Hopefully the conversion is right when converting from inches to centimeters.  The internal bore measures 1.1938 centimeters. The barrel in total length, minus the breach plug, is 90.932 centimeters long. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks for that, David. That would make sense. Checking against my charts here, your gun is a 2.5 Monme' as close as dammit. This would place it in the bird and hunting gun category, larger than solely for target practice. Most of the Iyo guns that I have seen have been around that size of bore.

 

When you say 'minus the breech plug', are you simply measuring from there, or are you saying that you have managed to open it? (Often they are stuck fast.)

[tinman0629]

The gunsmith was able to remove the breech plug by hand. Whoever the previous owner was had oiled the threads, so he had not trouble removing it. The measurement was with the plug removed. Thank you again for all of your help.

[Bugyotsuji]

If I can find it, I'll post a photo where I had the chance to fire an Iyo gun at a full-armor blackpowder display at Tsuyama Castle. This one was red-lacquered in Negoro-nuri style. (Slightly fluted, but straight muzzle.)

 

 

Note the back blast!

 

[tinman0629]

The pictures are truly fantastic! I hope to shoot mine someday soon. I will definitely share the armor I have when I pick it up in a couple of weeks. I believe it to be Edo period. 

 

We have reenactment in the United States for all kinds of battles. Mainly US Civil War battles, which I have never taken part in, but they are very popular.  Thank you for sharing!