Viper6924

Japanese oak at it´s best. Is there a Japanese term to this carving around the butt? Any reason for it besides the fact it looks good? /Jan

Thanks for the confirmation of the date and maker, kunitaro. And again Malcom, great link. This will be a christmaspresent to my mother (I`m such a good son). She likes masks and this will be her first Noh. Nice to be able to tell her the story behind it. I like the woodgrains and overall look of it. /Jan

Thanks a lot, Sebastien! Great help. Life would be so much easier if kanji-reading would be on my list of skills Thanks again! Jan

Hi! Need some translation for some text inside of a Noh-mask. I guess perhaps a poem. All help is highly appreciated, as always! Jan

I really like the color of the wood. Very bright. Don´t know if I ever seen the carvings on the riflebutt before. NICE!!! Jan

Well here´s my box for hauling gunpowder, bullets, bulletmolds, tantos, menpos, tsubas, money, smokes, small heads.... :lol: I think it´s looks very much like Piers box no 1. Of course it´s impossible to be 100% sure what it´s orignal use was. But most ammunition boxes I have seen in books, on the webb or in private collections looks very much like these two examples. Until an old samurai comes knocking on my door telling me something else, it will be part of my blackpowder collection. Nice collection of ammo-boxes, Piers Jan

Great info, Malcom! I can always count on You when it comes to prints. Thanks again! Jan

Thanks Piers! A quick search and I got the name of this series; Mirror of famous generals of our country. /Jan

Well, here´s a print I just picked up. Takeda Shingen pondering the pros and cons of the teppo...I guess Or perhaps he have a vision about his clans upcoming destruction. Don´t know the artist or from what series, but I´m sure help is near. I must say that I have a sweetspot for prints involving teppos. Not so often on the market. Sorry for the bad picture. Had to blow it up a bit. Jan

Well, here´s one of the few pictures I managed to take from the exhibition. This is what meets You in the lobby. I like the grin on the horse :D I guess the golden color on it´s eyes means it´s a demonhorse... /Jan

I can only agree with Anthony. This was a truely great exhibition. Well worth a visit. The armors and kabutos was top notch. The security...not so much If I can take pictures of paintings done by Rembrandt in Amsterdam, it should be ok to snap a few at a samuraiexhibition. The only problem now is that I must start planning for a visit to the Stibbert in Italy. But on the other hand, that´s not much of a problem :D /Jan

Thanks Malcom and Ian for Your help. It´s def a mitsu kanawa. You can order some nice t-shirts with this mon I did a quick search on the Wada. Seems to have been an old family dating back to the Kamakura. Getting a bit further in samuraihistory I found an Oda retainer by the name of Wada Koremasa 1536-71. Wada had control over Takatsuki castle. But, I haven´t been able to find any crest similar to the one on the jingasa. Perhaps this is a bit over my head Jan

Dear Gents! I seem to spend half my free time looking up different mon/crests. This one is placed on a ashigaru jingasa made from nerigawa. Pretty sure I´ve seen this one before, but for the life of me I can´t find it in any of my books or online Clear and simple...HELP!!!! Thanks! Jan

Well, I can safely say that I had my daily dose of tanegashima stimulation. Great pictures. Looks like a very nice collection. I have a bit further to go with my own collection I especially like the fat stocky teppo with the ramrod thick like a drumstick. Thanks again for taking the time with the pictures! Jan

and I´m sure there will be pictures later from this teppo-section? Please... :D Jan

Thank You very much Morita-san. Well, Ninsei being one of "the three great masters" (I Googled) I think I will tell my friend that this is a "gimei" I´m more into Japanese hitory, so the attribution to Ii Naosuke is more intresting. But I guess the chance of that being true is slim to none. I think I recall an earlier thread on this board reagarding a teppo attributed to Ii Naosuke. Apparantly his things fell out of appreciation after the purge. The text looks old, EDO Perhaps the box is genuin and the content is, well a gimei? If true I can ask him to buy it and I will nick the box... Thanks again! Jan

Hi! A friend who is into ceramics asked me to help him with a translation of text for a bowl. I guess EDO-period :lol: Thanks! Jan

I was watching a fierce auctionwar between buyers who really wanted some samuraiflags. The war is now over So I just wanted to ask how this flag was used? It´s rather small if You compare it to the pack of smokes. Supposed to be from the boshin-wars. They had two up for sale. /Jan

Hi! I have had problems getting into my Private messages the whole day today Only me or someone else to? /Jan

Thanks for the effort, Piers! Just the words: "You may be right", warms my cold scandinavian heart /Jan

Good job, Malcom! It´s def close. But thats just it with jingasas, never a clear match I still think this might be a sign for a specific teppo-unit within a larger group of ashigarus. I have seen 4-5 "mon" during my studies that I can´t place within the familiecrest group. I place all my hope in Piers hands... :D Thanks! Jan

Beware of the Åkersberg-clan!!! They take Your head clean off :lol: Perhaps this is a groupsign instead of a familie crest. Come across a few of those when I been looking at ashigaru-helmets. Jan

Hi! I always love to play detective when it comes to unusual mon. The one I have the hardest time to solve is often ashigaru jingasas. It´s an absolute jungle sometimes. Here we have what I hink is a teppo-ashigaru iron jingasa with a mon that I cant find anywhere. Any clue would be fantastic. Thanks! Jan

Thanks a lot, Ian!!! Jan

Hi! Quick question to the Japanese reading members of this board. What does this little sign under the hinawa say? Thanks in advance! Jan