Bugyotsuji

Quite shiny. Could be someone polished it with Renaissance Wax and that stuff was the residue.

Looks like a bronze ornament for the Meiji Western market, based upon the classical yatate theme. A thousand years ago yatate were originally of course the box drawer base of quivers, about that size but made of wood, bamboo, thongs, etc., in which were kept brush and ink for writing messages, poems, etc.

? My eyes can only see San-Shu, i.e. Yamashiro. 山州住正春 Am I missing something?

Quite confusing, and possibly gimei. Not wishing to open up a can of worms, but can we see 守 after Echizen?

Whereas in China.................................

Mmmm... loving these dragons! Curran, yours is great! California Les above reminds me that I still have one on a koshirae that I have never photographed.

ヨドバシ.com - 畑中砥石 天然砥石 「衣笠」 錐箱入 通販【全品無料配達】 (yodobashi.com) 畑中Hatanaka is the name of the shop, Marc. New ones can still be found for sale. 天然Ten-nen means natural, 砥石'toishi' (togi + ishi) means whetstone, polishing stone. 衣笠 Igasa may be the type or place of origin of stone? And one here in Kyoto: 京都天然砥石 京都弁財天砥石 宗正特選 仕入れ・畑中砥石 | 日本刃物総本店 (Japanese-cutlery.com)

Crane symbols on tsuba were, and still are, attractive and popular. Even JAL uses one as their logo, emulating Brian and NMB? The *Mori 森 family of Tsuyama Castle used the crane forming a circle as one of their two main mon. (*Name not to be confused with the Mouri/Mohri 毛利 family of Choshu/Yamaguchi.)

切腹 the formal word 'Seppuku' = cut+stomach/abdomen (or more popularly used in the West, 腹切り 'Harakiri' = stomach cutting) was traditionally performed by people of Bushi ranking/status with a good blade, in pristine condition. Anyone carrying such a utility knife would not be permitted to perform seppuku with it, well, not formally, unless they were desperate for something, anything at hand... and then it would be called 自刃Jijin = die by your own blade/hand, not necessarily cutting the abdomen, but the throat etc. For this reason, Greg, I do not think searches using the word 'seppuku' would be historically valid, as its primary purpose would surely not have been for seppuku. Incidentally, there was plenty of crossover in weaponry between the Ainu, outcasts, and Karyudo/Matagi hunters, i.e. people outside regular Japanese society. It could even be such a hybrid piece.

枝川 Edagawa (For what it's worth.)

I think it's the other way round. You often see kozuka and kogatana in shirasaya, and some people collect them that way. The owner of yours must have really liked the kogatana, so decided to make/carve (or have carved) a special 'proper' koshirae for it. Kougeihin folk art? Possibly kept in a drawer as a paper knife, but not really fashionable nowadays.

横断幕 Oudanmaku might be the best description.

As to value I think it helps in general to have a Mei on it. If it’s a well-known name you may have the issue of possible gimei (fake signature) but although your smith is listed ( a good thing) there would be little point in faking that particular signature. So, overall, a very good first purchase, I reckon. PS I like the way that little windows are opened in the lacquer to show the probably original signature.

Ah thanks, that confirms it. It's not text, by the way, but Tomomichi's art name, 白陽任 Hakuyonin. Even that is more than Sasama knew!

PS Your other thread is here:

No, that one I translated for you on the other thread. It's 知道Tomomichi +作 saku (made by) , but Sasama says that apart from being a mid-Edo armorer, nothing else is known about Tomomichi. Some kabuto signed Tomomichi are known, however.

Hello Henrik, I've already done it for you. Is this a different thread? Can you get a clear shot at a different light angle of that last kanji? 白陽....任(?) Hakuyo.... nin(?)

Can you get a good shot of that first kanji, Ed?

知道 Tomomichi, mid Edo Period, almost nothing known about this armorer, except there are some signed kabuto. (Sasama)

Spot the G

If read top down, it could be a single kanji written in 角字 Kakuji (square, right-angled letter) font... 角字 フォント - 検索 画像 (bing.com)

Check out 源氏香 'Genji-ko' Mon or Kamon, Grev. (Genji incense)

Way back when, there was a time when working people carried a Tosu/Toshi 刀子 (small knife) (sheath knife) in the mawashi at the back for everyday jobs. Could this not be Ainu, BTW?

The original sale site says they are gold-plated solid silver. "Menuki ShiShi, signed 白原 清十郎, SroharaSeijyurou, Shirahara sei jūrō, about 36 mm each, solid pure silver + gold plated 24 K, box included." Menuki ShiShi, 白原 清十郎, SroharaSeijyurou, Shirahara sei jūrō 36 mm MX120505 | eBay

You asked us not to be shy and to offer our true opinions, but despite what Dale says about "well-liked" I find this mokko shape itself to be rather conservative and boring, but that's just me! My wife actually likes odd-shaped and out-of-kilter craft items.