Bugyotsuji

Hmmm… Dale, you beat me on another one I have which is 10.6 x 10.8 cm, but, but, but, …it does have a box!

By the way I have a gold coin from the Edo Period, a little Himé Koban. On its own it’s probably worth 40,000 JPY. If I send it to Tokyo for certification it will cost me 10,000 JPY to go through the process. If it gains good paperwork it could be worth ¥100,000. But if it fails, I will always know in my heart that it’s an old fake, or a newer fake. Most people in Japan do not seem to bother to file for certificates.(?) So the ‘value’ of the paperwork depends on the reputation of the organization, and paperwork for objects might vary in value depending on your collecting field. Thus paperwork for J guns probably add little to the value of a gun, whereas paperwork for swords which demand serious scholarly judgement tends to be of higher value. Back to your armor above for a moment. Recently I bought a kabuto with paperwork such as yours from the NKBKHK, and personally speaking I am glad, so I value the paperwork and the thought processes behind it.

To purists who know everything about katchū, it has little value, simply stating what they already know. To 99.9999% of the world’s population it is a wonderful thing to have, a vote of confidence, a relief, proof, a back-up by the ‘experts’. The paper on its own has little value, but together with the armour they complement each other. If you want paperwork for your armour, this is the best you’ll find, apart from very rare old manuscripts of course by long-dead appraisers. And yes, I like it!

Unable to locate it. Could it be Kamigiri or Kamikiri? Here is a photo comparing sizes with a regular Kozuka. The little one (2nd from top) with a shinchū brass handle was down inside a yatate.

They look like small kozuka, John, but more simply made. The ones I have seen tend to have a brass wrap-around handle enfolding a kozuka-like steel blade. I'll see if I can find one to photograph for you. Not sure if they were all a standard size, or individually tailored to the yatate.(?) Watch this space... (although I think they were probably posted in the smaller blades thread). PS This intriguing word Kamagiri is new to me. Need to check it out!

Someone posted a painting on the NMB of a mounted bushi with this kind of tsuba on his tachi. Artistic license perhaps, but a nice picture. Now, where was it...?

It should be added, however, that the 'value' answer above may be relative to other certificates. Whether it adds serious value to an object in the same manner as NBTHK certificates for swords, is another matter.

And, as it says in Jan's link above, Amitabha is rendered as Amida-Butsu in Japanese.

Just going back to Snowy's Mon a couple of posts back. I can see the circle is made up of Fuji wisteria, indicating some link to the huge Fujiwara genealogy, but the inner parts are too blurred in that shot.

Thanks for the comments, Alex, helping to advance the game. The larger one seems to be closer to a perfect ‘maru-gata’ circle. The Tagane hits around the seppa dai are different too. Possibly an owner kept both as alternatives for a particular tachi…(?)

I’m biased, coz I like green!

Ah, signed by Nagata, so it must be NKBKHK certificate, which may be the best there is. And ‘tokubetsu kitchō’ means especially valuable (historically, culturally). Why do you ask?

Sold as Dai/Sho, both are iron and fairly large, both have 24 petals (菊花 Kik-ka) and both have a kōgai-ana on omoté left, suggesting use for tachi. (?) Dai: 9.3 x 9.3 x 0.5 Sho: 8.8 x 8.55 x 0.45 My guess is Muromachi~Momoyama. So how could they be Dai-sho? Should I really be keeping them together? Why are these unsigned chrysanthemum tsuba called Saotomé? Etc., etc.

Just trying to be the interpreter here, but not working so I’m out.

There is no certifying body shown in the photo, Yves. And how far do you want the translation, e.g. all the words into English?

Well I read your comment the same way as Franco, that you were questioning its legitimacy, as if you knew something or had heard something. That’s why he asked what you were getting at, what your comment was supposed to mean.

Not getting much thanks for answering you, Yves, but here goes just once more. You have not included the name of the organization in your photo, so we are left to guess.

So Jim, you suggest it could be a fake?

“Edo Jidai, Zenki” means the first part of the Edo Period. (First 1/3rd) Maybe 1600s. Actually I think that description is quite full. *If it had said “Edo Shoki” then that would have been the very beginning of Edo.

Fuzzy, but an interesting shot of 礼射 ‘Reisha’ at our third event this year, up at Susai Castle on 14 April 2024.

It was my fault, the way I phrased it. I should be asking for forgiveness. Thank you for your always scholarly input!

Yes Franco, we all know it means 'old Hoki' from the Tottori/Japan Sea side of Japan, but surely ordinary readers would not, especially without the Kanji.

Not really a reader-friendly article either. It doesn't explain for example what 'kohoki' is supposed to mean. Here is a more detailed article in Japanese. 最古級の日本刀、なぜ天井裏に？春日大社、８０年前発見 (higashiyamatoarchive.net) Even so this is another reason to take that trip pilrimage to Kasuga Taisha and Nara Park.

Certificate Edo Jidai, Zenki, Tokubetsu Kitchō. Tetsu Kuro Urushi Nuri Kitsuké Kozané Moegi ito odoshi Ni-mai Dō Gusoku

Ah, thanks for that. I see what you mean! These Kozuka blade Mei were mostly (but not always) a dedication in admiration to a famous swordsmith, so they would be unlikely to tell you anything about whoever made the little blade itself. (Signatures you find on the Kozuka ‘fukuro’ however usually do indicate the artisan, though you need to watch out for fakes!)