Bugyotsuji

本 may also indicate an order batch, and/or 'belonging to', such as a castle armory.

Hmmm... that is a mystery indeed, Dale. Thanks for the background thoughts so far.

Dale, six/seven of what kind? Mokko and...(?)

If that’s on the blade, then it’s more likely a dedication than a signature. (One photo is rarely enough help to see something indistinct. Can you change the angle and lighting conditions?)

Following outrage after famous incidents like public killings, laws were passed limiting the length of swords. The dates of these laws are generally known, and can help you narrow down when the work was done.

LOL yes. It could suggest that Jesuits came by ship, as a historical fact, but if the authorities questioned you, you would still be free to say, "That is not my faith!" Or "That is the tiller, stupid!"

Late to the party! Attempting to get some 3D quality…

I used to own one of those, I think. Water under the bridge. Nice to see it again,though.

Subtle…(?)

Some real treasures in this thread. (One of my secret favorites, Tessen clematis. Nice to see so many examples here. )

My wife freaked out having a suit of armour in the hall, but gradually she came to like it there. Now she feels that it somehow guards the house. Actually it's pretty amazing when you start to realize how many materials were used and what skill was involved to fashion the armour into something functional, not too heavy and not too light, which also looks both good and fearsome. And then you start to discover the endless blend and variety of colour and material to be found extant. Instant time slip. And people sometimes comment on it, and ask questions. In some ways the ultimate decoration, the traditional centrepiece of the house of a bushi.

Hectic times here. We have blackpowder displays every single weekend until the double on 7th and 8th of December, so 10 in total including last week at Tottori Castle. On Saturday and Sunday we had the local NBTHK sword society display with some lovely things in glass cases. One corner was set up for the public to try their hand at tagane work. One wall was for a teppo display, which was my watch. With one Satsuma long gun from the south-west, and two Sendai guns from the north-east, I was finally able to complete the display I have been dreaming of, two tables with various guns representing many of the regional manufacturing areas throughout Japan. I used the green felt cut-out for the four islands. Honshu Sendai long gun Sendai 30-Monme 0-zutsu hand cannon (Date Masamune) Matsushiro (Takeda/Sanada) long gun Kii, Wakayama 20-Monme O-zutsu hand cannon Kunitomo pistol c.1610 Bizen pistol Bizen long gun Choshu long gun (Mohri) Shikoku Iyo long army gun, made to order in Nanto (Nara) Yamato Kyushu Kumamoto Castle long army gun (Hosokawa) Satsuma long army gun Apart from the nigiri deppo, for added variety, all the above were matchlocks. (Kept four back in reserve, so as not to clutter)

We know that now, John. I spent several hours researching it, and worked with your photos, and tried to provide alternatives for you. All I can add now, is that from the state of the barrel and the size of the mekugi surrounds, the missing cover and amaooi, and the repaired pan (buku-naoshi) your gun has seen heavy use, and is probably earlier than late Edo. (1700s Mid Edo) A previous owner must have felt the need to strip it back and make the stock and butt look more pleasing to the eye. Do you have a measurement in cm for the bore diameter?

Yes, Kokura makes sense. Thanks, Yoon! 1871-1876 https://en.m.wikiped...ki/Kokura_Prefecture

Many of the stamps are not clear, so they are to a degree open to interpretation. Usually with these Jinshin registration numbers there is an indication somewhere on the barrel or stock nearby noting the place of registration. If we follow the same direction as the numbers (which go from right to left), then the bottom word makes sense as Kokufu Ken コクフケン. With the Kanji it would be, as I said above, 国府縣 if you use the old kanji 縣 for 県 Ken (prefecture). (Originally I thought it might be ユリフ, but that did not make much sense as I could find no record of such a place.) This would tell you simply that a gun originally made somewhere in Japan was picked up in the great registration of 1872 in Gifu.

...is it 1,000 or 2,000? 一千, 二千? Hard to tell with those shadows, but try this 一千八百七十三

The gun looks good from here John, well used, with some minor damage and the original coating stripped off completely. The Mei looks to be 正忠 Masatada (or 正良 Masayoshi) + Saku, but I cannot immediately find a record of either personal name without the smith family name above. The gun does have some distinguishing features, but not really enough for me to place it geographically. (Kunitomo?) As to age, we can say loosely mid-Edo. On the side of the butt is the 壬申 Jinshin Bango number from the great round-up of 1872. Looks like 1,873 号 ('go' =number). Under that may be コクフケン 'Kokufu Ken', an early Gifu Prefecture name(国府県?) but I haven't yet figured that out. In early Meiji, the old Han were abolished and a new system of prefectures was introduced. Some of the new prefectures only lasted a few years, merging with others for example, but many kept their original name. (Still working on it) PS Since the barrel has no rifling, it might be better to call it a Tanegashima (smoothbore) matchlock long gun, etc.

Alex, I sold the blade as the rush subsided. Perhaps I should have kept it. The experts seemed divided! But it was a learning experience for me, and for that alone I give thanks. (But the blade did seem to embody some special feeling. I wonder...)

On this site they mention an "O-iwai Zashi" said to have been made by Iga no Kami Kinmichi. －　延寿而抱福（お祝い差）伝日本鍛冶宗匠 伊賀守藤原金道（五代） Den Iganokami Kinmichi　－　日本刀の通信販売　明倫産業株式会社 (nipponto.co.jp) I find myself wondering if the term can be applied to any blade that is worn for the genpuku ceremony. 'A blade for the celebration.' Or does it mean a blade that is created specifically for such a ceremony? Even so, a quick search of the J internet does not pull up much information about that specific expression. I am willing to learn!

In the Nihonto Meikan, Heianjo Yasuyuki, around Kanbun. Yamashiro. In the Toko Soran. (Same characters, 安幸)

Hamfish, that is a separate bill for the box fumigation check. (Not customs or anything you may have paid to Japan.) Australia normally does not allow wooden products in, and after inspection may choose to destroy or fumigate it if necessary. A quick glance will probably tell them that the box is not a bio threat, but they will want to take their standard 100 dollar fee for whatever process they choose to list. And your box together with bio certificate will then be legal in Oz!

It’s an interesting field. Hoping you find a reliable shop and some nice additions (and post them here!). That silver ichibu for example. I bet most people here have not spotted the distinguishing feature for the year on it.

The unusual 田野 may be playing with characters. Reverse these two and you get 野田 = Noda The famous early Edo smith. Noda Hankei, also known as Noda Zenshiro Kiyotaka. NB 圭 Kei may also be playing on this same suggestion, sound-wise.

Steve, Nobody is somebody around here! He has phrased it in such a way that it is impossible to be sure whether that is a four character name or a combination of name and number. These four characters could be read from left to right or right to left, changing it totally. 二 can be a number (2) or part of a name, as in Shoji above. ロ can be the sound 'ro', used a as a counter, (イ,ロ,ハ = 1,2,3) or it can be kuchi (a mouth), i.e. part of a name, etc. So, with no other context it could even be 2 Oda (Ro) for example, if some rank, or bunk, or cabin is meant. So there are various possible readings depending on what the original writer meant. With no other context, Nobody's answer is the safest.

It's not a monkey but Gama Sennin as Colin says, and they are not flowers but sasa (low- growing bamboo leaves) and a pine tree. One typical depiction of pine trees will show a variety of pine with rounded needle bunches.