Bugyotsuji

That’s the one Luc. Many thanks. I have been searching for an example of those zaboshi. Is it signed, do you know? (The photo above did not show up on my PC but it’s fine on the iPhone!) :nuts:

Looks really interesting. Genuinely sorry I had to miss this. (Was there not a Saiga-style kabuto with with flat-headed zaboshi?)

Many thanks Luc and Paul.

Many thanks for the multiple photos Jean. What a wonderful exhibition. With Guido's warning above in mind, I am considering ordering the catalogue for this. (Was there a description regarding the large black-lacquer gun above?)

Great thread, reminding me what to do as I gradually tiptoe towards a little job. Anyone watching Malcolm's video above, remember to turn off the irritating music!

Haha... Liking the design, though.

Interesting example. I had two toppai, shallower that yours, but stupidly sold one of them not too long ago. I like the tehen/hachimanza decoration at the top. (Many of this type were joined together to a point at the top.) Re neck-ache. If you are using an iPhone to photograph with, it helps to 'edit' the photo first. Any kind of editing is fine, such as changing the light, or cropping the shot, easy to do within your phone. Once you push 'Done', the photo should be fixed in permanent alignment. (This may not be true for all smart phones.)

Yes, I agree on the feeling of -nao 直

Those stimulate all kind os thoughts and understndings. Thank you Malcolm. The second one seems to miss some of the left pages on my pc.

PS Not sure how to read the signature on the left, Hachimenzanbo??? 八面山房 +...?

The description in English is already on the web, Florian. Inside the box it says 丸形 Marugata (round shape) 鉄地 Tetsuji (iron ground) 舵地 Kaji-ji (rudder background) 透 sukashi (cut out) 銘　mei 紀州住 Kishu ju 貞命　Sadanaga 作　Saku

"Bungo-no-Kami" is just a fancy title, a grand-sounding fashion that swordsmiths used prolifically in the mid-Edo Period. Focus on 正全 and only use the title if you need to narrow the field, although the same smith would have produced swords even before starting to use one or more titles during his/her working life. Edit, my mistake; the last character was 全 and not 金. I am not sure how he liked to have his name read, but a quick check should tell you. PS Just found it, 'Masayasu' 正全

Gonome = Gunome. 刀　伝　尾張関豊後の守正全　Katana, Attribution, Owari Seki Bungo no Kami Masayasu (Edited, see below)

Ah, sorry, I didn't see the video clip. Having watched it now though, it does look like it has little age to it, and the lower grip at the front looks like many things, but not traditionally Japanese.

One further discovery that had not occurred to me was further readings of 行 in personal names. There are at least 10 different ways to read it including, Michi, Mochi, Tsura (e.g.Kusunoki Masatsura 楠木正行), Ko, Gyo, An, Yasu, Taka, Yuki, Nori, Hira, etc. And yes, I have cross-checked all of those... except against a list of Showa-to smiths.

Many of these one-offs were either an experiment of a fake, and dealers today gamble on making big bucks with them. Are you wanting to spend a lot of money on a very rare gamble? The quick answer is no, but with all these things you have to see a slew of photos or take the item in your hands. I have seen much more compact versions of what this gun was trying to accomplish, but 'if' it is indeed genuine then it must have been an early attempt, (1840-50?) rejected as too heavy, unwieldy and cumbersome. As with Japanese swords, they say that if you spend your life looking at the genuine article, you will instantly spot the fakes. Spend your life looking at questionable examples though, and you will forever stay confused, I was told.

The first was experimental, probably a one-off, around the Bakumatsu. Sawada Taira mentions it I seem to recall. The second does not have a Japanese feeling to it at all.

Is it just me, or does that not look just fine? In the past I have been guilty of applying too much Ren wax; you seem to have got it right.

Hi Bill, did you not have a thread running on this story here? It would be great if you can complete the circle somehow with this Wakizashi!

And I was reminded once more of the vivid colour-contrast in the hamon and jihada on late Edo Takahira blades.

A couple more striking blades and let’s call it 24 hours. A Yokoyama Kozuke Daijo Fujiwara Sukesada from mid Edo.

Peter, under pressure from the wife I have cancelled today's expedition. There is though a rolling project going on in this area with continuing donations coming in, and swords/blades from various shrines and temples getting sent off for polishing and long-term care. The media has become interested in this and recently it is often reported on TV. Somewhere on the NMB I have described and illustrated parts of this process. The religious sanctuary maintains ownership of the polished blade. After polishing paid for by donations, it is handed to one of the sword museums for care and occasional display, but the shrine (who are free of any maintenance obligations), can call for it back at any time for a matsuri or similar occasion. They are also handed an oshigata of the blade, and a book listing the names of the individual beneficiaries and the amounts they paid towards restoration. Great ceremony surrounds the movements of the blade each time. When the Togi is finished, the blade is conveyed back to the shrine for further blessings before finally being passed to the museum.

Translation of post #14 above. What subsequently happened to confiscated sword in Okayama Prefecture. Recorded in the Okayama Prefecture Police History. "Most households had one or two Nihonto or Tanto and some people truly felt strong affection and attachment to them, but the reality was that we had lost the war and there was a prevailing attitude that failure to produce them would mean arrest by the occupying forces, so in fear and trembling people offered them up. Local police would take both masterpiece and blunt blade alike, bundle them up with string, put them on their bike rack and cycle off to police HQ. There were rusty blades from farming households, and famous blades from large old residences, ...(omitted)... most of them were tossed in to the furnace at the police station or chopped up and passed on to scrap merchants. ...(omitted)... many were handed to accompanying US servicemen from the military government and for whatever reason carried back to the US. It is said that unfortunately there were many examples of famous swords going missing in the process. (From Second half of Okayama Prefecture Police History) A resident in the north of Okayama Prefecture used to say that they personally knew of someone with a large collection of Nakago from confiscated swords from that time. From this it can be seen that the tales of swords being chopped up were probably true.

It is interesting to see these, nomadic komi. Thanks for the link. (We are requested to disclose our first name and at least the initial of our last name here.) I see Mr Sugawa 'recommending' their models near the bottom of the page, in 2010 in Portugal. Repros are not allowed in Japan, so the market throughout the rest of the world will be small. These on your site may be your only source if you want a modern one. Why not contact them and ask? Is it a question for you of safety, or more of price? (Musket troops in Japan are forced to use real antique guns or none at all.)

Curran, it is good exercise for the old brain! Here is the other snippet from the Police History in Okayama. ( I am catching a cold and hitting the sack early so if anyone wants to play with some or any of the translation, take it away!!! Up early to go and witness an O-Naginata being taken from the Henmyoin for Togi and rescue in the latest local NBTHK crowd-funding project.) *How the authorities collected people’s swords around the country and how they were disposed of.