Bugyotsuji

Yes, Justin, that would be a fair assessment of the date, but hard to narrow down much further as longer-lasting patterns tended to be established during Edo. Your muzzle is one of the four main types found on these hexagonal small-bore guns of between 2 and 3.5 Monme. A famous smithy, there are 18 Yamada smiths listed for Sakai in Urabe San's Nihon no TeppoKaji, and two of these Sakai Yamada guns are noted as bearing a date of Kyowa 享和元年 Gannen. Then perhaps 30~50 years later in the Bakumatsu, at the end of Edo, someone might have thought fit to convert it to the new percussion style, and use extra powder to gain range against the encroaching barbarians. Yamada smiths also went to other places in Japan to ply their craft. (My first long Japanese matchlock was a Hazama-zutsu from Awa in Shikoku bearing the name Yamada Gohei for example.)

So a question to ask is which of the Sukesada line might this smith be?

Yes, I would agree with what you say Justin. That is a fine muzzle design with those silver stripes and the silver front sight tip. A good example of Sakai workmanship. In my experience of handling these old guns, most are heavily pitted internally. This could be from several factors, heavy use and lack of proper cleaning being the most likely. Japan is very humid, so special care needs to be taken to keep rust in check, and black powder is quite corrosive. The Ama-ooi does double work, keeping rain from running down into the pan, and flash away from the iron barrel. One year with no attention and the rust horse is also threatening to bolt from the stable.

It is possible that frequent blackpowder flash kept down by the nipple has eroded/corroded a new hole close to the barrel, at which point the gun would have been taken out of service. Pans and vents often corroded badly with frequent use, the passage of time, and lack of proper cleaning. Many show evidence of 'Buku-naoshi', a reworking, redrilling of the pan and vent hole.

Morita San, someone contacted me and suggested that 飾や might be 綿也, making 山城国水主(綿也)吉兵へ+花押... Do you think this is possible?

Yes Brian, but in the fuzzy photo there seems to be another hole close to the barrel. Justin said there is a built-up area on the pan, which I am guessing is the nipple (or nipple base) for the percussion caps. If so that makes two vents/touch-holes...?

Hi Justin, normal or not is probably not the question as there was constant experimentation during these rapidly changing end-of-Edo years. Remaining converted matchlocks can retain all, some or none of the various types of conversions, through loss, or indeed later reversion back to good old matchlock. The serpentine on yours is not for a matchlock but specially made for percussion. The spring is probably designed for a stronger downstroke. Iron was preferable for a powerful hit onto the cap, so not really confined to Settsu, even though the style of gun (eg muzzle and sights shape, width of band) and the Mei confirm it to be Settsu/Sesshu. Your pan is a puzzle, which the photos do not really clarify. Is it extra wide? Are there two holes into it?

Bingo no Kuni Tojo Ju Kojima Nori/Yasu/Nobu/Yoshi/Taka/Nari(?) kuni Saku

Yup, I am happy with that. Just learned the Sosho for Kuni, thanks to Morita San over on the recent Netsuke translation thread.

Many thanks for the encouraging words, Steven.

Manju, yes. Just for Steven...

吉兵衛　（よしべえ）　住居末詳 http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~mystudy/kikite/bunken/souken/soukenyaku.htm I wonder if it could be 吉兵へ or 吉兵エ

Morita San, fantastic. Thank you so much! One day it would be a pleasure to meet you in person to say thanks for all your help over the years. Piers

Hi Steven, it's just a plain ivory hollow torus/donut.

Don't I wish!!!

The first character is especially problematical for me. Or is it two characters? 山 plus something eg 山塚, or a single character with 山 on the top? Then I get Gyoku?sui 玉(?) 水, then 村 and finally a Kao 花押. Any help appreciated!

Facinating to watch, but two weeks to complete! Eek, eek! Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh.....

Thanks Brian. In his book 日本の古銃 Old Japanese Guns of Japan (only in Japanese), Mr Taira Sawada (who himself is Osaka born and bred) suggests that ashigaru (light foot soldiers) used guns of a minumum bore of 3.5 Monme. Army guns of this bore/caliber and above were plain and undecorated. He shows photographs from his collection not only of these, but also some highly decorated guns like yours of smaller bore. The difference is clear to him. Eric once provided an ukiyo-e print illustrating them being sold in an Osaka street shopfront. The writing in the print refers to them as 鳥銃 'bird' guns. The phrase 大阪商人 Osaka Shonin, which can also be read as Osaka Akindo, illustrates the popular concept of the traditional wheeler-dealer nature of the city, both buying and selling. Many of these decorated guns of smaller bore have found their way to the West over the years.

Better safe than sorry, Ed, I agree. Once your stock splits, and most do to some extent, there will always be a glue line from then on!

Thanet, no, there is not usually such a Kanji on the butt bottom. It gives an insight into the original owner's mind, doesn't it! It is probably hand engraved, rather than a 'stamp' per se. (?) ***** Sometimes these guns are difficult to open for the first time. The barrels tend to rust, and the stock wood tends to shrink, so you have to find some 'gentle' way to break the seal.

PS The character on the bottom of the butt is probably an old version of Ho/Takara meaning treasured object. 寶 (Ho-to means a specially treasured sword, for example.)

Hi Thanet, Congratulations on your new acquisition. You must be very excited. It would be foolish of me to say anything before you post pictures of the signature, if there is one, but your gun has most of the signs of a small bore long gun from Settsu/Sesshu/Sakai (Osaka). What are generally called merchants' guns. They are around 1 or 2 Monme in caliber, and they tend to be flashily decorated like yours. The tear shaped trigger, the shape of the rear sight, the thick brass breech band, the inlay on the barrel and the brass decorations on the stock all point that way. Your gun will be needing a new pan cover, and possibly a trigger guard? These are all (un)helpful guesses. Now watch me get egg on my face.

The quick answer is yes, it is in the overall Netsuke ballpark. On the other hand, it is more of an Okimono, in that it is primarily designed to sit flat on a flat surface, rather than nestle softly and snugly on your obi. One of the guidelines for old Netsuke was that they should fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and have no outstanding protrusions.There came a time in late Meiji and beyond when Netsuke were no longer made as functional Netsuke, and their ability to stand alone gained importance. Also many attempts were made to carve Netsuke-like objects primarily for profit, then as now, but you have to look at the details and decide whether the quality is there. If it is ivory, you have to be absolutely sure that it is a gem, and genuinely old, otherwise the elephant question looms large. My personal opinion is that it is not so old, and the carving is not so good, and therefore it is not a Netsuke in the strictest sense, even though there are always people who will see it as a Netsuke and continue to buy things like this. (One person's opinion.)

Is it supposed to be Hide 秀 or Hidekazu 秀 一 ? Either way, please be aware that fake signatures probably outnumber genuine ones on Netsuke, and although an extra stroke or dot was sometimes added, this trick was used deceitfully by subsequent mass producers of Netsuke trying to climb onto the bandwagon. In the same way, signatures are often added to a Netsuke because collectors outside of Japan often expect a signature to add value.

Also, it would be interesting to see the Mei if there is one. Many Choshu guns were ordered from Bizen, where locks were generally made of iron.