Bugyotsuji

Just offering this as a trial balloon. 山田鉄周 Shoot down as necessary. (Kanji two looks hastily struck...? Kanji three 媛?needs further dictionary work, I guess.)

Many thanks, John.

You will probably have trouble reading this yourself. Not a good example for starting out with. There was a strange style/fashion around WWII of cutting Mei in seriously angular writing.

The wife is definitely a restriction on collecting such things, but she went overboard on chests of drawers so that gave me some leeway/ammunition. Tidy little collection there, Tony. Loving the handles on your chest too! Here is a lacquered and reenforced rather battered box probably carried on the Sankin Kotai, for food? One side lifts up, and lacquered drawers are pushed out through fingerholes in the back. The top becomes a high-sided tray.

Curran, your Katanakake with mid-Edo date of 1753 is such a nice find. And the little ring-pull (copper/iron?) drawer for cleaning equipment makes it extra special. (The painting is not bad, either!)

Saitama Ken, No. 9724

This one has a long single drawer inside with an iron ring pull, large enough for a Tanto and koshirae. Not sure what its original purpose would have been. Has original key. No brushwork information or date, but reeks of Edo to me. Perhaps early 1800s with that type of lock?

One thing I have found myself attracted to is old Japanese boxes, plain wood, bound in iron, lacquered, etc, from simple and practical up to fancy. Well, not so fancy; the old purse kept my own feet pretty much firmly planted on the ground. Sadly they seem not to be highly treasured in Japan today; many must have been lost over the years to neglect or whatever. Lacquer is a good example of something really practical and beautiful, expensive when new, and yet so unloved when second-hand. Japanese houses were for the main part without furniture and as I understand it, necessary objects were fitted by the house builder carpenter, not by separate furniture makers. Only richer people could afford to have moveable objects around the house, so furniture was a sign of growing wealth. (Should we keep chests of drawers to a separate thread, or allow them in here too?) If anyone wants to add comments or photos to this thread, please do. I was contemplating smallish boxes, say up to knee-height or the size for a set of armour. Oh, and katana-bako are OK!

His name sounds so much like MoroHongo 毛呂本郷 (the district below Moroyama 毛呂山) in Musashino! Betting this smith hailed from there, and... could there be wordplay on 金工 Kinko too? Was he from an artisan family, his father a Kinko, I find myself thinking.

Messing around with the books today and stumbled over the 武蔵 Musashi 文化 Bunka smith 毛呂金吾(金吉?)源信吉 'Moro Kingo/Kongo(Kanekichi?) Minamoto Nobuyoshi', who worked with Suishinshi Masahide around 1804-1818. At least one 合作 Gassaku of theirs is known; I wonder what? How could I have overlooked this before, and why did none of my sword associates suggest this Meikan entry? This has suddenly linked together all the little positive indications so far. A bolt from the blue! Could it be possible that I have at long last found the actual smith who made this Kusarigama in the photos above?!?!?!? It was all so vague and nebulous. Now the research can maybe begin! *NB Some websites have different readings of his Mei, eg one site has/had Moko instead of Moro, and 'Kanekichi' could be a mis-reading of a cut kanji for Kingo/Kongo/Kanego.

PS Presumably you got Bakufu Shi/Samurai Kawai Hisayuki etc.?

Place of registration: Saitama Ken Date of registration: Showa 29 May 12 Date on sword: Keio 2 November

Shogun8, Ichiro was so good that people have played happily with signatures on his creations. Some have even ended up in museums.

Excellent. Many thanks!

Which character for -moto, Ben? (There were about six different characters for' moto' used by 兼 smiths.)

Yes, Ben, that helps narrow it down but it hardly advances the game as some crucial characters are missing. Still, I am willing to stick my neck out in a sacrifice for the greater good. Hand me another beer. The top right smith name (?) two ink characters are on the other side of the tang? The long name: 鈴木Suzuki 源左衛門Gen(za or u?)emon 尉Jo (Saku?) Kore, or are the last two Kanji a name, eg (Something) -yuki? Or do you think he owned/carried the blade? 携or帯?

Those are much better, Ben. Thanks!

And to do it with just that one photo? That is a bit of a harsh request!!!

Bill, are you out there?

Hello, after some magnification I was just able to see 血気の勇を戒めむ　which roughly means "Charge like a wild boar!" (Real or fake what? It is a famous expression, or part of...)

And the name looks like 竹中重三 Takenaka Juzo (sometimes read as Shigezo?)

No worries, Chris. Just curious. Mr Tsuruta seems to be trying to be as honest as possible in his descriptions.

Tom, this is a scary one, but have you considered 刎 -fun/-nakare? http://jigen.net/kanji/21247

Chris, do you have the link to the original Japanese listing at Aoi Art. The write-up looks good in English. I wonder if there are any hints in the original?

NOBODY Sama, great to have you back!!! Many thanks. (Have you been away?)