Bugyotsuji

Just last week one of the members of our NBTHK group, a youngish Horimono-shi who tends to do well in the national competitions, gave a talk and this particular subject inevitably came up. I raised my hand and asked a cheeky question, "If you completely redo the hori, whose work does it then become?" He was acutely aware of this and in many cases says he simply refuses requests to do certain jobs. On others he can help out with the owner's wishes. Interestingly his teacher Yanagimura Senju Sensei has traditionally told his deshi to carve with enough depth to allow for at least two subsequent togi without the Togishi having to worry about the stones touching the surface of the horimono. Of course good horimono in their own right sometimes deserve and bear the Mei of the carver added separately to the tang. Even in the old days, some smiths may have been confident enough to carve their own horimono, he said.

Malcolm has this one. Next time you are in Himeji with some time to spare before or after the castle, there is a little house in a garden, the Bokei Tei 望景亭　formerly belonging to the Hamamoto family just west of Himeji Jo, on the edge of the grounds of the ultra modern Himeji Bungakukan/Bungakkan. The rooms and corridors inside are lovely. Very peaceful. Views of Himeji Castle from the side. The tearoom has sliding fusuma with these Hikite on either side of the same fusuma. NBTHK used this place for sword Kantei a couple of years ago. http://hsuishin.exblog.jp/12300825/

Well, OK, one hint...

Hoping the pic orients itself the way I saved it. No hints to start with.

What I was thinking, Grey. Is it space for a Bugin, 一部銀 I wonder? http://www.nozakicoin.jp/images/img236.jpg

Where was the forge in Fukuwatari, I wonder? I have close connections there, so I'll ask around.

Oops... Nobody, many thanks.

The three letters 奉奇進 can be read Hokishin, (きしんたてまつる meaning celebrate a gift to a shrine). The rest is an address with a name, and the age of a child. (Unless there is something missing from your shots.) Hope this gets the ball rolling!

Yes, 玉山, but 'carved' (probably dremeled) in a modern Chinese workshop to look like Japanese Gyokuzan. Little market value, but fun to roll around in your hand or actually wear as no worries about damage.

豆洲　Zu Shu (Izu) 慶応　元年 Gan-nen, 1st yr of Keio, 仲秋　mid autumn?

Having said that, the thing has no mimi (handles) per se. In the pics available, they all do seem to have mimi, possibly making the carrying of water more easy. It does have an external rim, though, to aid grip? So 耳無し耳盥 Mimi-nashi mimi-darai? :D There is a Mingei Museum not far from here that has a set of Ohaguro utensils on display. They have the Mon of the Lord of this area. The largest bowl is similar, but whether it has mimi or not, I will have to go and check. Will I have to eat humble or even crow pie? Watch this space! :lol: Incidentally, in the ginacolliasuzuki link above the story of Ohaguro ends with the Meiji Empress getting the populace to give up the habit by appearing herself in public with white teeth. Apparently this did not actually work as the practice was deeply ingrained. What the article does not mention is that she then ordered that women in prison should have their teeth blackened, so that it became effectively a stigma. From then on, it worked like magic, they say.

Is that saying ?

If you want to mix up some for your wife/girlfriend, Ron: http://scent-lab.blogspot.jp/2009/05/bl ... aguro.html Many thanks for the kind comments. Now I almost wish I hadn't given away the black rectangular box set I once had with the brass tray, all the square lacquer and brass bowls, utensils, feather brushes etc, still inside it. The person who owned this tarai, 'mimidarai' used to keep Katana-bukuro inside. Enough bonbons for a huge party... There was a scrap of paper there too, saying 本多家, but I am not convinced.

Is it brand new, or has someone has polished all the age-patina off it!?! Henk-Jan, no longer can you deny it, it is time for you to join the Hinawa-Ju Club. :lol: Just had another peek and it looks old, but someone has polished the brasswork all over and varnished the stock. Quite a small caliber/bore at 3 Monme, but an unusually lovely decorative piece. Malcolm takes the bonbon today. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95% ... c-1815.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohaguro Morning ablutions and (o)haguro https://www.google.com/search?q=Japanes ... 5#imgdii=_ Mimidarai "The large round container, half of which is visible on the right-hand side of the composition above, is called a mimidarai, and sitting on top of that container is a thin tray, or watashigane. On top of the tray is the kanewan, the bowl in which the dye is mixed. On the ground to the left of the mimidarai, the brush which has been used to apply the dye to the young woman's teeth is resting atop a porcelain bowl, and to the left of the bowl is a small box of fushi powder." http://www.ginacolliasuzuki.com/author/ ... miles.html Notice the right split in the standing Aoi Mon.

Thanks for venturing first Ron. Nice try. I was told it was for rice, but that was wrong.

Mr Sugawa wrote at least three books on Hinawa-Ju, two of them in Japanese, the first of which was also roughly translated into English. Here is something different. 28 cm high and 34 cm across, larger than it looks in the shots. Any guesses?

Kunitaro San すごい！Nobody San すごい！

Nice puzzle. Good thread!　

There is a Ryugo type called 立つ字 Ryugo which is also close.

So far I think I can see 備中庭場(瀬?)城主三村　守　親重六代孫 I know that the Mimura clan were a big Daimyo family controlling Bitchu, and Niwase Castle was one of their important properties at one time. 庭瀬城 (Another version says 撫川城？）had another name 芝揚城. (こうげじょう Kogejo) Edited to make more sense...

Enjoyed all of them for one reason or another. Thanks for posting.

Ken, many thanks for the fascinating links. Quite an eye-opener. I like the way the writer says that although it is probably Kyo Kinko gold and silver Hira zogan, Kaga also used the same technique, suggesting to him/her that there was interplay/interlap between the two groups. I also agree that the creature on the back could be one of those weird long small-headed grasshoppers that you find in Japan.　(ショウリョウバッタ Shoryo Batta) As Peter has quite properly restored the thread to the original discussion, I will now back out.

As the paperwork says, Mantis under the Moon: 月下蟷螂 On the subject of missing mantis heads, I remembered a badly rusted wakizashi tsuba of mine that has a missing head. Well, it might be buried in the rust, but I do not dare take off any more. I am guessing this is Kaga-style zogan. (Not wishing to disturb the thread, the auction, or whatever, but just for reference.)

Hi there M.Lee, It is called a Kaiken in Japanese nowadays. The old Romanized pronunciation of older Japanese from Victorian times was "kwaiken". There are other examples of this. The Yotsuya Kaidan ghost story used to be called Yotsuya 'Kwaidan'.

Ed, if you give up try