Bugyotsuji

Thank you Keith. I can see what you say!

On Sunday at an antiques fair the dealer gave me a Fuchi in thanks for a fairly large purchase. "This is worth around 10,000 En," he whispered as he popped it into the bag. He also gave me a fairly nondescript Netsuke which I had casually picked up earlier, and his wife gave me a coffee some chocolates. Well, I drank the coffee and ate the choccies, :burp: but what do the honourable members think of this Fuchi? :|

For Chris and John.

Maltesers? More teasers, sir? :lol: Right! That's all for this evening. Two left... will anyone beat tomorrow's deadline for entries?

If I have posted these pics before, put it down to old age. Now, can I find one or two that do not give the answer as in the saya-gaki?

You are right, John. Can you guess who owned this sword? Would you like some closer shots? Just off to sleep now though... (No not our Mon, although I do have a running interest in Shimazu.)

No prizes for guessing what might be special about this sword.

What do you want translated? It is the standard Japanese Local Education Ministry registration form. (Nothing certified) It says "Katana", and then Length, 52.8 cm, Sori, 1.2 cm and has 2 Mekugi holes. That's it, apart from the statement under Mei: "No Mei" It was registered in Tottori.

Brian, please do!

Are they a single lot? Could be interested in the kozuka, depending on the price, of course. :lol:

Could it be a drawstring kinchaku purse, and they have pulled the elaborate knot undone?

Or possibly for sticking bear or wild pig.

John thinks fractious, and you think happy, Jan? A hot day. An old horse, with a loose saddle, (I wobbled from side to side) I think he was just fed up with all the posing and wanted another of those apples on the clubhouse veranda. Agreed on Morita San, a Living NMB Treasure. NMB人間国宝　 We mustn't forget Nobody San either. I have great respect for both.

Lovely insight, Ian.

The writing is just to small to read, making it hard to follow up. I had a look around the net, but nothing definitive came up. I tried asking the horse...

That must be it, Eric. So you reckon it's the front part? Well, that's even better as I was afraid I had the rear not-so-clean end. Thanks for that! Fascinating shots. Where did I read that those pack saddles were very unstable affairs and could swivel round and drop off the unwary passenger? It's a pretty thing for decorating the house perhaps, somewhere, but I paid far too much money for it. This morning I saw a very large dipper at an antiques show, probably to water or de-water a horse. It was black and had the two main Kamon of Mohri in gold on it, a flower Mon on the side and the single stroke with three blobs on the bottom of the bucket section. The dealer, who works for the internet seller Daimyo, told me there had been two, but he had sold the better one.

No, it's happened again. Sadly I am still getting logged out here at home (but never for some reason at work). Maybe the software likes firewalls. At least the rest is now all dark grey and charcoal and I have a nice new button selection along the top of the page!

Theory Two. This was a memento to celebrate the 1919 opening of the 華南銀行 Kanan Bank in Taipei, Taiwan, a joint venture between Japan and rich Chinese merchants when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. It served most of Soth-East Asia and was called the Kanan Ginko, (or ”Nangin” for short) and that is why these letters are used NAN銀... http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8F%AF% ... 0%E8%A1%8C

Nihonto theme, he says? ... ... Yah finally got me to abandon the African Queen and switch over! :lol:

Brian, luckily this site logs me out every time. I have just read your reply logged out and lo and behold! there was a completely different FAQ section way up top left of the screen with the missing information large and clear!!! Normally when I am logged in, the FAQ section is top right and completely different, certainly not including that article! Only just by luck discovered this just now... :D (Is this something to do with the colour scheme? I have light blue on white.) PPS Sorry for being a pest.

Ron, you are my guardian angel! (Again) Bet you've never been called an angel before! Many thanks for that. Sept 11, 2008, so how on earth did you find that? Brian had once mentioned an intention of putting it somewhere but it is still where it was I guess.

Looking for the article on how to open/dissassemble a Tanegashima but can't for the life of me find it. Not in Articles, and not in FAQs... what am I doing wrong?

Drago, how large is this piece, and can you post close-ups of the NAN (is it written like that in English capital letters?). Nanking? If it was made from parts by a western silversmith, or if it was broken and fixed at a later date, could the Hono sign possibly have been put back on upside down?　Certainly it would be easier to do the work on your workbench with the Torii gate upside down!

Yes, that is a little optimistic, but perhaps he had some built-in bargaining leeway? :|

Thank you Malcolm. I forgot to mention that the guy who sold me the magic gloop said you should always use a microfibre/fiber cloth with it. His words, but he was not talking about lacquer. I used it all over the house and fell down the stairs after getting some on the soles of my slippers. As to the Fuji San lidded Otoso pourer above, I only wanted the little dish but the dealer said I had to buy the whole box with the kettle included. As a sweetener he threw in a delightful little porcelain ochoko depicting a Koi and Sakura petals. So how much is all of that? I asked, scratching my head in bewilderment. A thousand yen, he replied. (Well, it was New Year.)