Bugyotsuji

I never knew that, Ian. Presumably some can be found in museums. For anyone who has not come across these Japanese "Kayaku-dameshi" before, they were used for testing out the quality of gunpowder, thus the name. They are like miniature cannon, but held in one hand and set off by way of the touch-hole. Some have a separate vertical hole so that they could be pinned to a base or carriage in some similar way to Ian's description above. No mechanism, so they do not need registration papers. The following two pics show the difference in caliber. The larger calibre of the copper one is another reason I went ahead and bought it. (...despite the price!). These used to go for around 70,000~80,000 JPY a few years ago.

Mystery objects? Acquired the copper-looking one today, because I've not come across one of these in copper before. The lower brass (?) one (the lighting makes it look brown, but it's very green) is one of two I had before one escaped. Tell me you like them! (Or not...) There is a word in Japanese 砲金　Ho-kin, to describe "gunmetal" (as distinct from brass and bronze). According to Wiki this was an alloy of 90% copper to 10% tin; cannons were cast from it, although you may also find the occasional handgun.... http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A0%B2%E9%87%91

Hi Tom. Apologies. I think it says Chikushi 筑紫 a place in Fukuoka, Kyushu.

Tom, the name's in katakana, = Yoshiharu (so you were close!)

Not quite... :|

The convention was held at Nippon University, so I wonder if these 'Kyoshi' are highschool teachers, university lecturers, or religious teachers. There were many World Sunday School meetings, but this is an All-Japan National meeting. I would like to know more about the background to this, but I guess it was born out of the struggle for the hearts and minds on the Japanese populace at a time when state Shinto was growing ever stronger under the influence of the ever more powerful army. Buddhism had receded into the background, and there was still a question as to the effective role of Christianity, or am I reading too much into the design? Any historians here? :lol: Thanks Ian and John.

Yes, the mirror being Shinto, Kami being the first of the Kanji on the reverse. I missed this too, but an elderly Japanese gentleman pointed it out to me at lunch today. I was looking on the net for background info on this.There was a historical struggle for the Christian (Catholic?) faith to obtain govt recognition of equal status as a religion. The concept of the big three, ie Kami, Butsu, Ki (Kirisuto) seems to have existed since some time in the 1870s or 1880s at least. (?) Some kind of official Japanese govt recognition took place in the early 1920s. Education and Sunday school teaching must have been involved. There was also a running problem with burials in general, and Yasukuni Shrine in particular. MacArthur wanted to abolish Yasukuni at the end of the war, but some Catholic priests persuaded him that it was enshrining the names of people who fought for Japan, regardless of whether they were Shinto, Buddhist, or Christian, (those three names crop up again) and fulfilled a function similar to many shrines around the world.

Ian, you have done rather well there. That is slightly ahead of where I was this afternoon :lol: until someone pointed out another large object on the obverse... (Oh, and yes, I was wondering whether those were laurel leaves. Thanks.) Here I will print what it says on the reverse: Round the edge: 神佛基全國日曜學校教師大会参加記念　 In the middle:主催　日本大學 Some of the characters are older Kanji; I've done my best to reproduce them.

There is an inscription on the reverse side which provides some information, some of it oddly puzzling. There must be a story behind the event. Anyone want a hint? Well, to start with, what do you see on the obverse? :|

Another week goes by. Every day I have worked on the powder flask and it is a lot better than the holy photo above, close to where I want it, but not just yet. Each coat of 'lacquer' needs to dry naturally, and the process takes time... and now it looks too shiny! :lol: OK. Here is a little puzzle. Not exactly Edo Period per se, but something very Japanese. How much can you guess about this medallion? It's not dated, but there seems no doubt that it is from between WWI and WWII. You may need to throw away all your preconditioning in order to approach this dispassionately. (The trusty watch is for size comparison.) Anyone wishing to step forward?

Well, if it states "1944" and "Attack & annihilation to the Yanks & Brits", then that is a strong pointer to when the Mei was cut.

A very interesting story. Congratulations on a mission well accomplished. PS You seem to have posted the same doc twice!

Thanks for the feedback as always, Ian. Those ready-packed 12-apostle cartridge tubes are called Hayago. Some had a hole in the other end for pushing the ramrod through. As you know, each soldier would place a musket ball in the end, and then fill these tubes probably from the larger powder flask, in preparation. The large flasks were probably filled every so often by ammo runners during the day, carrying a box of drawers off the shoulders in the manner of a rucksack. I have a bullet pouch with a mouth somewhat as you describe. They are often called Karasu-guchi as they resemble the beaks of Japanese crows. Mine is a rather unusual snake with heads at either end. Here is a pic of the Sai-hai. I took several from different angles, but I fear for Brian's bandwidth, so will only post two or three. It has Inome heart-shaped windows, and there is a design on it that may or may not be a Mon.

Where did all those little chaps come from? :lol: For size comparison I have included a primer flask on the right, quite a large one, slightly smaller than the palm of my hand. The coarse blackpowder flask in the centre/center is the new acquisition. This is a small one as powder flasks go, rather larger than the palm of my left hand. I think it uses bone, not ivory. The collar is carved from some very fine wood, reminding me of Kannon statues. Byakudan/Sandalwood? Keyaki? (Need to check this) In Picture 2 you can see the new bone shovel duct/cylinder in place. The cap had been filled with a wooden plug by someone, which had been thoroughly glued in, so you can imagine the struggle to chip it out and clean it without cracking the cap. (Yes, I may need to pull the cylinder out a bit more so it can go deeper into the flask.) In Pic 3 you can see a closeup of the side with the holes. The worms were considerate enough to concentrate generally on one side. I used a toothpick to fill the holes with drops of Cashew lacquer. This morning I went round with a fine paintbrush and filled in the holes some more. I will use a resin polish to smooth out the crater rims, flatten it down overall somewhat and buff it up convincingly. I hope to post a pic of the 'finished' article within a few days.

I could do with a good dentist right now. Owww...... Thanks for showing the Miso bowls, Carlo. No clear answers yet on what a) was put in wooden gun barrels or b) what the Chinese characters on the scroll relate to. All in good time. (Mine and I'll have to find it.) As to what goodies have sprung up from between the floorboards, there have been a couple in the last week or two. One is a Sai-hai officer's wand with dangly stuff, which may have got a mention a page or so back. Black lacquer rod with chased silver fittings, and white cut paper tassel. Edo Period. Last week I found an intriguing Edo Period billfold or wallet, with two completely different viewing sides. One side closes with a leather flap and brass/copper lock; the other side closes with an ivory ring symbolizing the moon which hooks over a little copper tanuki raccoon. Hmmm... for women? I asked casually. No, more likely for men, came the answer. Then on Saturday I found a cleverly-worked leather wood and ivory powder flask needing a bit of restoration work, some of which I have now done. Unusually well-preserved white leather musket ball bag attached. Potentially could be very good, but some perplexing challenges ahead. (Do you leave 10-15 woodworm holes through the lacquered leather surface of the flask, or do you try to find a clever way to stop them up?)

Hmmm.... that's a heavy blow to the site. Your presence was always felt, and people kept generally in line under your strict and fair 'guidoance'. If they didn't, through ignorance or carelessness, then soon learnt to ... The place was better for it. Will miss you. Hoping you will continue to stay around in any capacity. Many thanks.

Any luck with this, Barry?

Looks like someone has tried to remove some of the rust...

Would it be possible to move the Mekugi ana to the top of the frame so we can read the Mei from top to bottom more easily? The shadow obscures the Mei in some way, so in an ideal world I would love you to take a clearer photo...

Something Kagenori... Bishu (?) Kagenori, am I seeing?

Jeff, which is the closest city to you?

If you have a local sword shop and you can make friends there, then the easiest way is to ask them to arrange it all for you. There will be a nominal sum involved, depending on what rank you are aiming for, but you will step into a cut-and-dried process with no heartache. The ideal shop should have been doing this for years, and they can advise you at any point how your process is coming along. Just be happy to allow a few months for the wheels to come full circle. PS Remember there are different organizations out there appraising swords, so you will need to make a decision on whose papers you value most... or if you are planning to sell, then whose papers you consider carry the most credibility.

Thank you John. Not sure yet how that fits, but it is a possible way forward. I think I will print all this information out and show it to some Chinese people at the Confucius Institute. Not that the scroll is worth much, I guess, but for the joy of the game.

Good question about what they fired. Possibly grape, or even those ball-shaped fireworks. (Will check this out.) I've seen examples of them here and there, including the one in Sendai. The Westerners arriving at the end of Edo also came across them, I believe. Our Teppo-tai members went to Seki-ga-hara one year but they came back convinced that they were each haunted by some terrible ghost. Some of them fell ill or had accidents and the whole story of the trip to Seki-ga-hara would come out again. Whenever I express a desire to go for the next national enactment there, they all look gloomy and say how lucky I was to have missed the last trip.

So let me get this right. 1. The Tokugawa allowed the West to erect a stone monument in memory of the beaten army. 2. Kondo, a Confucianist from Bizen (any connection with Shizutani Gakkou, I wonder?) was chosen to compose the writing for the slab. 3. A Chinese calligrapher was asked to do the writing itself. 4. The monument was carved and erected in 1817, the wording indicating the places where the Kubi-tsuka mounds were to be found. (?) 5. In 1865 someone did a rubbing/Oshigata of the monument and created a scroll. Does this sound reasonable so far? :lol: (I wonder if the monument is still there...)