Bugyotsuji

Spent some time searching, but it looks like you guys may just have come up with the goods!

I only have about 140 netsuke, so I would be classed as a small collector. I do know that the recent US ivory laws, principally under Obama, have pretty much side-swiped the Netsuke collecting market there, and people have lost millions investing in them. Europe has also been strongly affected. Last summer I heard that even for example selling in Paris and collecting the payment into the UK can bring on a fine of up to 250,000 GBP. As to the Netsuke above, I doubt that it would be possible to prove over 100 years old. But it is legal to own, will not be crossing state borders, and as Moses says, it is a family keepsake, so all is good!

Brand new condition! Nobody rocks! (PS Navel is something to gaze at.)

Hi Moses. Finally figured out the double triple figure effect… you were placing the netsuke (okimono) on top of photographs! This is sadly probably ivory which makes its legal status dodgy in the US today. 20th century Chinese netsuke-like object of perhaps pre-WW2 vintage. The signature has been typically signed in Japanese-ish style by the Chinese artisan. If you like it as a keepsake, fine, but it has little resale value for serious collectors.

Predictive text warning! Probably means ‘Kazu-uchi mono’ above.

There are no hard-and-fast rules, but if you think of the highest quality Kenjo Tsuba, many were not signed as it might have been impertinent to put your name on it. With guns, there were few outstanding gunsmiths of their time, and most are unknown, even if listed, but a finely-crafted gun bearing a name such as Nihon Kiyotaka (Hankei) would add enormous cachet to a gun today, if you could even find one. There are some other famous names, but comparatively few.

The quick answer is no, not necessarily, Alex.

天国 Amakuni? Just throwing that into the pot!

Ancient Chinese script.

Mr Tensho, posted 15 September, previous page.

Looks like 久 -hisa to me(?).

https://yachounote.exblog.jp/241821948/ It is said that the cuckoos arrive in May in Japan from the continent for the summer months, as the snows on Mt Fuji are finally melting.

Maybe Kanzui, Uwe. Edo, around Bunkyū period. In 古今金工全集 by 清水　澄 (Not listed in this book under Hiroyuki)

Many of these would appear to be magnetic!

It's just a copy of the registration certificate back in Japan, recording some basic physical features for their legal records.

Oh, and today I found this one. Iron, ribbed. Acorns? The togishi asked if he could polish it, so I said ‘sure’! Came up nicely.

細違い角家紋 Try linking it like this with 'kamon'.

Nice design. Possibly 細違い角 hoso chigai kaku.

Cotton as 綿 ‘men’ was used for string, cloth weaving, etc. In the scene above however, they seem to be concentrating on bulk wata ワタ, which is the earlier process before spinning for thread/string.

10. (All for now.) iron with iron fukurin. Kaneie Mei, but it is said he did not add fukurin.

9. Tōsho tsuba, iron sukashi w/Amida yasuri.

8. Sendai, iron, signed Kiyochika. Kabuto riveting style. Katchūshi?

6,7. Two Owari (?), the right one NBTHK papered to ‘Owari’.

4,5. Two Saotome chrysanthemum wheels, iron, the larger one 9.3 x 9.3 cm.

3. Resonating with Richard’s above?