Bugyotsuji

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. When a friend sold this yari to me, about 10 years ago, the pole at nearly 13 feet long stuck out from the front window. I had no red, so tied a white section of cloth to it. As I pulled out onto the main road, I saw a police car coming up right behind me. I think the law says anything outside the outer dimensions of the car must extend front or back, but not sideways. It was a sweaty nerve-wracking drive, and the dang police vehicle followed me almost the whole way home, for a good thirty minutes. Coincidence that they were on the same route, was it, or were they checking to see if they could book me for something? Anyway, eventually they turned off, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief. That was the story of taking it home. Well, you will not believe this, so I will not bother swearing on the grave of my mother, etc., but yesterday I had the pole sticking out a good three or four feet from the front window. I had wrapped it in a towel so it would not either bust the window or mark the yari, and then I placed a long red gun cover over the external protrusion, tied that firmly in place, and somehow made it down the drive, avoiding the overhanging bushes and trees. The gun bag was flapping mightily in the wind, the whole pole shaking as if in full Sengoku battle. As I was getting used to driving this extra-wide load in the rush-hour traffic, my hand on the pole, trying not to spear any cyclists, a police squad car appeared in my rear-view mirror, two or three cars back. NOT AGAIN!?!?! One by one the intervening cars peeled off and finally the police were right on my rear bumper! In the mirror I could see them there in the front seat consulting each other, but all I could do was sit in the traffic jam as we inched forwards, me sweating buckets. Would I have to pay more for the privilege of owning a long yari (yes, I had removed the blade!) with points on my license and a hefty fine? And what would I do with the damn thing if they told me to pull over? I stuck to just inside the centre line to take the widest possible berth. The tension in the pit of my stomach was killing me. Well, they did not switch on their lights and siren, but I did notice that they had moved their squad car closer to the side of the road, ...almost as if they were covering for the pole! I guess they were behind me like that for 15 minutes of so of my journey, finally pulling off and heading away up to the university. The whole slow drive took me an hour and a half to get the vibrating yari to its new home. Luckily the wife was away this week, so I was able to shift bits of armour and various other 'non-household' things. Phew! Posted before, but once more to help grasp the size of the problem.

There were hundreds of Kunitomo smiths, but checking the lists I have found eight who worked in Tosa, including a 'Kunitomo Iheita' 国友猪平太 (with a slightly different Kanji) signing under 土佐藩 'Tosa Han'. He is described as 3rd generation, and there is a known gun signed and dated Genroku 2.

Finally, reluctantly, moving house. 30+ years of clutter needs to be junked or hauled. The long Yari presents a problem. I brought it home in the old station wagon, which we sold. Now I have to carry it in (half out of) the down-sized ‘one-box’ car. (No roof-rack.) Law here says anything over-reaching must have a red warning cloth attached. Might take out a few cyclists on the way tomorrow. And this, ladies and gentlemen is why so many originally long Yari get cut down…

Artistically very satisfying composition. Perhaps the owner felt happier filling in the nakago ana, knowing it would never again be fitted to a sword, preferring a gold centerpiece over a sharp-edged opening.

Bruce’s Wiki link above suggests 1870, Chris. ‘Amida Yasuri’ halo rays were of course much older.

Seems to be working now!

Trying to post a photo, but the iPhone is on go-slow with this site... grrr.... just doing a reboot.

On Sunday, for the first time in my life, I witnessed these rays emanating from the dawning sun. At 6:00 am, driving across the Seto Ohashi road/rail bridge, the sun was about to rise over eastern Shikoku, and orange spokes splayed out against a dark blue background.

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'.