Baka Gaijin

I wonder if it is a Fuchin hanging scroll weight minus the himo and fusa?

High George, Chinese, most likely Canton Work, similar subject matter is found in Ivory for Victorian Card cases.

Could it be an example of Tameshi testing? Markus Sesko wrote an article about various forms of Tameshi which took place during the Bakumatsu. https://markussesko.com/2019/08/27/destructive-sword-testing/ I think Guido also posted something about destructive testing on Tsuba. Should be somewhere on NMB.

Hi, George, Without labouring you with obscure Japanese terms. You have a Fan Dagger. They appear in the late Bakumatsu era (1853 - 1867) This was effectively the ending of the Samurai as a Social force. Fan Daggers continued to be produced in the Meiji era (1868 - 1912), and beyond as tourist trinkets. It is rare to fine a blade of any real value in such mountings. However as an example of an artifact of extreme Social Change, they have an importance. Folding Fans were briefly banned in the new Tokyo, from certain areas such as Performance Arts and Sport events including - Kabuki and Sumo. Hope this helps

Good evening Old Bean, Evidence of Absence is not Absence of Evidence.... Occam's Gillette.... Sho Kosugi..... Numerous 12 year olds.... However, no sign of Ninja.......... Like Fight Club, if you can find a Ninja Dojo, it isn't. Shinobi existed, but, hidden in plain sight, and part of the Densho of many Koryu. Specific tools and impedimenta are a 20/21 Century construct, based upon Films and Manga. Your NBTHK Sensei sounds the most plausible.

Thank you Robert and Piers, I think you've hit the proverbial with the proverbial. The decoration on the outside of the box is quite elaborate, and very much for the Western taste.

Good afternoon, I have a document box with a rather elegant script and Kao. I suspect it is early 20th Century. I have done a partial translation, but would appreciate a second opinion.

Hi Bruce, If you count the petals on the illustration "Toyotomi" Kamon and the ones of yours, there is a distinct difference.

The Hokusai manga were originally sketches made with black ink. Later hands may have added colour to editions, possibly to increase sales, but this is not how they were intended. Clue: It's all in the weave of the Paper.

Hi Greg, There are several impressions of the Hokusai Manga, which extended to 15 volumes, from 1815 to 1878. There are later impressions in both Meiji, Taisho and Showa era. The early impressions are woodblock printed, often in Fukurotoji format. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_books Here are some examples: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/851646?fbclid=IwAR03GnvVPxyMU4M3XhavsE2fJNZ9g1z5VQqFjnUVQF2CdEsjdoQ3lNPHgGg https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/851648?fbclid=IwAR1fQQafBOFX2EWNXCTOakUgb3NpzFdCHGJDDyK4gYBBE9qCbktG01DuFmY Watch out for insect and water damage.

Hi Jack, Nothing fake about this. Equally nothing to be said about the blade. Constructed from bone for sale to lower end tourists c.1900 - 1920. They can be really well carved. Not of great value, but worthy of preservation for exactly what it is, an honest piece of history.

Well called Guido, Now I see the 山radical on the left. Thank you

Good afternoon all, I am stumbling over this signature, closest I can get is either Misaki or Sanjou?? Any opinions? ????

That's a shame, It was on my itinery. But, decision made for the greater good. I'm still booked and paid for late October early November, Flight and Hotels, so whatever happens, if I get there, and have to self Isolate for the duration, I'll at least post images out of my Hotel Window........

Good morning Steffiee I think the Kamon is Maru Ni Yotsu Me 丸に四つ目 (assuming the points of the squares are at clock positions 12, 3, 6, 9). If it was flat on,(edges at clock position 12,3,6,9) then Maru Ni Hira Yotsu Me Yui 丸に平四つ目結

Thank you Piers, always to the rescue!!!

Chaps, I am overwhelmed by the speed of execution. Thank you both, most sincerely. I have Sōshoku yōgu tagu ichi 〔 Dai 〕 Nishida ke Something like "Ornamental Equipment Set (Stand) Nishida Family" Now comes the question who were the NIshida Family!!

Good morning everyone, I have a small stand with a perplexing inscription. I think it may be from Meiji, or possibly late Edo period. So far, I have So far, I think I have 用in the top line (Yo or Mochiru ?) and possibly 西 top character bottom line (Nishi or Sei?) followed by 田 (Ta or Ten?) Maybe Nishida? Thank you

I agree Piers, probably about 6hrs work, with the wind in the right direction.

Shinsengumi seems to be flavour of the week, here's a blade in Koshirae with a stated link to Souji Okita, currently at a prestigious gallery in London: https://japanesegallery.com/katana-mumei-attributed-kashu-kiyomitsu-with-hozon-token

Good morning Justin and Piers, Just in case, the Kamon depicted on post #5 are: Mukai Hato - two pigeons and Maru ni Mukai Hato - two pigeons within a circle There's a reference to the Mukaibato むかい ばと as a talismanic reference to the number 8 read as Hachi, and symbolism for Hachiman. Check this out, it may be a jumping off point: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Pf3PAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=mukai+Hato&source=bl&ots=DMBB9iu86E&sig=ACfU3U2x5C-ah_MBAk5VH3gNiRCaUXT1gQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjpprOH2ezpAhXfQxUIHYfhDYUQ6AEwAXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=mukai%20Hato&f=false

Good Evening everyone, The Getty Museum catalogues this as a hand coloured albumen silver print by Kusakabe Kimbei c. 1870 - 1890.

Good afternoon Bernard, I am trying to lock down the name Shunki to a period around 1807, but the only name that I can come up with is Yasukawa Harusada II 1830 - 1887, who was known as Shunki 春暉. However, if there was a Yasukawa Harusada II, then, there was also a Yasukawa Harusada I, and, presumably the Shunki nickname is from the Haru in Harusada. We do need to go carefully, as one of the Utagawa Family also used Harusada in his art name. However, I came across a misnomer, and for a long while, an artist known as Shunko, was incorrectly referred to as Shunki, in Western textbooks available in the early 20th Century. Here he is, known as Katsukawa Shunko (1743 -1812): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katsukawa_Shunk%C5%8D_I Further work sounds like a job for Piers and Steve M. Great fun however, and thank you for sharing your collection..

Good morning all, Bernard, I think your print may be depicting something called "Kawabiraki", literally the River opening ceremony, which took place in a number of places, most famous being the area of the Ryougoku Bridge in Edo. Do you think it may have originally been a triptych, with another sheet on the left? A number of artists depicted it. Here's Utagawa Kunisada from c.1858, and also, as Ken observed, no one in foreground is looking at the fireworks in this one either.

Good afternoon Alexander, It looks like a Naval sword, and it's called a Kaigunto. People from the Military swords of Japan section will know quite a bit about it. You might repost it there, to get better response. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum/45-military-swords-of-Japan/ This will help as well: http://ohmura-study.net/945.html http://ohmura-study.net/903.html