Baka Gaijin

Hi David, Take the following with an enormous pinch of salt: I believe the Gourd (Hyotan) is sometimes associated with Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Also if you look at the Warrior, he has more than his fair share of swords....is this a reference to the Hideyoshi sword hunts? Also the Kabuto looks a little like a Momonari hachi (Peach shape bowl) The Peach (Momo) also being a Hideyoshi motif: Momoyama Jidai (lit: Peach Mountain era)....after Hideyoshi's Momoyama Castle (AKA Fushimi - Jo in Kyoto)

Hi Steve., I see what you mean about whether it is Ni or San. Looking at it again, the top line is way thinner and scratch like as you say, so I'll say Ni also. Could the final Kanji on the left hand column be two, the final simply expressing a day 日? I'm not suggesting an Imperial link, but in recent times Imperial gift swords were inscribed "Onshi" on the Habaki (See Ohmura san's site): http://ohmura-study.net/931.html Does anyone else on NMB have inscribed Habaki which imply a Pre-Modern era?.

Hi John, 福 人 ? Not sure about the bottom kanji, looks like 八 ?? Fuku Hachi?? 8 Fortunes or blessings? There's quite a few food related businesses using Fuku Hachi in their name titles according to Google, so I guess it's a very popular symbol of Luck multiplied? 8 being the lucky number?: http://www.fukuhachi.com/ https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13092931/ On the other side, I think I can see 三 十 九 San Ju Kyu "39" something? on the left column 吉 "Kichi" - Auspicious/Lucky on the top of the right hand column? 之 Is that Kore? implying "This" as the standalone Kanji in the middle??

Dear Fellows., It is with great sadness that I note the seller may not ship to the UK. True Myochin pieces are rare enough in themselves. This is indeed a Horse of a different chromatic designation.

Hi Guys., No 75 is known as Maru ni Watanabe Boshi Knock off the Maru ni (Contained within a circle) for No 76 and you have Watanbe Boshi. Boshi is the hardened form of Hoshi for Star as in the celestial form, not the Kim Kardashian form (Wait, that's not a star, that's something else entirely............ ) Pip Pip Cheerio, off to Tokyo in 17hrs and 36 minutes!!!

Hi guys, It looks like the mount ferrule has been welded to the wrong side, when mounted as a maedate, would it not display as mirror writing? Pip Pip Cheerio

Heads up chaps: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/Japanese-joinery-pdf Pip Pip Cheerio

Hi Bruce., I regret to say, we cannot assume that the Sagari Huji Kamon on your Kai Gunto means the Family Fuji. Since the Bakumatsu and Meiji Restoration periods, the free usage of most Kamon apart from the Imperial Kamon has been pretty much a free for all. However, Sagari Huji was once the Kamon of the Fujiwara: Here's some enlightening information on the great clan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_clan It would be nice to have a direct link, but sadly anecdotal provenance is no provenance. Without documented evidence like a surrender tag with a name and address, the Kamon has no firm link to a specific Family. Cheers

Hi Bruce Sagari means falling or hanging down. Huji (Fuji) means the flowers of the Wisteria (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria). Maru ni means a circle around a Kamon i.e. contained within. And just for good measure Agari means rising or ascending. Pip Pip Cheerio

Hi Bruce, from what I can make out, the Kamon looks like hanging Wisteria, it's known as Sagari Huji. If on your close inspection there is a ring around the central form then it would be Maru ni Sagai Huji, however from what I can make out, it is the former not the latter. Just to liven things up, as I could not see how it sits on the Tsuka when worn , there is a possibility it is the reversed form which is called Agari Huji Agari / Sagari whatever, it's definitely Huji Wisteria Cheers

Hi Gordon you asked: "Which one do you normally get http://www.selvyt.co...lishing-cloths/ ?" I always get size C from HS Walsh see this Link: https://www.hswalsh.com/product/selvyt-cloth-microfibre-size-%E2%80%9Cc%E2%80%9D-354mm-x-431mm-hp1253 Cheers Chaps

Thanks Peter., You may find this interesting: https://pulverer.si.edu/node/171 Cheers

Hi Peter., I don't know the Microdear cloths. Speaking from my own experience, Selvyt is a really good product, I use it on Nihon - To; I also use it on sterling silver, 18 and 22 carat gold and gem set items, (I don't mix cloths however, one for each specific material). I always check stone settings and mounts with a 10x loupe after cleaning, it does not seem to mark the surface as far as I can tell. (It is also used on Panavision & Arriiflex Lenses in the Movie Industry). Cheers

Hi Guys as well as the Minatogawa link, It was the Kamon of the Kusonoki Here's Utagawa Kuniyoshi at his dynamic best "The last stand of the Kusunoki at Shijo Nawate": http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/last-stand-of-the-kusunoki-at-shij%C3%B4-nawate-463558 and another version: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=14083001&objectId=786099&partId=1 Cheers

Hi Guys., I use HS Walsh Jewellers' Supplies in UK. Selvyt Micro Fibre Size "C" 354mm x 431mm. costs £5.20 plus reasonable postage in UK. https://www.hswalsh.com/product/selvyt-cloth-microfibre-size-%E2%80%9Cc%E2%80%9D-354mm-x-431mm-hp1253 They also do "Renaissance wax" and a host of other goodies. https://www.hswalsh.com/search-products?search_api_views_fulltext=renaissance+wax There are two Universal truths.....Women love Shoes and Shiny things....... I'd say whatever Country your are in should have a Jewellers' Supplies company, forget Amazon and shop local . Cheers

Hi Guys., Here's something from NHK which gives a reasonable overview of the reality of the various approaches to Sporting Naginata in Japan:

Here's a few more woodblock illustrations of women weilding Naginata: This one by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, depicts the pregnant wife of Kiheji defending herself from a hail of arrows, aided by the wolf Nokaze: https://data.ukiyo-e.org/mfa/images/sc162792.jpg Here's another by Kuniyoshi, this time, the wife of Oboshi Yoshio (Kabuki play name for Oishi Kuranosuke leader of the 47 Ronin). http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details/collection_image_gallery.aspx?assetId=588230001&objectId=3277584&partId=1 A more modern depiction stylistically by Suzuki Kinsen c.1910. Misleadingly titled "Lady with Long Sword" https://data.ukiyo-e.org/artelino/images/47189g1.jpg Another more modern depiction "Fighting Lesson" by Hirezaki Eiho again c.1910. https://data.ukiyo-e.org/artelino/images/49480g1.jpg Here's a clip showing the transition into the modern sport forms from the 1980's documentary "Budo No Chirashi" Pip Pip Cheerio

Hi Bruce, Ref the sword shown by Mr Franklyn, did you spot that the Haikan suspension mount is the wrong side of the Saya (As too are the leather combat cover fittings).

Inspired by a thread elsewhere regarding Naginata, here's two of my favourite depictions of women with Naginata: http://5orb.net/ukiyoe2/ChiyodaOoku/cat4/39.html http://5orb.net/ukiyoe2/ChiyodaOoku/cat3/36.html They comes from the series Chiyoda no O-oku (popularly called the Ladies in Waiting of the Chiyoda Palace) by Chikanobu, they are quite late c.1896. Here's the real thing demonstrated at Nippon Budokan: Pip Pip Cheerio

Brian wrote: " I assume it wasn't really for sale?" This is entertainment of the Fantasy Island genre. Alledgedly

Hi Guys., I'm with Thomas here, my faithful Imiwa App describes Maru 丸 as: Suffix for ships names, suffix for names of people (especially infants); suffix for names of swords, armour, musical instruments, etc., suffix for names of dogs, horses, etc. Just an afterthought, could the swords given name be a play on it being a presentation from relatives on the father's side of the family as the redoubtable Steve M mentions?

Try this Randy: http://www.ogasawara-ryu.gr.jp/english/contact.html

H Randy., Have you contacted them? http://www.ogasawara-ryu.com/en/indexe.html I am not sure if there are two or more lines of Ogasawara - Ryu currently in operation.

Hi Guys, you may find these amusing: The prolific woodblock artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi even made a series of Otsu images: Hodomoyoshi toki ni otsu-e 程芳流行大津絵 (Kuniyoshi's Fashionable Otsu Pictures) https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1600&bih=799&q=Hodomoyoshi+toki+ni+otsu-e+%E7%A8%8B%E8%8A%B3%E6%B5%81%E8%A1%8C%E5%A4%A7%E6%B4%A5%E7%B5%B5+%28Kuniyoshi%27s+Fashionable+Otsu+Pictures%29&oq=Hodomoyoshi+toki+ni+otsu-e+%E7%A8%8B%E8%8A%B3%E6%B5%81%E8%A1%8C%E5%A4%A7%E6%B4%A5%E7%B5%B5+%28Kuniyoshi%27s+Fashionable+Otsu+Pictures%29&gs_l=img.3...16722.16722.0.17303.1.1.0.0.0.0.99.99.1.1.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.0.0.lKUK8sPfOIM Oh and by the way, the poet Basho is buried in Otsu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuo_Bash%C5%8D#/media/File:MatsuoBasho-Haka-M1932.jpg BTW: Cheers Steve, you provide much inspiration with your on the ground insights and are, in my opinion, a credit to the NMB ethos.

Brilliant Steve!! Could we looking at an object which was made for export with design elements added to suit the commissioning client? In the same way that Armours were put together for export using pieces from different eras which cancelled out each others original purpose? In the U.K., Dr Christopher Dresser (Representing The South Kensington Museum and other interests....) was in Japan for 4 months in 1876/77 and later (1879 - 1882) set up a store (Dresser & Holme) importing a wide range of Japanese Goods to London.