Baka Gaijin

Morning all Ford said: "It's funny, having worked towards this goal for so long now that it's happened I don't quite know what to do about..." Well...... For starters Cheers

Morning Roy, There was a Morita-ya Hanjirō (aka Honzō) as a Publishing house in Edo, the earliest dating for them is 1818. Hopefully more as I investigate. Cheers

Good morning Piers, I've showed the images of both to an ethnographic dealer friend and his opinion was the infill in both is a gum or resin based pigment. He suggested rosary for the ojime and the Siberian coastline for the antler. Cheers

Morning Roy, I'll have a go, but need to see much more of what is to the left of the misty kanji, bottom third and also right mid section past the circled stamp. Ideally to the actual sheet edges all around if possible. It may be talismanic, an "aka - e" a red print to protect from smallpox. Cheers

Morning Roy, Your print is by my personal favourite of all the woodblock artists, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi), arguably the father of modern manga comics. Your print is of "Danshichi Kurobei murdering the old man in the mud" from Eimei nijūhasshūku (Twenty-eight famous murders with verse). The full spec is: In the large rectangular cartouche: Signed: Ikkaisai Yoshitoshi hitsu with the red Kiri seal underneath. Publisher would be Sano-ya Tomigorō (Kinseidō) Block carvers would be Hirokō Shimizu Ryūzō The original printing for this series was 1866/7, but yours looks to be a a slightly later state because it's without the lemon tones to the two lower rectangular cartouches by the main signature cartouche and sage green in the "grassy knoll" area. (Not seeing it up close, It may be light bleaching from sunlight). Here's a link about Danshichi Kurobei: http://www.kabuki21.com/danshichi.php Oh and by the way the publisher of the Chikanobu tryptych was Fukuda Kumajirō. Cheers

Evening Piers, Thanks for the link, Interesting decoration on both items, I'm not sure about the infills being Cloisonné because of the heat issues involved. You say the one is possibly antler and what about the ojime.......bone or ivory? Definitely not ceramic? I've a friend who deals in Cloisonné, I'll let him see the images. Cheers

Good afternoon Roy, Thank you for the photo of the signature, it is very close to the free flowing style he was using from about 1895 with the series "Shiki no hana kyogen mitate", though the elongated base stroke with its deep downward flourish looks similar to the form he was using in 1902 with "Tokyo meisho". Safe to say no earlier than c.1895 Cheers

Morning Piers, A parasol handle makes sense. Have you got a link to the netsuke site? Cheers

Good morning Piers, It's an interesting piece and looks old. I was taught to ask the following block question related to form and function "If it's Netsuke, how would it take the himo strands which would then go through the ojime and into the inro itself; how would it tie and how would it sit when mounted through the obi??" Daily, I see a lot of the modern miniature carvings which are "homage" to netsuke, and although they now have one hole larger than the other, when one asks the question, the answer comes that they invariably would not "sit" correctly if strung for wearing. (eg figural subjects upside down, Kana subjects similar). Have a look at these sales for some amazing Netsuke Ojime Inro combinations. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20189/ http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19295/ http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19548/ Cheers

Morning all, I'll take a stab at the footer in the box: りきしわた工場製品 Rikishi Wata Koujou Seihin Rikishi Wata Factory Product (I can't make out stroke number of the first two Kanji in the Header, but working on Sencho's shochu translation above, does Sogyo mean something like Founded or Since?) Cheers

Evening all, りきしわた shows up in a variety of locations, so I guess it's still available. http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&gs_nf=1& ... 22&bih=721 Cheers

Good morning Roy, This link should explain your questions: http://viewingjapaneseprints.net/texts/ ... print.html Also could you photograph the signature, which may be on the lower right side of the sheet and I will be able to date the print more accurately for you. Chikanobu (Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延) (1838–1912), also known as Yōshū Chikanobu (楊洲周延) is quite an interesting character, he was a retainer of the Sakakibara clan of Takada domain in Echigo province. Following the collapse of the Tokugawa Shogunate, he joined the Shōgitai and fought in the Battle of Ueno. He later fought in the Battle of Hakodate. Following the Shōgitai’s surrender, he was remanded to the authorities in the Takada domain. He went to the newly named Tokyo in 1875, Cheers

Good morning Clive, In the Token article, you mention a thin metal sleeve approx 3 inches at the koiguchi. Could have been to protect the left hand from ill timed nukiuchi? Much in the same way that some modern saya have a thin strip of a harder material that wood inset on the Ha side at the koiguchi. http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Swords_and ... rades.aspx Go to the bottom photograph to see the insert. (Tacit thanks to Quentin for the illustration from his excellent site). Cheers

Hi Piers, I'm told that the real inner whoosh will only reveal itself when you have hit the 10th suburi.............. on one exhalation Cheers

Good morning Piers, I'm told the Bokuto/Saya combination is used to explain close up points or to illustrate hip/hand coordination. Also available with a plastic saya, it is a cheap and safe way for beginners to train. http://www.bokkenshop.com/Red_Oak_Groov ... set358.htm Oh and by the way, the Bo-hi is there to give the satisfying whoosh.....try it Cheers

Good morning George. For what it's worth, back in the early 70's a certain Japanese teacher taught a very basic form of Iai in the U.K. He regularly used a Gunto for training with bandage tightly bound around the tsuka. When asked why, he said that it was often done by officers in "theater" who didn't want to soil the itomaki. I have a recollection of seeing grainy black and white photographs of WW2 Japanese officers with white bound tsuka. Could this be the reason - end war period with lack of materials, bandage wrap in theater? Just a thought. Cheers

Morning all This is a modern Nohkan flute with its case resembling a saya with sageo and bag. It is worn in the obi in the same way as a tanto. Has anyone seen examples of old Nohkan cases? (The Nohkan flute is used in the Noh Theatre, it has a high pitched sound) Cheers

Evening all The menuki may relate to the Hounen Festival that takes place March 15th each year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dnen_Matsuri Cheers

Morning all Part 3 of the Edward Wrangham sale is at Bonhams London May 15th. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20189/# ... eference=1 Cheers

Morning all, This may be a bit of "Urban myth". I was told that one of the reasons why ubu ha was found on Gunto was a safety consideration, due to the lack of actual long term training in sword use by many Army officer cadets who did not come from traditional backgrounds. Hence the devising of the Gunto Soho method of using the military sword in 1925. Just a thought (have fire extinguishers ready and prepared to be shot down in flames... ) Cheers

Good afternoon Jan These links will show you how the Ebira was used in armour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTLCKDRI ... re=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtCb_yHd ... ure=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ge-vxt ... ure=relmfu From the Nippon Kobudo Shinkokai series on the classical Koryu Cheers

Good morning Marc, Is the theme "The tongue cut Sparrow"? Cheers

Evening all, You could also try searching Igetani Hitotsu Taka no Ha. Could the container be for Giriko (glove powder)? Cheers

Morning all, For a reasonably rounded resume of all things dragon try this: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/dragon.shtml Cheers

Good morning Peter, You say "they are 14.5 in x 6.5in". The closest traditional size to these dimensions is 15.6 x 10.7 ins approx, which is called oban. There is a rarer size of 15.6 x 6.7 ins approx, which is called otansaku ban. Either way they appear to have been trimmed as Chris suggested. The style of the toba and torii prints looks early to mid 20th Century (follower(s) of Hasui Kawase perhaps), the birds against the moon print is by a different hand and could be both a little older and perhaps a deal longer. Cheers