estcrh

Haha! So heavy at the end he has to sit down.

Piers, the final image is missing, he eventually would have ended up riding a horse as o-yoroi (as you know) were not meant for walking around in.

:wow:

 

Really wish you hadn't posted that. Now I am just plain jealous

Anthony has an incredible collection, he is being very modest.

id had seen the prints before, id never had been able to fig it out at that speed, but cool ideal!!!

Stephen, is this slow enough?

 for sale this : http://www.arcimboldo.cz/en/auctions/asian-works-of-art-8/katalog/3574/a-huge-and-rare-sword-odachi/

 

I can send more photos on request.

 

10 000 EURO

A very radical sori, of the existing examples I have seen this one is by far has the most sori ("sori 15 cm"), can you post any additional photos here?

 for sale this : http://www.arcimboldo.cz/en/auctions/asian-works-of-art-8/katalog/3574/a-huge-and-rare-sword-odachi/

 

I can send more photos on request.

 

10 000 EURO

A rarely seen sword type, has the koshirae been dated? Is it being auctioned or is it a direct sale?

A HUGE AND RARE SWORD ODACHI

Japan, Muromachi Period (15th/16th century). Overall length 186 cm, blade 121 cm. Hon zukuri, iori mune fumbari, furisode nakago, hada masame/itame, hamon midare, suguha etc., sori 15 cm. Koshirae: ebi saya decorated with raden, brass kanagu, iron kaku mokko gata tsuba. Tetsu migaki ji fuchi and kabutogane, menuki with dragons.

Bura-chochin, collapsible lantern and matching boxes.

Your utsubo/ebira box reminded me of a similar but slightly smaller one that the wife threw out last year. Yesterday I found it in a sorry state round the back of the house and brought it in for some repairs and TLC (new wood pins etc.) . It is around 100 cm internally and just right for either a sword or some arrows. I wonder what its real purpose was? A large scroll?

Piers, I am glad to hear that you have rescued your box, a very nice and simple example. I see that the bottom is inset so that the top fits flush with the bottom and it has some hardware, is there a ring on both sides, if so maybe to tie the top to the bottom.

Mine is simpler, the top just fits over the bottom and no hardware at all. I wonder if there was a shop that carried boxes that you could pick from or if they were custom made for the item, and who would add the writing if any, the box maker or the customer.

Not all boxes were made from wood, these woven types seem to have been used for storing clothing, not sure what to call them.

Danyaku-bako ( ammunition box).

OTSU
The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© KYODO     

One thing I have found myself attracted to is old Japanese boxes, plain wood, bound in iron, lacquered, etc, from simple and practical up to fancy. Well, not so fancy; the old purse kept my own feet pretty much firmly planted on the ground. 

 

Sadly they seem not to be highly treasured in Japan today; many must have been lost over the years to neglect or whatever. Lacquer is a good example of something really practical and beautiful, expensive when new, and yet so unloved when second-hand.

 

Japanese houses were for the main part without furniture and as I understand it, necessary objects were fitted by the house builder carpenter, not by separate furniture makers. Only richer people could afford to have moveable objects around the house, so furniture was a sign of growing wealth.

 

(Should we keep chests of drawers to a separate thread, or allow them in here too?)

 

If anyone wants to add comments or photos to this thread, please do. I was contemplating smallish boxes, say up to knee-height or the size for a set of armour. Oh, and katana-bako are OK!

Piers how about kura-bako? I really like Japanese boxes, the way they are built is amazing, some are so light and strong and yet remove one piece and they fall apart like a house of cards. Here is my kura-bako (saddle storage box), one of only a very few known examples. 58 cm x 52 cm x 53 cm.

 

Japan Today, but the link is broken on my PC, so apologies and here goes:

 

Ninja's textbooks, pledges passed down at descendant's home

 

Today  06:10 am JST

 

OTSU

Textbooks detailing covert techniques used by ninja -- Japan's feudal mercenaries-- and written pledges on their secret missions were passed down for generations at the home of a ninja descendant in western Japan, according to analysis of ancient documents found there.

Experts in Japanese history say the documents discovered in 2000 in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, are valuable because they prove ninjutsu techniques employed by ninja involved in such missions as espionage, sabotage and assassination were handed down to the next generations in the western Japan city.

Koka and Iga in Mie Prefecture, central Japan, are widely known as the home of the two most famous ninja clans. Ninja gradually diminished in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868).

Among around 150 items found in the house of 79-year-old Toshinobu Watanabe, 17 were textbooks on such subjects as how to make poison or conduct night attacks. Of the 17, four were written in the 1670s and 1680s, according to research by the Koka city government since last year.

For example, one of the textbooks on poison instructed ninja to put into wells powder made by burning lizards or tiger beetles that were believed to be poisonous.

Another one on sleeping medicines said enemies would fall asleep when smoke is emitted by burning powder made from insect shells or tobacco.

As for ambushes at night time, ninja were recommended not to approach enemies immediately after attacking them with weapons involving fire since they might become engulfed by the smoke.

The documents kept at the home of the Watanabes also showed ninja acquired various other skills such as gunnery, horse riding and magic.

The 150 sets of documents also included copies of 10 pledges written between 1700 and 1829 and submitted to a local feudal domain.

The papers showed the Koka ninja vowed to join the fighting in the event of an emergency in the domain and not to reveal their status as ninja even to their family members and friends as their contracts were classified. Ancestors of the Watanabes were farmers and they worked on a part-time basis as ninja under cover.

Masayuki Ito, a researcher at the Koka city education board, said a person hailing from Koka managed five ninja families, including the Watanabes, and secretly concluded contracts with the domain.

In peacetime, those "nonregular" ninja paid an annual visit to the Owari Domain in what is now Aichi Prefecture, central Japan, ostensibly for the purpose of gunnery instruction, he said.

Yuji Yamada, a Japanese history professor at Mie University, said the documents found at Watanabe's home are "authentic historical materials" as many of them have been accurately dated and passed down in the family of ninja descendants.

© KYODO

 

Piers, some "uneducated" people would make fun of this post but to me at least this is very interesting information. Do you have a link or any images to go with this, what a treasure trove of research material. I hope some of it gets out to the public, ninja are a fact, just because some people have exploited the name for profit does not make ninja any less real.

NMB members, To give you some idea of what I am dealing with, I have just recieved this personal message:

 

 

Ian, you do not seem to have a problem with translating and distributing copyrighted texts on the forum. If you have a problem with me you can act like a man and contact me personally any time, instead of acting like a crybaby xxxx like Dave. What the hell has happened to you anyway????

 

 

Eric T

https://www.pinteres.../worldantiques/

Ian, you have not denied that you have joined in the copying, translating and distributing of Japanese authors copyrighted works in a hidden, secret forum...why is this...am I a liar??

HYPOCRITE

noun

1.

a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess, especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.

2.

a person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, especially one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.

<Sigh> While I'm not getting into the dirty laundry being cast about, let me note that a public declaration has been made here, freely admitting to repeated breaches of international copyright, both individually and as groups... something authors in general (and the Japanese in particular) do jealously guard. I'd also mention that it's more than possible that some of the authors whose copyright has been violated are members; almost certainly friends of theirs are members here.

 

Might I suggest in future that members refrain from publicly admitting to crimes for which they could well be prosecuted? Just a thought.

People who live in glass houses should not throw bricks....

Eric,  I have repeatedly asked you not to publish my work and you persisted in doing so, and even published my complaints on your website., To excuse yourself you have repeatedly ascribed my complaints to some other un-named person whilst knowing full well that it was I who was objecting.. I have never given you permission to use my work and you have never had the common grace to ask for it. Why you constantly refer to Dave Thatcher is a mystery as he has nothing whatsoever to do with this matter.

Ian Bottomley

If you have contacted me feel free to post ANY emails you have sent me proving your being honest and I am a liar....you have my permission.

OPEN UP THE HIDDEN, SECRET, SAMURAI ARMOUR FORUM and show people what is really happening behind CLOSED doors.

Eric, I know very well the background of a lot of this, and the history between yourself and Dave.

That aside, since Ian is a respected member of the community and has done a ton towards the study of Nihonto and armour...and since the hosting of his articles is clearly against his current wishes...why not just remove them from your site?

There is no argument to be made to keep them there if he has requested them to be removed.

Luckily this is all off our own forum...but really, out of respect for Ian, it would seem prudent to just remove the offending articles?

 

Brian

Brian, am I not a "respected' member here as well? Have I not "done a ton towards the study of Nihonto and armour" as well? Ian has NEVER personally contacted me through his own email so I know it is actually Ian. Ian has had my personal email for YEARS and yet he has NEVER contacted be about his concerns...humm.

When Dave opens up his "SECRET FORUM to public viewing Brian, this will show the hypocrisy of the people who are saying that I am a THIEF. As the person who created the Samurai Armor Forum and handed it over to Dave, I found certain practices to be completely against what my original intent was. When I eventually had enough, I openly discussed my problems with Dave and how the forum was being ran (ESPECIALLY the SECRET forum)...Dave banned me in order to shut me up, he has continued to harass and bad mouth me were ever he can and so have certain Samurai Forum members, some how he has convince IAN to join in. I am OPENLY calling for the Samurai Forum members to OPEN UP the SECRET FORUM so that everyone can see what is really happening.

Eric,

 

Please don't point your finger at me, I'm not your blame agent. NMB is not a peoples court.

 

Address Ian Bottomley rather than misdirect.  

Dave, your not denying.....im just saying....remember...I HAVE screen shots, copies of translated Japanese texts, emails etc.

I invite any interested person to take a look and see what exactly Ian is complaining about, also take a look at how long some of the Ian's essays have been posted (2013/2014). Here is the link, the articles are ALL attributed to him, there were links to the original articles but since the Samurai Armor Forum decided to require people to register, the links to the essays were not of any use.

In case you were not aware...certain hand picked members of the samurai armor forum (including IAN) belong to a hidden "secret members only forum", were Japanese authors PUBLISHED, COPYRIGHTED, texts are TRANSLATED with funds collected by the secret forum members. (The privileged members of this HIDDEN, SECRET forum within a forum include Dave, Ian, Uwe, Luc, John, Anthony, Jan, and many other names that you would recognize as members of this forum. They have ALL participated on discussing the copying and translating and distributing of Japanese authors COPYRIGHTED texts.) These texts are then distributed, Ian has participated in this and as far as I can recall Ian did not protest this.

Dave T has a personal grudge against me and I am being targeted by Ian as he and Dave are quite close.

The Teachings of Ian Bottomley

http://samuraiantiqueworld.proboards.com/board/28/teachings-ian-bottomley

I think it important to inform members of NMB that Eric Tulin, who posts here on NMB as estcrh, has copied the text and images of an article I have written for members of the Samurai Armour Forum without either notifying me nor asking my permission and posted it on a website he runs under the name of http://samuraiantiqueworld.proboards.com/ In view of the fact that this article was clearly stated to be copyright it is nothing short of a flagrant act of theft of my intellectual property. This is not the first time Eric Tulin has done this - a whole section on his website headed 'The teachings of Ian Bottomley'  contains numerous articles I have published, some of which has involved many years of research. Despite the fact that I have repeatedly demanded that he stops stealing my work he persists in doing so, even having the temerity to state that my protestations are written by someone else. 

Ian Bottomley

Ian, you have never once contacted me personally,  you know how to do that since we have emailed back and forth for years. You do not seem to have a problem with peoples copyrighted texts being translated and distributed on the "secret section" of the samurai forum. Does this not in fact make the samurai forum a form of criminal enterprise?

You had no problem with Dave T translating and distributing three chapters from Sasama's copyrighted book which is intellectual property that involved many years of research, did you protest his copy right infringement, no you did not.

All that has happened is that your essays were placed were anyone can read them, can you explain what you have against that? Your post here has nothing to do with the thread, I think you have been influenced by Dave T's hatred of me, didnt you openly write and post your essays for people to learn from? You seem very angry, I have NEVER done anything to you to deserve your present actions. Life is short, do your thing and I will do mine. 

Dave T handed out copies of Trevors UNPUBLISHED!!!!! third book, without permission!!!!!, he send me a copy, I have his EMAILS!!!, what do you think about that....not an essay that was already public but a WHOLE BOOK...now talk about THEFT!!!!! of intellectual property which involved many years of research, what do you say about that? Maybe you should discuss this with your adopted son....humm.

I REALLY think you should back off before this whole thing gets out of hand...im just saying.,.,.,

Normally delete sales immediately after they close

 

Having a "Finished sales" archive gallery would be nice, for future reference of both sword etc sold and of sellers, some dealers I know do this.

Hi again all,

 

The gun came today and once again I was able to relive the feeling of holding a piece of history!

 

Of course I broke the rule of getting something about which I had done no previous studies (books are on the way). But I kept my own rule number one, never buy anything you do not like. I really, really like this gun :-)

 

The barrel was not secured by mekugi, as it is missing (the mekugi, not the barrel!). Still it was firmly stuck, but came loose after some convincing. Pleased to find lots of ink kanji on inside of stock. Some corresponds with kanji on barrel. Have tried decifering some kanji, will proceed more with this. All inputs appreciated as always :-)

 

Gun total weight is close to 5 kg. calibre is 1.6 cm / 0.63 inches if my measurements hold water. So about 6 - 6,5 monme?

 

One thing: cannot find vent hole, but pan is a bit dirty. Maybe it is under that dirt. If not, is it it common that guns were undrilled? Seems strange.

 

Action works. Hammer falls a bit to side of where it should, but easy to see why, it was slightly bent at some point. Easy fix.

 

Took some pictures inside of bottom of barrel with snake cam. Maybe there is a vent hole there, but very, very uncertain.

 

Think I will clean this up a bit, attempt to unscrew bisen. Can I put WD-40 or similar down barrel, is that allowed? also around bisen on outside? Gently heating the "chamber" with heat gun? No?

 

Pictures to follow. Rather a few I am afraid.

 

Cheers, and have a splendid, terrific weekend :-) , I surely will studying this

Better images please (larger) if possible, the whole gun would be nice.

My advice on the bizen, clean around the area were the bizen and the barrel meet, you can use a very fine point like a needle to gently / carefully scrape rust from the joint, you can do the same thing on the vent depression, I would not put anything down the barrel, you should check to make sure there is not a load still in the barrel, then use some penetrating oil, not WD40 as penetrating oil is very thin, clean again, reapply etc.

Use some GENTLE pressure on the bizen each time, wrap the bizen with cloth or blue duct tape etc to avoid damage, try this a few times before using more drastic methods, be patient. Apply some penetrating oil to the vent depression, it appears to be clogged. You may find that some people may have other methods, in that case pick the one that seems best to you.

The red arrows on the images below indicate the areas to use clean and use penetrating oil.

My question to showa22, "Hello, is this sword a showato?".......the reply from showa22, "Yes, showato"......case closed.
 

I got burned with another so-called traditional (forum members here pointed out another oil quench blade), and getting a refund for that was a nightmare with the seller sending me insults at every email for saying it was a misleading description.

So you bought a bad one, this time you did the right thing and posted here first, now you should have enough info so that you can figure it out on your own. If you see a Japanese military sword with a stamp, be very careful, do some research, do not rely solely on a dealers description. Joe was kind enough to gave you some good clues ("Lack of any real hada, lack of activity in the hamon, lack of nie in the hamon or jigane (for some have ji-nie)"). Here is a link to a Pinterest board with a lot of Japanese sword related info that may help you as well. https://www.pinterest.com/worldantiques/glossary-of-samurai-armor-weapons-related-terms-an/

Isn't it a fairly common ploy to make a false statement (traditional, hand-forged), provide the information that contradicts it (Sho stamp) and then leave it to potential buyers to draw a conclusion?

 

Those who know would assume that in most cases the armoury stamp would point to a gunto whereas the more naive will focus on the buyer's description, thinking that they are getting something better than is actually being sold. When a dissatisfied buyer cries fraud, the seller merely points to his disclosure of a material fact that ought to have put the buyer on notice.

 

For me this is dishonesty but I'm not sure it amounts to fraud...I'd leave that to the more legally minded to decide.

Actually it is quite easy, if the shoe fits......It does not matter if the seller does sell "some" swords with accurate descriptions

Fraud, noun, wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.

Synonyms:fraudulence, cheating, swindling, embezzlement, deceit, deception, double-dealing, chicanery, sharp practice.

More, a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities.