Bugyotsuji Posted June 1, 2014 Report Posted June 1, 2014 Joined the family yesterday. Relatively small 'Ginkgo nut blade', in polish. Papered. Nagasa 9.6 cm Not so many Sukesada spears are said to exist. Dated Kaei 6, ie 1853. (Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Uraga Bay, Edo that year.) Medium length E and fairly conventional black saya. Does anyone have any background information to this smith? Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 2, 2014 Author Report Posted June 2, 2014 Henk-Jan, where I am now is my Yashiki. (Please do not tempt me!) I'd love one of those overhead (some are upside-down T-shaped) quick-grab yari racks in the genkan, like the ones I have seen in Buke Yashiki. http://ftown.boo.jp/takahashi/map/haiba ... 060584.jpg http://ftown.boo.jp/takahashi/map/haibaratei/naka.htm Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 3, 2014 Author Report Posted June 3, 2014 Some shots of my (I wish) Yashiki. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 14, 2014 Author Report Posted June 14, 2014 Just out of curiosity, I asked the wife if she had any Gingko/Ginkgo nuts in their shells and not only did she have some, but they were in good condition, and even better still, there was a surprising variety among them. What I discovered while taking the following shots was that the nut shells have a rim on them, which could equate to the edge of a spear blade, I suppose. The second discovery was that the end-on/cross-section profiles can be quite different as you may see in the illustrations. Sasama says in his encyclopedia of J arms that Gingko nut spears do not have a sharp tip but are 'donkaku' 鈍角 ie, they end at an 'obtuse' angle. He also says they tend to be Ryo-shinogi, though you do occasionally get a triangular, true Sankaku 正三角. Now one of the nuts below approaches Sankaku! Those yari kaji must have been very aware of the shapes of Gingko nuts when fashioning their blades. I dragged out two more Yari that have been around for several years here which seem to fit the 'Gin-nan-po/ho' pattern, one very small, the other quite large, indeed testing the upper limits I would guess. Both Mumei, the longer one registered in Kyoto. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 14, 2014 Author Report Posted June 14, 2014 The Mi? Oh, yes. The first is a tiny fukuro yari. Both yari are Ryo-shinogi. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Posted June 16, 2014 And from me here (anyone else have examples?) one final shot showing all three Ginnan-Po/Ho together. Blade length, measured from base of kerakubi to tip. Large, 15.5 cm Medium, 9.6 cm Short, 6.5 cm Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Posted June 16, 2014 PS Special thanks go for the support of the iron nail from Himeji Castle. (Under the Gingko nuts) Quote
Brian Posted June 16, 2014 Report Posted June 16, 2014 Piers, Nice collection! One day you have an representative example of a yari, and the next you look around and you have a collection of them Love the 3 sizes and the ginko nut comparisson. Brian Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Posted June 16, 2014 Too right! Birds of a feather flock together? :lol: Thank you for your comments, Brian. Comments do add something really special to the act of writing, photographing and posting and somehow make it all worthwhile. Quote
Gilles Posted June 16, 2014 Report Posted June 16, 2014 Dear Piers, Nice collection, congratulations. They are in very good condition. I love the little one. If I can gather some courage, I will post pictures of the little ones I have. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 17, 2014 Author Report Posted June 17, 2014 Gilles, let me en-courage you! Please post them! Quote
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