BLOG 19.  “Japanese could not make the steel spring for long time.”

In Karakuri Zui, author Hosokawa Hanzo explained that the mainspring of the tea serving doll should be made of whalebone. For example, the right whale has whalebones up to nearly three meters long. It could be the enough length to make the mainspring for the tea serving doll. As whale fishing was popular in Japan during Edo period, whalebone was able to get easily. Japanese could not make the good steel spring for long time.  Matchlock guns were mass-produced in Japan, but its spring for the parts of the trigger were made of brass.

The first photo here is an end part of whalebone. I got this at an antique market for many years ago. The whalebone was used not only spring but parts of fishing rod, fan bone, ornamental hair pin and so on in Japan. This whalebone I got may be leftovers from making such things. The second photo is a broken whalebone spring. It was used for a walking doll in Edo period. And the third photo is inside of the broken whalebone spring. Fourth photo is a real Japanese matchlock gun made in Edo period. I took this photo on a demonstration for a festival.

BLOG 18.  “Clockwork of the tea serving doll”

The tea serving doll has the escapement as the clock. 
Two drawings of it here are inserted in Karakuri Zui.
(1) The escapement is put on the side plate of the body. (ref. JAK p.110)
(2) The author of Karakuri Zui explains that the part of the gear to control the escapement can be done by nailing nails along the edge of a round plate instead of a crown-shaped gear. (ref. JAK p.122)

Also, a photo here is the actual construction of it. This was made by my friend karakuri restorer specialist Minesaki-san, and the gear of the escapement was made by cutting bamboo into a ring and shaved into crown shape as same as Edo period tea serving doll.