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Rare tanto published in 1935 was discovered in my collection


Christian Chaffee

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First I want to say Congrats to Brian Robinson for this website. He has done an amazing job to promote this field of collecting by providing everyone interested in nihonto with this venue. I am fortunate to be able to say that I was doing business with Brian before he took over NMB in 2006, and consider him to be my friend...even though we never met in person.

 

After many years of searching for a truly rare sword, I am very pleased to report that an important tanto was sitting unrecognized in my collection for years. I got an email from a sword expert/friend, who saw the oshigata in a book, and recognized it as one of my swords. I was able to purchase the book, which was published in Japan in Showa 9. There are several pages of text with many rows of kanji about my sword, and an oshigata of both sides of the tang shown. It states (in part) that my tanto is one of the earliest known dated examples, and the earliest known example which shows a connection between two schools. The full translation is being worked on now, and I hope my many questions are answered. I wonder who owned it in 1935, so that it was included in the book. I wonder if the sword had an important status in 1935, like Juto. I wonder how it got from being published in a book in Japan in 1935, to where I bought it about 2007-8. If this sword could tell stories, I bet they would be most interesting.

 

It has been a long time since I have had the time to really enjoy my swords. For many years, I have actively advertised to buy them, and always make the time to check out each call. I am constantly buying fresh out of the woodwork swords, and putting away what I think are the better ones, and putting others on eBay to support my addiction to search for more. I don't have any Japanese swords on eBay now, and won't for a while, but remember my eBay user name (finearts29mv), as I always guarantee every sword I sell to be accurately described.

 

I am no sword expert, and know only a handful of kanji, but I have gone to most of the Japanese sword shows held in the US over the last 20+ years, and have learned what a good sword looks like. I have difficulty telling the difference between good and a great blade. I find most of my swords fresh out of the woodwork, buying them from the veterans, and their family's, who have had them since WWII. i also buy swords at estate sales, antique shows, gun shows, sword shows, and anywhere I can find one. :D

 

I have a website: Realnihonto.com, which has been dormant ever since I had a friend build it for me about 8 years ago. I have been planning on launching this sword website for years, but I have been swamped with other projects and life. I also realize I am not qualified to price or describe what I have accurately, which is likely part of the reason I keep putting this website on the back burner. I need to apologize to many for all the emails that I ignored.

 

This is the first time I have posted on NMB in 2 1/2 years, and have no idea how many of the members I know. if you know me, please send me a message, and let me know you are a friend. I hope to have more time in the next few months to organize and get my website active, so please be patient.

 

Thanks, Christian Chaffee

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Hi Brian,

 

It is not Kanemori or Kanekiyo, but you already know who the smith is...

 

I mentioned this tanto in an email I sent to you back on 4/4/2006, shortly after buying it.

 

Back then, I was wrong about the date... thought it was 1390, but it turned out to be 1338-9.

 

Hey Brian... don't let the cat out of the bag yet.... as you are the only one who knows the name of the smith... until one of these sleuth/detectives on NMB can figure it out.

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Wow, Christian, I am looking forward to seeing this sword when you reveal it. If it is the one I think it is, I sold it a couple year ago because two shinsas said it had been retempered and xrays showed that the nakago was welded on. I always wondered who ended up with it. Small world, ay?

Peter

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Hi Brian,

 

It is not Kanemori or Kanekiyo, but you already know who the smith is...

 

I mentioned this tanto in an email I sent to you back on 4/4/2006, shortly after buying it.

 

Back then, I was wrong about the date... thought it was 1390, but it turned out to be 1338-9.

 

Hey Brian... don't let the cat out of the bag yet.... as you are the only one who knows the name of the smith... until one of these sleuth/detectives on NMB can figure it out.

I don't know the name of the smith either, until I get home and check if I have all the 2006 emails. :?

I guess we will all know soon enough. Markus would be the logical choice for a fast and economical paid translation.

 

Brian

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:bang: :bang: :bang:

 

I gotta be honest, this thread with no photos is just completely annoying and meaningless.

 

However, while I was waiting to see some photos of this sword, I discovered a long lost Picasso on the back of a child's painting I bought at a rummage sale in France. I'm not going to take any photos of it even though I know you want to see it, but let's discuss it and see what everyone else here knows about it. Anybody care to guess what year it was made in? I'll give you a hint: It was one of the years after he started painting, but before he died.

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:bang: :bang: :bang:

 

I gotta be honest, this thread with no photos is just completely annoying and meaningless.

 

However, while I was waiting to see some photos of this sword, I discovered a long lost Picasso on the back of a child's painting I bought at a rummage sale in France. I'm not going to take any photos of it even though I know you want to see it, but let's discuss it and see what everyone else here knows about it. Anybody care to guess what year it was made in? I'll give you a hint: It was one of the years after he started painting, but before he died.

 

 

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

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Hello BigJohnShea,

 

Okay, so your frustration has inspired your creativity.... very funny "parallel art" discovery story about the Picasso. Too many BS discovery stories out there, which lack proof, so I'll provide some proof.

 

There are some people who don't come here as often as they would like (like me) so as I found time, I added a couple of clues, and sure enough, one of the sleuth's here on NMB used the clues, did research, and discovered the maker. I do agree, stories without images lack substance. I do have many images of my tanto, but don't want to let the cat entirely out of the bag, but then ...I seem to be doing it a little at a time.

 

I am posting 4 images of it. One of each side to show the sugata, and close ups of the tip showing highly detailed forging and tempering characteristics at the tip. I hope these images look as good on here on NMB as they do my computer.

 

By the way, my interest in Japanese swords is a very tiny percentage of what I do. I am an antique dealer, and have made some amazing discoveries in art. Last year, I found a painting at the Long Beach outdoor antique show for $80, and to make a long story short, it has been authenticated by the foremost expert on the artist, and professionally appraised at $600,000 to $700,000. In addition a color image of it will be shown in a new art reference book. This 3 volume set is being published now, and will be coming out next year. it's titled "Emerging From The Shadows" "Women Artists in California 1860-1960" by Maurine St Gaudens. My painting is going from discovery ....to being published in less than 2 years. It's a 16 X 12 oil by E. Charlton Fortune, and is of the Sardine Canneries in Monterey Harbor in CA. It was painted about 1914. Here is the real kicker... it's an unsigned painting.

 

So, tell me more about your Picasso posting.php?mode=reply&f=1&t=20807#

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And to Hamfish... Misery loves company..... and I am still waiting on the complete translation. I am sure you can imagine how I feel... and the only misery is waiting on the information. It makes me wonder.... how it went from being a published sword in Japan in 1935, to the picker who sold it to me with no saya. The blade some how survived a journey, which will always be a mystery. I am hoping it had high papers then, and has a known history. There may be the other side of the story out there... maybe it was confiscated, or turned in to one of police stations. I am sure to someone in Japan, it had to be considered missing after WWII, but then, that doesn't mean it's an officially missing important sword, like one of the known missing National Treasures. I'll update this post when I find out more. Until then, you have a few images of my tanto here on NMB.

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