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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/09/2021 in all areas

  1. Hi, R: 明治戊辰之役率兵戦于城州我公嘉其功 L: 賜此刀取會朝清明之義名曰曙丸  路郷誌 Nickname of this sword is "AKEBONO-MARU" 曙丸 . (AKEBONO means dawn/daybreak .) Wrote by Michisato(?) 路郷誌 .
    6 points
  2. Here's one you don't see very often. I believe it to be an IJA Gunto backsling.
    4 points
  3. I think Kamakura is often used as marketing gimmick, and I believe for several of these items the transition from late Kamakura to Nanbokuchō is plausible. Giving very specific dates on shortened mumei items of old age is quite tricky. And I do think dealers often use all the tricks in the book to make them more marketable. There are some Early to Mid Kamakura period blades being sold too but they are quite rare to encounter compared to late Kamakura stuff. In your examples the first one that is attributed to Wake, kinda points towards the end of Kamakura period. I have three date signatures for Shigesuke 1326, 1328 & 1328. And Shigenori was active around the same time but I have no dated signatures by him. The second one Yoshimitsu (義光) I would actually think as a Nanbokuchō smith. In Seskos Index it reads that he has dated work from 1322 to 1375, most likely spread through 2 generations first ending around 1356-1361. I have personally found dated signatures from 1337 to 1358. I think as Aoi is mentioning this work reminding Kagemitsu, which would possibly indicate an earlier work by Yoshimitsu. I think Ko-Naminohira has very long time frame, there are even few late Heian / early Kamakura pieces, going until end of Nanbokuchō. I believe attribution wise the ko-prefix is dropped when we enter Ōei (this is just my personal opinion). In my opinion dealers love to list Ko-Mihara items as late Kamakura, however I believe many of them are from Nanbokuchō period. I know that Masaie the founder of Mihara school was working at the end of Kamakura period into Nanbokuchō. However so far I have not yet found a Kamakura dated blade from Mihara school. Date ranges I have for Ko-Mihara items so far is 1353 to 1394. I know there are few signed tachi of Mihara school that are thought to be late Kamakura work. But I do believe that the majority of Ko-Mihara is Nanbokuchō period stuff. And just by looking at the shape of this particular item I might personally lean more towards that on this item too. I personally like Hōju stuff a lot. Unfortunately they also span through long time period. Earliest work being from early Kamakura and continuing onto Muromachi. I cannot identify if this particular item is thought to be late Kamakura or Nanbokuchō item. As it is mumei and Tokubetsu Hozon it cannot really be later than that. And lastly I think Tegai is also spanning through quite lot of time. I think the earliest work by Kanenaga is thought to be made around Middle of Kamakura but Tegai attribution can run all the way into early Muromachi (at least in my personal opinion). Late Muromachi Tegai work is identified with Sue-prefix. Also to be noted that shirasaya has attribution towards Tegai Kanekiyo (包清), I know there is one tanto dated 1329 by 1st gen Kanekiyo but when looking signed of attributed work other than that one item, it is pretty much towards late Nanbokuchō to early Muromachi for Tegai Kanekiyo. Of course NBTHK attributed this as den Tegai instead of Kanekiyo though. Beats me if it is Kamakura or Nanbokuchō work. All of the above is just a personal opinion, I think this is interesting topic that will be fun to discuss.
    4 points
  4. Here’s an interesting Gunto in late war mount I just acquired Mei: Cho shu ju fujiwara Moriyasu Inlay: Meiji Boshin war, for leading troops in attacking the state of ??, I was awarded horse and this sword by my lord. For peace of the world, I name this sword the bright Maru, signed Lu Xiang(a Chinese courtesy name)
    3 points
  5. I will bet that most Nihonto enthusiasts have seen this film by Akira Kurosawa (1954 B&W, subtitled), but perhaps not all newcomers. It is just about my favorite movie and gives a lot in understanding the culture of Japanese society in the late Muromachi Period. I've just finished reading (again) my copy of Seven Samurai written by Joan Mellen published by BFI Film Classics. I think I may have gotten it thru Amazon five or so years ago . Anyways it is a very interesting commentary on Kurosawa, his film and viewpoint of Japanese society of the time. I highly recommend this enjoyable read. Best Regards, Mark
    3 points
  6. Hello NMB members I have for sale a stunning long and thick late Edo Katana in great condition/polish. I believe it to be the work of a Gassan sword smith by the name of Kensaishi Sadahru active between 1866-1868. It does come with a judgement paper from Japan but it is not at the rankings of the famous NBTHK-NTHK. On another note do I believe that they came to this conclusion at random absolutely not. I have 5 reason why I strongly believe it to be the work of a Gassan swordsmith 1. Tight masame hada 2.long nagasa that is over 28inchs long 3.gunome hamon 4.bo-hi accompanied by soe-hi 5.gentle curvature These are all features that can be attributed to the famous Gassan school of the late Edo period. All that aside I do not have it priced as a Gassan sword I have it priced as a gorgeous long Nihonto in really good condition with a beautiful koshirae Has a few extremely light scratches missing the mekugi peg and that is it. Boshi is intact everything fits as it should it's definitely the complete package for half the price of a NBTHK Gassan katana. 5100$ or best offer. Sincerely Edward.
    3 points
  7. Never seen one that has basket weave and the sukashi style. Any thoughts on provenance on this one
    3 points
  8. Looks like “正阿弥重信” (Shōami Shigenobu)!
    3 points
  9. I would agree with Geraint and George with regard to leaving this piece as it is. However I can't imagine the Goto work ever incorporated any sort of worn look originally. The entire ethos of the Goto school, as part of the Shogunate's strategy of claiming and emphasising legitimacy, was one of dignity and unchanging perfection. It was very much a Confucian philosophy that informed the ruling structures, one of rectitude and order. Any suggestion of wear or decay in terms of court wear might even be seen as subversive I imagine.
    3 points
  10. Hi, This sayagaki was written by Japanese martial artist Nakayama Hakudo. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakayama_Hakudō #1 pic: XXXX藤吉君 祝再渡米 贈 (present to Mr,????Tokichi,celebrate visit to America again.) #2 pic: 昭和六年XX吉祥日 A lukey day the 6th year of Showa period(1931). #3 pic: 有信博道識ス (Yushin Hakudo shirusu) wrote by Yushin Hakudo.(Nakayama Hakudo)
    3 points
  11. Just want to add a quick clarification that the Kanemoto sold last year. As I added in a later post comment, the hamon was thin but intact everywhere except a bit of yakiotoshi just above the hamachi.
    2 points
  12. Can't speak to much other than that as a beautiful sword. Had I not just spent $4000 on another beautiful sword that I wouldn't trade for the world I would have already bought it
    2 points
  13. Jussi, great answer. When a school spans multiple period, they'll often market the place within the most valued period. We saw this with Tsuruta's latest Ko-Bizen, which was bucketed in Heian in the description while belonging to Kamakura. We all have a clear association with Nanbokucho and its characteristic shape, but it's important to remember that schools such as Yamato operated during the Nambokucho period and maintained the earlier shapes. Context is everything and each blade much be analysed without shortcuts.
    2 points
  14. Hi Geoff, yes there are some examples out there, hard to tell if some are original now as it's a simple matter to add one. There are some unique examples in this thread: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/18610-show-us-your-high-class-gunto/page/8/
    2 points
  15. Late Kamakura blades do not have a reputation for being confused with other periods. There are some Rai or Yamato works that were quite well replicated or imitated in early Muromachi sugata included, but that's about it. The danger zone is something like Soshu from 1360-1380s. There is like a stack of papers oscillating between "Shimada" and far more seldom "Uda" and Nobukuni, Etchu Tametsugu and first generation Soshu Masahiro.
    2 points
  16. Owari Sadahiro (Shodai), Kikugata, 8.6 x 8.2cm, Momoyama/earliest Edo
    2 points
  17. So at risk of perhaps of someone else snagging it I'd like some opinions on this blade. An o-kissaki blade has been on my check list for a long time now. This one has caught my eye, love the length, age, the filled mekugi ana, wish it was signed but its been shortened quite a bit so that's way gone now if it ever existed....it has a kantei by Mr. Matsui Fujishiro Masamitsu which I'm not sure the weight it carries but better than no papers. In full koshirae with no shirasaya....polish looks good with some flaws...but there she is...thoughts on the sword as my potential o-kissaki purchase? Also anyone purchased from this company before? https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords7/KT334374.htm For convenience photos are also posted below.
    1 point
  18. Dear All, The Japanese Armour Society is pleased to announce our next webinar presentation scheduled for Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 15H Paris Time. For this presentation, we have a special guest, Chris Glenn who will be presenting an overview of the Battle of Sekigahara, the largest and most important event in Japanese feudal history. This lecture will include specific examples of armour that was used at this great battle and there will be opportunity for Qs & As. Chris Glenn is a Nagoya based, Australian born radio DJ, TV presenter, speaker, narrator, MC, author and historian. Chris is also the Sekigahara Tourism Ambassador, the Nagoya Tourism and Cultural Exchange Ambassador, and the Omi Tourism Ambassador. And last but not least, Chris is a collector of samurai armour and weapons. Needless to say, this lecture is an event not to be missed! Please note that in an effort to publicize the initiatives of the Society, and to provide a sampling of our membership offerings to those outside of the Society who may be interested in our activities and are considering membership, we will be opening this webinar to the general public. However, please note the following requirements: In order to access the webinar, all attendees must have a Zoom account All attendees will be required to register with their real names and country of residence Once their registration has been approved, attendees will be given an access code to the webinar By registering for the webinar, all attendees agree to not make any recordings or screenshots of the presentations All content of the webinar remains the property of the Japanese Armor Society and/or copyright holders of the images contained within the presentations and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the JAS and/or the copyright holders Please note that the webinar is restricted to 100 persons only, and thus registration/participation will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with JAS members having priority over non-members. When: Sep 26, 2021 03:00 PM Paris Topic: The Battle of Sekigahara Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/registe ... BBvQyd5OBw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
    1 point
  19. I've been in this forum for several years now and I have seen a lot of interesting and great Tosogu. However, I can't remember ever seen old Koshirae here. All of them were from the Edo period or later. For this reason I would like to show you a Uchigatana Koshirae from the Momoyama period. A koshirae for a single handed sword that would have been used by a warrior on horseback as an auxiliary weapon to a tachi. Examples of these are very rare and sought after. The tsuka has a very nice hourglass form and is rather thin with black lacquer same wrapped in asa cords. The matching fuchi kashira are in a light shakudo, possibly shibuichi which matches the material of the tsuba. The ko kinko shishi menuki show good form with good patina. The tsuba is punched with star designs on the surface which still retain quite a bit of black lacquer from the fighting days. The kurikata of the saya still has its Momoyama period fittings which are carved from one piece rather than being a central piece with seppa. This style is known on high quality pieces during the sengoku period. In all a very rare and high quality piece. There are some flea bites to the saya lacquer and there are some minor spots of old urushi repair that are not noticeable and actually add to the beauty of this very well matched and restrained samurai piece. Kindest regards
    1 point
  20. Dear Brian. You are asking a question that is impossible to answer. You say that it is by a certain maker and ask if it would be worth upgrading the status; it already has papers. So far so good. If the flaws in the shinogi ji, which by the way would be described as kitae ware, or forging flaws, are what you are asking about then welcome to the world of Koto, these are not serious. However you don't even tell us if this is a katana or wakizashi. I assume that it is a katana. So, you have a katana with papers by a known maker which is suriage but still retains it's mei, it seems to be in good polish and we can assume shirasaya but what about koshirae? It is being offered by a friend who you, 'really trust and respect', so what is the question? You trust the seller, you can afford it, (I hope!) and presumably you like it. So buy it. A lot of people will tell you that you can get a better deal but at the end of the day regard this a s a hobby which is going to cost you. The rewards in terms of satisfaction and delight are tremendous, they are worth the money. You will study this and learn a lot about swords from owning it, it will start to create your mental map of the history of the sword and Japan. What's not to like? Will you be able to sell it and make your money back? Who knows? Do you really care about that? In effect you are paying to rent a piece of history and high craft, if not art. It will bring you a measure of joy if it can be owned without too much financial pressure. Let us know what you decide. All the best.
    1 point
  21. “Higo no Kami Kuniyasu” (肥後守国康) Maybe?? Only combo that came up with me in Sesko's book
    1 point
  22. Sorry I am late to this thread, but I wish to add my Owari vote. The maru mimi is a head scratcher but Owari (kanayama) will have such niku sometimes that it can appear almost a maru cross section. From your image it is a little hard to tell. Akasaka, even later ones, will reliably have nakadaka (higher in the center) but yours is dished boasting a thicker mimi. Kodai Akasaka were made small, but even then they were generally 7,0-7,3 cm where Owari (Kanayama, because yours reminds me of that particular production center) were smaller. And finally, most Akasaka makers had some version of yose tagane markings much different than yours. In fact, I rather associate those tagane marks in yours with Kanayama, because of those I own that is their look. Won't typically see those in Akasaka. My 2cents I have attached an image of a small Kanayama tsuba displaying those typical tagane marks. Best Regards,
    1 point
  23. I definitely can vouch for Edward excellent transaction!
    1 point
  24. Dragonflies is Norisuke. One of their popular designs. A few of these listed in the book sections about them- Nagoya NBTHK NOrisuke book, or the Owari "Blue" book. I like shodai and nidai Norisuke works very much. It is a shame this one has been partially fired or otherwise very abused. Otherwise I would ask to buy it. For a memento of a friend lost a few years ago, I've wanted to pick up some sort of Tombo design work. Working for the Tokugawa, the Norisuke work can vary from quick simple designs to very complex special commissions. Example attached. One of our NY members also has some fine examples.
    1 point
  25. I'll do you one better: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/flaws.html Also, the older the blade, the more acceptable flaws are... even fatal in the case of extremely old or rare blades (such as sole exemplars). Ultimately, it is up to the buyer to decide what flaws are acceptable. Sometimes even extremely old blades make it through shinsa with flaws, but generally they are the exception, not the rule. Here is an example that Ray has for sale:
    1 point
  26. Beautiful sword my friend
    1 point
  27. Google nihonto fatal flaws.. The older the blade the more cosmetic issues you can kind of get away with but everything detracts from value age regardless. The older it is the less it detracts.. If there is a fatal flaw it is basically of little to no value to a collector. There is also the idea of tired blades. Those that have been polished so many times that additional Polish will reveal further issues.
    1 point
  28. maybe Higo (no) Kami Kuni ______ you might look up makers with that title with first kanji of name Kuni
    1 point
  29. I'd have never guessed. I associate Ayanokoji with Sadatoshi, which generally displays a finer hada, ko-nie, and profuse nijuba. These are also traits of Sanjo/Gojo. I think you style of photo really brings out the traits, but on the downside it makes work seem much rougher than they really are. I was also unsure about the hazy white upper portion, whether it was utsuri, or something else. Those tobiyaki all over the place, the irregular nie and relatively coarse nie and hada, the bright contract with the ha, these attributes bring me elsewhere. Utsuri (if this is utsuri) rules it out though. I went through the records and found some Ayanokoji work (although, in the minority) with tobiyaki drawn in the Oshigata. So much to learn. An enriching experience all in all.
    1 point
  30. Many of them are carbon steel, the blades vary widely in these from oil quenched mill steel to the finest Gendai by top smiths of the era.
    1 point
  31. Yes, Navy officers dirk. Most of these are non-traditional blades with etched Hamon. The tangs are generally blank, the Sakura in the middle of the handle is the Mekugi and is a threaded design. http://ohmura-study.net/908.html
    1 point
  32. Good morning all, and yes it is a good morning. A couple weeks ago I posted my concerns about a recent Tanto purchase being stolen while in the care of the USPS. Well it arrived yesterday safe and sound. I want to thank all of you here that responded with their support. I also would like to thank the seller Volker from Germany for the great transaction, the extraordinary packing and the follow up with me and DHL. Let me say to others that may end up in the same situation, Don’t Give Up, Stay On The Shipper, Don’t Except that they Can’t Find Your package and close your case. I filed 5 claims on this package with the USPS. I had the claims expedited two times. During all of this the USPS sent me Two emails stating that they were sorry but my package was untraceable and lost. I then reopened my claims and made two calls to Consumers Affairs and filed claims with them. During this time Volker was also in touch with DHL. I believe that if we didn’t stay on the USPS and had accepted that they Couldn’t Find It I would have never received it. I still believe in being Pro Active in cases like this, when something doesn’t look right or feel right, get on it right away. If you feel it may be missing post pictures here so that all the good people can be on the look out for it if it should surface and most of all DO NOT EXCEPT THE SHORT ANSWERS THAT IT IS JUST LOST. Stay on it and push it. Again thank you all for your support, thank you Volker for the sale and all your help. I am Now the Proud New Caretaker of a beautiful blade that has finally found its way to its new home. MikeR
    1 point
  33. Thank you… as I don’t want to muddy up Jon’s thread with NBTHK questions, I’ll leave it that your response has educated me that I need to reframe my understanding of the hozon and tok hozon grading criteria.
    1 point
  34. Dear Gary. This is a case where I would absolutely not go down the route of restoration. The wear and the colour of the shakudo below is an indicator of the age of the piece and I am pretty sure that any restoration would devalue the piece for ever. This wear is the result of long and honourable service and has a value as such. In many antiques the concept of patina plays a significant part, for example repolishing a piece of Chippendale furniture 'to make it more shiny' would be catastrophic, I think the same applies here. A more recent piece that has suffered damage is a different proposition. All the best.
    1 point
  35. Nick, What I see is a perfectly real old Mino blade with a dubious polish and relatively inexpensive but late mounts, but for the amount of money being asked I am sure you could do much better.
    1 point
  36. Hi nickm, looks to me like a good handmade chinese sword. Why don`t you join a New York Token Kai meeting and or contact NMB dealer. You came on board 2018, why are you going the bitter ebay way to collect? Time I get some more red coups, but can`t resist.. BEST
    1 point
  37. I was pleased to see Trystan had posted a photo of one of my sword collecting hero's Han Bing Siong . Here is another shot of him taken examining a sword in Ron Gregory's sword room in the 1970's. Ron was of course one of the authors of the books on Japanese Military Swords . Ian Brooks
    1 point
  38. Thought some may find this interesting, found from an ended listing: https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/j1002004371
    1 point
  39. Judging by the yasurime (filing pattern), it is probably fairly new (e.g. shinshinto or later).
    1 point
  40. Thank you very much Bob! Friend!
    1 point
  41. Agree. those were my first thoughts as well
    1 point
  42. Thank you for the welcome! And I am very happy with my hoard. My only regret is that I didn't go for more stuff at the auction. My unfamiliarity with fukuro, or socket, yari made me skip the chance to buy two of them! They went for something like $11 a piece. The items I posted here are actually only a little over half of what I got, though the other half is largely more unmarked blades and those sweet, sweet shin-guntos that fund my hobbies. I thought I was just a bad translator when I kept getting Sukesada as an answer for these and my other blade. But it does look like several are from the same lineage for sure. And yes! I love number 8! The kissaki is almost imperceptible because the angle is so shallow due to the length. Quite elegant! And you missed the part where it also needs three tsubas apparently! As for the dimensions on number 7, the blades is about 22 inches long but feels longer. The blade is surprisingly hefty for it's size. I never considered that number 6 might be more than just a franken-katana. It makes sense though, the handle is surprisingly snug and feels quite useable. Don't worry, already blocked that guy. I haven't touched them with anything but oil and Renaissance Wax.
    1 point
  43. Someone spent a lot of money on that habaki, so they valued the sword. Good luck, it's always a gamble.
    1 point
  44. Russ, its true there is a lot of nonsense on facebook, but at this link you will find the writings of a fully qualified togishi (sword polisher) Andrew Ickeringill: https://www.facebook.com/toukentogishi Andrew spent 6 long, hard years in Japan learning polishing from Sensei Takushi Sasaki who in turn was taught by the Living National Treasure polisher Nagayama Koukan, also author of the book mentioned above The Connoisseurs Guide. Go here for a good video Best regards, BaZZa aka Barry Thomas Melbourne, Australia
    1 point
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