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These readings are irregular. We just have to memorize them. 一日 - tsuitachi 二日 - futsuka 三日 - mikka 四日 - yokka 五日 - itsuka 六日 - muika 七日 - nanoka 八日 - youka 九日 - kokonoka 十日 – touka

信國吉種 - Nobukuni Yoshitane Ref. Sold at Auction: Nobukuni Yoshitane 信國吉種, long naginata Japanese Samurai sword, Muromachi period (1467-1469AD)

Soshu Hiromasa Tanto, Ubu and Signed, Tokubetsu Hozon 2024 Tanto Ubu Signed with two characters " 広正 " NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Muromachi Jidai, Meiō period 1492-1501 (approx. 530 years ago) Shirasaya Nagasa (cutting edge): 23.2CM / 9" Motogasane: .6CM Motohaba: 2.6CM Weight: 144G Flaws: a few tiny nearly indiscernible openings on the omote Mitsu mune (3 sided) Sword Location : New York City Will ship to : Anywhere Payment Methods Accepted : zelle, venmo, paypal, bank transfer, check Price and Currency : 4500 USD + shipping Created during the warring states period, and around the time that Columbus (re)discovered America for Europe, this Soshu Hiromasa tanto features a two character signature, original horimono, and exceptional deki. It is entirely healthy, and without forging flaws. For this piece, Hiromasa drew out an elegant and slender sugata, engraving a solemn ken on the omote (public facing side). However, the ura features the happy deity of wealth and abundance, Daikokuten, standing on two rice bales, grasping his magic hammer "uchide no kuzuki." The mune was formed with three sides; a Soshu hallmark. The hamon is full of activity to admire, with each side offering different personalities. A calmly undulating nioi-based ko-midare appears on the ken's omote. Alternatively, a series of striated and shimmering black ko-nie float above the nioiguchi on the ura, stopping just short of Daikokuten. Kaeri are present on both faces, forming a spirited and leaning boshi. Ji-nie can also be seen running near the mune, more so on the jovial Daikokuten side. Sunagashi, tobiyaki and yubashiri can also be seen. This signed tanto was designated Tokubetsu Hozon or "especially worthy of preservation" by the NBTHK in 2024. A well-made and old two piece copper habaki fits snugly against the perfectly preserved machi. One ana is present in the nakago and the signature is easily readable. Soshu Hiromasa was the son of Hiromitsu. There are believed to be six generations. This would be the jōjō-saku fifth generation (highly superior). I'm happy to answer any questions! Please click on the photos to view in full resolution. Thanks- -Jake

Gentlemen, this is fantastic, thank you so much! Let's see how high this extra-special "support the NMB" tsuba can go.

I bid 90$ it’s a stunning tsuba as well! Thank you @Marius for hosting this auction.

Shōwa 14, I guess… (= 1939).

The number 326 painted over a Showa period date and Seki no Ju Kanenori Saku. Grey

The kashira is called a "Kabutogane", the fuchi is the same name. Menuki are pretty standard. That tsuba appears to be a decent non-pierced mid to late war tsuba. The piece at the throat of the saya is called a kuchigane. The hanger is called a haikan; it is interesting that there's two and it appears it is tachi-slung! The metal fixture 2/3 of the way down on the scabbard is called a semegane (I think). And the end piece is called an ishizuki (similar term to what is found on a naginata's pole). The particular pieces on this gunto appear to haave gold trim which is a nice bonus. The leather is indeed very supple still shown by the fact that you're able to remove it and put it back on! The stitching on the combat cover appears to be an optional upgrade they chose. Afraid I can't see much of the blade to give an opinion of that, but the habaki appears to be a standard gunto habaki. Lastly, its nice that you have the weather cover original to this blade! Most of the time, those were discarded/thrown away. The mounts appear to be missing a sarute and rank-appropriate tassel, so can't say much there! I own several showato/gendaito and have sold several too; as well as having several older blades in gunto mounts. The mounts for this one are in very nice condition and has a lot going for it in terms of quality too.

There appears be an amida-yasuri motif of fine lines radiating from the center. There are eight sets of an outer horizontal bar over an inner circle. The radiating lines actually go nearly to the rim, but are broken up by the bars (these were carved out after lines were made). This may be another stylized depiction of the Buddhist 8-fold path.

The age Joko should be Jokyo 'Gwan-nen' and 'gwatsu' are old Victorian Romanizations of Japanese. Gan-nen 元年 and gatsu 月 are normal today. Also 四日 is made of yon/shi (4) and hi/nichi/ka (day), but when they are read together yon+nichi are conventionally pronounced 'yok-ka'.

OK, here is the deal. This auction is for the benefit of the NMB. It will last until the 14th June, 23:00 GMT. The winner pays the bid amount directly to Brian, our admin. The shipping cost is on me. Once payment has cleared I send the tsuba to the winner. It’s a nice iron tsuba from the Edo period. Good iron tiny gold remnants at the end of the leaves, nice shape, heavy in hand, shakudo plug. It gives me a Genroku feeling. Measurements: 7.6 x 7.25 cm thickness at rim: 6 mm at seppa dai 5mm The auction starts at $50 make your bids, the upkeep of the NMB costs money. And many thanks, gentlemen! 🙏🙏🙏

Thanks, Steve. It’s good to know that the association of Nobuie with Christian iconography and practice during his time is likely not just speculative and is supported by published scholarship. Perhaps the best conclusions we can possibly reach should always frame the question against the historical, sociocultural, political, religious, and known aesthetic landscape that existed at the time. The question of whether Nobuie was himself a Christian may not be easily determined (I was under the impression that there are no reliable supporting historical records to this effect), but I’m convinced that he made Christian tsuba whose meaning was clear to those who openly displayed them.

Yeah! I really do like it.

The literature on Nobuie tsuba as regards Christian motifs indicates (proves?) that such tsuba were made, and that the iconography was not hidden. Rather, it is more likely that we are simply not understanding the reference intended by the sukashi motif that has a strong floral suggestion. From Ito Mitsuru's book, Nobuie, we see three examples of early-Momoyama Nobuie tsuba with motifs identified as Christian (see below). And from Nobuie Tsuba ( which includes reproductions of Nobuie tsuba rubbings from Nakamura Kakudayu's Nobuie Tanshu), we see a specific sword guard noted, with the write-up (translated by Markus Sesko) recognizing the motif to be Christian (see images below referencing tsuba #61). Sometimes, it seems that there is a notion that all Christian iconography that tsubako may have employed must have been hidden, but during the time of Oda Nobunaga, especially, Christianity was practiced openly, and several prominent members of the Buke were known to be Christian. Given the elevated status of such men, and the standing of Nobuie as a tsubako, we can see that displays of Christian identity and/or association were hardly in need of being in the shadows.

well apparently Piers, @Bugyotsuji it came from the 'old englsh' fēowertīene niht meaning fourteen nights.

Thank you Moriyama San I will do my best in the future 👏👏 Ian

$100 from me

The "Shangahi Dagger" was the precursor to the FS, and is entirely unlike this item. The 'X-Dagger' is well researched and completely different. There is no relation between them. I see no reason to assume this is wartime production for many reasons. There is no record of any Japanese factories making fighting knives for anyone during that time. I come across boxes of assorted knives with various shapes, sizes and non-standard features in my knife dealings. The country of origin markings don't apply to any of them, since they were never commercial imports, but picked up in native markets and brought back by people visiting the East. I suspect you'll find stuff like this in the markets of many countries if you had visited way back. The hilt is a simple turned one, easy to make, and likely done in a small factory turning out souvenirs. No serious fighting knife would have the handle able to turn in the hand. And a wartime made item is unlikely to have had a factory stamp, and to supply whom? Philippines production is possible. So is Thailand, Malaysia etc. Why it has a Japanese stamp, I do not know. As mentioned, could easily be a 1950's Japanese made knife for small scale distribution to tourists or visitors. Or a repurposed blade for something reshaped and fitted with that hilt. Another possibility is Brazilian manufacture...it resembles some of the hilts on knives from there made locally, and since there was a huge Japanese population, that could explain the markings.

$80 to me

Ah! I should have seen that. Interesting idea.

Nazar, you may be an expert in sandblasting. But what about Japanese sword blades? Do you see something like HABUCHI, NIOI, or NIE on your blade? I do not know what you have there, but I miss HATARAKI or any other typical signs of what you could expect on a Japanese sword blade, even if it was a SHOWA TO.

Thanks Ray

Nice gesture I raise to $70

Good form Marius - I raise the bid up to 60$ 😎 /Soren

I once started with Dobrée as well and still find it a good entry to the topic! @Piers “yok-ka” hmm, something new learned (hope I can keep it in mind 😓)

Excellent, thanks Ian!

A nice one with Buddhist symbology, posted by @Charliebrown HERE.

Thank you Piers unfortunately I blame my ignorance down to Dobre many years ago. You get variations in spelling and meaning from various sources, I never know which one to go by. I know I should know better but I put it down to old age Hope you are keeping well? ian

Hi Jason , contact the Irish Token society , someone there may be able to help you or at least point you in the right direction , there are a few Japanese sword collectors in Ireland . also there lots of fakes turn up at local Irish auction Houses , not sure how much you know about Japanese swords , apologies if you are already an experienced collector . but seek some advice first if you are a complete novice , just my two pennies worth .

Thank you both for your help, it is most appreciated 👏👏 Ian

平土入とは二ツ胴を一刀両断してさらに土壇を通り越してその下の大地まで達したということである This means that after the blade stroke cut cleanly through two bodies, it continued through the soil base and into the ground below. I found this explanation after a bit of a search, Uwe. It was on Yahoo auctions, so I cannot guarantee its authenticity.

Please check irish law. UK have it more hard I suppose. Find definition of blade [white] weapon and antique in irish law. EU is "collective farm" but individal countries have some own legislation. Antique in ue law is still 100+ years old. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/880/oj/eng "Spirit of the law" should be similar in entire EU but after recent many attacks with knives law can get harsher in your region Look for: -older then 100 years old blade - with proper certificate [NBTHK/NTHK] "government agency" Why? Less vat/customs duty in case of antiques Easier to convince official that "yeah its a weapon but to admire not to hurt anyone" As your first blade dont look for savings in terms of "proper" pappers so try to avoid old nbthk issued before 1982 And maybe do some topic here on forum even just with photos of what you found. [Many forgeries] NBTHK https://new.uniquejapan.com/nbthk-nihon-bijutsu-token-hozon-kyokai-certification-paper-ranking/ NTHK https://new.uniquejapan.com/nthk-npo-nihon-token-hozon-kai-certification-paper-ranking-for-Japanese-swords/

I’m guessing it varies depending on NI vs Southern Ireland. The regulations will be very different. Where are you? In the UK we can’t ship any bladed item. It’s a nightmare.

Indeed. Do people think that makers purchased milled billets of material to machine down on their fancy milling machines before they started work on them? Ford has shown how blanks were cast, before they started work on the tsuba. Showing how soft metal tsuba were cast really does add nothing to this original topic.

The blank of soft metal TSUBA is always cast with the exception of MOKUME GANE. Some are completely cast with decoration included, some of those are reworked then manually, and finished. A bunch of different techniques. Ford Hallam has often explained this.

Nothing to do with the Shanghai dagger. I collect FS quite seriously, and any resemblance here is purely co-incidental. I don't see anything here arguing for wartime production. There are literally thousands of assorted knives made for commercial sale in the 50's and 60's from small factories. I suspect the handle was a later addition, likely the original one perished and was replaced by a simple turned one. Has a newer look to it. Certainly nothing that was ever made in any great quantity or used in any official capacity. Could have been made by any small Japanese maker making for the export market in the 50's. There was a prolific market back then, which was later capitalized on by people like Pete Gerber, Al Mar, Kershaw and others.

特製 Tokusei in Japan means 'specially made' and it looks typical to me. Perhaps someone here will recognize the logo mark of the workshop or factory?

Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce that Markus Sesko—one of the world’s leading Nihonto scholars and authors—will be offering mei assessments at the Orlando Japanese Sword Show on Saturday, June 21st! Got a sword or tsuba with a signature you're unsure about? Wondering if it’s worth submitting for shinsa? Don’t risk your hard-earned money—Markus will be on hand to help separate the genuine from the gimei. 📅 Show Dates: Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22 📍 Just minutes from Orlando International Airport, with easy access to Florida’s top theme parks. This year’s show features: 40+ vendors with swords, fittings, and antiques for sale Demonstrations and workshops, including an immersive session on Japanese calligraphy, oshigata-making, and tsuka-maki Bonsai and ikebana displays Tsuba show & tell And now, mei checks by Markus! Markus will also give a special talk during our Yamashiro sword exhibition and will be happy to sign exhibition catalogs and copies of his books. So, whether you're a seasoned collector or just starting your Nihonto journey, there’s something for everyone. For more information about attending, booking a room, or reserving a table, please contact organizer Mark Ceskavich at: 📧 orlandoswordshow@yahoo.com NO FOMO! Don’t miss this incredible weekend. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Hi, If someone has its twin, please let me know in PM. Pine three pattern if I am not wrong. Thanks

The fitting was successful. The "mid-Edo Ohno style" tsuba looks and feels great.

Hi Thomas I wasn’t going to post this Gendai tsuba as I had already done so under a different thread, but as you have only had one reply so far I thought maybe I should post it again. This large copper tsuba is inscribed Morihira (Yanagawa Morihira, 1899-1971). I don’t like to claim whether signatures on tsuba are genuine, so many fakes about, but the tsuba does appear to similar in style to other works by Morihira that have appeared at auction (https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21101/lot/248/?category=list, and Aoi Art, order number F21216), that is a copper tsuba decorated with gold and silver gilding, katakiri and kebori engraving, scratched gold kodzuka plugs and flower shaped tegane punch marks. The shape of the tsuba may be best described as sumi-iri-kakagata (lit: notched in square). The front (omote) of the tsuba shows both a shishi and peonies, whereas the reverse (ura) only shows the shishi. Interestingly, the shishi on the omote has a silver body and a golden mane and tail, whereas the combination of silver and gold is reversed on the ura. The heads on both animals is copper. Shishi are often represented as playful creatures, but these two are muscular with a fearsome pose and the silver shishi has a head which looks rather like Hannya, the Japanese female demon. The engraved peonies on the omote are coloured with silver and gold gilding and the petals are in a darker shade of silver. The outlines are defined in katakiribori (half cut carving) and kebori (hair carving) and, particularly the silver, darkened to add extra tonality to the design. The nakago ana has four 32(?)-petal chrysanthemum punch marks on each side, purely for decoration and the tsuba is signed on the lower right face of the ura Morihira. There is also a single kozuka hitsu ana, filled with a gilt cat scratched plug. Shishi are mythical guardian lions in both China and Japan and it is also the name given to a group of political activists (Ishin Shishi 維新志士) in the late Edo period who opposed the westernisation of Japan. The peony is regarded as the king of flowers and in Japan symbolises bravery, honour and good fortune. It is likely that this tsuba was made in the 1930’s when Japanese militarism was at its peak. However, if this was the intention of Morihira then I think that he failed. Instead of the shishi being fearsome macho guardians they appear rather camp (IMHO). Possibly other potential buyers thought the same, which is why I was able to buy it cheaply in comparison to other Morihira tsuba that I have seen. When this tsuba first came up for sale I had no interest in it and so it seems nor did anyone else as it was unsold. Six months later it came up again and I wanted to buy something in remembrance of my nephew, Gary, who had died shortly before the sale. Gary was very much an extrovert ‘in your face’ type of guy and I this tsuba reminds me very much of him. Height: 8.75 cm, Width: 8.4 cm, Thickness (rim): 0.7 cm; Nakago: 0.4 cm, Weight: 254 g Best regards, John

Hi Russ I believe the EU are also about to bring in some totally crazy regulations regarding importing antiques of any sort into the EU. I think the importer has to get some sort of permit and it sounds totally bizarre. Anyone in the EU who has swords etc in Japan need to find out all about this or they won’t get their swords back….so I’m told. It’s aimed at stopping smuggling…..madness.