christianmalterre

Dear Henry :D those are great examples! (however-here already you do see the differences in the iron...here on those pics not good to realise-but to be seen when you compare them in the Kaneie-books where the picture-quality is given much better) But(to add),i think it was RKG(but i am not shure here),who did post an excellent colour Photo of an other Shodai on his personal blog(the "Gravestone" from TNM)-which is just to say-"STRIKING"....(i wonder if there´s equally an reverse-side picture available?) (You know which one i do mean-we did talk about in past already) Bob Do not worry!me,myself i even do not understand me sometimes!

Dear Stephan, of course this is nonsense-at least that comment about german custom... I just this afternoon did pick up an sword on local custom here-there were absolutely no problems at all! I think if it is declared appropriately-there will be no difficulties at all! Perhaps an error in declaration this seller made? Good old Germany is still the biggest weapons exporteur-so we all do have an interest that the "stock" in our´s country still holds it´s level-LOL! Christian

Dear Henry , perhaps it is "that" due the reason this very Tsuba was/is accessible to several of the older collectors who had the possibility so to study it in own hands? I really do not know here-just an guess... I fully do agree it is quite one of the best known examples in western hemisphere-due this,even known western authors(who eventually saw and studied it personally equally)could referee and focus especially on this one?(just an guess here) Equally you do have to focus that most literature accessible,known and read-is comming/written by westerners-so equally here-much "knowledge" and ideas-are those by westeners... The Japanese literature is due the fact it is written in an somehow unaccessible way(for most of us)rather difficult to understand and to obtain-this does answer equally... In comparence to others in fact-me i especially love the three "Monkey reaching moon" Tsuba much more-i equally do wonder here an bit-as this "deer thematics" does seem to myself(as you did write here) an bit Disney,too...but well...individual tastes are for luck different... I but think the answer(at least an possible answer)on your´s question-is an kind of way of study-and of course accessibility? Don´t know-how do you others think? Christian

Dear all who do/did show an interest here.... and i just do allow myself so do speak an very personal opinin here(mine personal opinion of course!) I rather see the needed expression,nor i see that needed quality-so what? Guessing about an Signature or an Kao can not satisfy the work behind(which should bear it´s signature even without)-at lest,so mineself do work,and did learn. Why not just looking? It´s very very Nice!-Of Course!-but at least myself would be cautious... It´s however an relatively rare to find ensemble-so in that thematics(of the applied work) i think i can congratulate for this very nice found either way. Well done! Christian

Dear Bob OF COURSE!-No problem at all! but wow the holy***** i can delete that second post?-LOL! (seems we do need Brian here-Laugh!) Me again...

Damm! call me idiot-but how can i delete an post-i set twice? Laugh! Christian

Dear Bob, i iam very certain you did missunderstood this joke made by Pete here! It is much more than just seriuosly meant-perhaps out of the norm of an official forum? It´s an interna-we had several joking discussions(JOKING!) already concerning this somehow "delicate" seen "field"... You are perfect!-Thank you for this reference example you just did post here-it´s somehow what i did mean in helping... Christian

Hi Pete Excellent to get back to you-long time did pass-No?-LOL! I did not know this here-but it "Sounds" interesting either way-LOL! No-but not with us here...Laugh! Take Care (Hey Pete-did you request the opposide?-sorry i forgot this to ask here...beg mine personal pardon to you!) LOL! Christian

Dear Chris well,i think each of us "keen" Tsuba collectors is somehow sitting to the right time-and place-when good and serious questions do arise You even can identify Tsubashi(so those Generation in an specific lineage)on "how" and in which "manner"-some Tagane are cut/ciseled or punched... Especially here with the Akasaka school-it is somehow ofthen(not always of course)an very indicator to say(despite other characteristica you have to look in the individual execution of the very Tsuba of course)-to which smith/Tsubashi you can attribute an Tsuba. This is especially imporatant to do on unsigned pieces,of course... Somehow an procedure like you are used so to do in an classical Kantei of Mumei blades... But not only Akasaka(so to name an individual school)-there are several of the "younger" schools(later Edo)-where such Tagane do show you/help you,in identifying an specific Tsubashi... In older schools this is quite more special-but also possible some times of course,too-here but more "delicate" questions which will arise then,equally..LOL! You just begun an very interesting threat here!-Thank you for this! Christian

Dear Micha , yes of course you do help me!-Thank you very honestly-i do apreciate your´s very kind gueste a very lot! Equally got other material by an honourable member here on the board,too. So mine quest in this threat here is solved! Thank you all for your´s kind help! ! Christian

Hallo Stephan ich danke Dir! Christian

Hi all, as most know-i am more in Sukashi Tsuba-so here with this request i do not have much knowledge and equally not much reference available or left from past... Do need Oshigata from 6th Generation Hizen Tadayoshi Signatures-anybody here who can provide me with two or three scans? An help is hearthly welcomed Christian

Dear David well,at least myself i do think-so to answer on your´s question-No-not yet! equally i do think that Rob did not per se mean the Ito school-but rather the general term of "Bushu"-so "Country"-"Field"-"Not spcific"-"Out of the general classified"-"Out of specific"-(school)(?)-...work. You are right-it does show some nice things in it´s metallurgy-but for certain-No Yagyu. Christian

Dear Malcolm, here we are: http://www.franckgoddio.org/ Christian

Dear Martin, this Tsuba is of course not as old as you eventually do expect. It rather dates around mid,late Edo. The Oxidation you do mention and personally estimate it´s age,does result from it´s conservation stage and used iron-not from age. I would attribute it somehow in that direction of the Saga Kaneie´s smiths in it´s general stylism of "chinese wise picture and landscape" Perhaps one of the Kinko-collectors here can identify it to the specific school and artist so to help you. But for shure it does not date Nambokucho/Muromachi Christian

Dear John, well,i think the answer is very simple here. If you like it,and it feels you very pleasing with-you made an good choice for yourself. If you want to know more about the several Kaneie which did produce Tsuba/and did sign,just pick up the literature so to do your´s own study. There are two excellent publications specialised on "Him" plus the others who signed their´s works available at Koshoyama(see the Book links Brian did post so generously...)-just for example here;of course there are but equally others dealing in good reference-literature,too... Christian

Dear Hawley thank you very much so for in answering me mine question and letting me know your´s thoughts here! In fact yes-i would agree-even i naturally would prefer so to feel and see it in hands,too! This was the reason i did ask you. I would agree completely-(i think most had seen rather an Higo/Nishigaki work here(after stylism)/so i did set the Tada-Shige-Saku one here as the personal "question" i had...) The iron but-does tend me equally very strong to Akasaka later work! (this is the reason i did post the Tadashige here which is somehow VERY similar)-LOL! An fantastic Tsuba! Thank you for sharing it here! Mine very sincere congratulations and thanks again for your´s very kind response! Christian

Dear Bob, i would be interested if this Tsuba is from same school? Christian

Dear Hawley, just please allow me this question....am i right here? Christian

Dear Ed, Oh-no problem at all here!-I should have definitely more on this subject-but have to browse mine books first-it´s just that i had the Joly next to me as i did an other research this morning... Feel free to contact me via mail if you do need literature-references-i do have plenty of books here... Christian

Dear Ed, this is what i found on Konishi-Line...(taken from Joly) There are but no pictures of any Kanji or Seals...Perhaps this either way does help you? Christian

Dear David, i would wonder a very hard-also this is not in the spectrum of Shinsa-you do answer your´s question already yourself-manufacture,object relating significances and time-period of production...(that´s already hard enough i think)...and finally you do get an certification which shall be correct. It´s O.K.-Not? (all the "rest" does not play significances in estimating an antique art object-at least so to get Hozon...) Christian

Dear David so in helping you with your´s questions you still do have in mind... It´s for a Yagyu Tsuba(what the your´s personally one is definitely) always better to get an attribution/certification to either Kodai-and if not this-then to the forge it was most probably done(so here-like talking of your´s personal one again)to the Futagoyama-Ko. So-you see-much better than just Yagyu-Den! The "Wheel" one you did gave the link-is an reminescant and common used symbolism which was equally found very common in the Yagyu stilism,is but much much older and does symbolise the principles found in many(well-those earlier times there but were not so much Ryu-Ha as Per Se extant like in earlier Edo and further times of Edo...)-called by some as the principalisation of Kion and Onkai(the main expression(s) for understanding the principles). Such is regularely used by YKB,Hoan,Shoami,Yagyu-Kodai and Ono(those just for example)-but also to be found already in Heianjo(as i just did learn myself-Laugh)... From kind of manufacturing-school you do see equally an parallel again to the Futagoyama who in fact did use the older principles and symbolism again... Very nice Tsuba-you did post an perfect reference! Attached one of mine... Christian

Dear George, so only WWII swords or equally older ones(Koto,Shinto,ShinShin)???? (older blades but mounted in WW Koshirae) (Just a stupid question perhaps which would but sound logic,too) Christian

Dear Morita-san, this is a very kind gueste you do offer me here! May it be possible you do contact me via e-mail?(mine e-mail adress is given on bottom) I´ll forward you pictures and description of the painting then directly... Christian