Shugyosha

Hi Peter, I have had this tsuba for a while but never got around to researching it. It had occurred to me that the gold work was added to jazz up an older piece and that the kakihan was the goldsmith's but I wasn't sure how to look up a kakihan without having an artist's name. I'm not sure whether the kakihan are identical but they do have a passing similarity.

Hi Bill, With the second character of the Nengo period eliminated by the second mekugi ana, a bit of detective work is necessary. The first character of the Nengo is a variation on 正. Markus Sesko lists a smith signing Soshu Ju Hiromitsu (3rd generation) working in 正長 (Shōchō), 1428-1429. So we have 正長二年二月日 - Shōchō, ni nen, ni gatsu, hi. A day in February in the second year of Shōchō. There are other Nengo periods that begin with this character but they are either too early or too late for any of the Soshu smiths signing this way, so I'm confident that this is a decent bet. Best, John

Hi Erwin, 尾州住川 添?? [ ]広. Well it definitely begins with "Bishū (Owari) ju kawa". Maybe Kawazoe but I'm not sure and I can't make out the next kanji and it ends with "hiro". I can't find anyone signing this way in Markus Sesko's Japanese Swordsmiths but maybe someone with sharper eyes can help. Best regards, John

Well, if he believes that it is genuine, he probably ought to get it polished and get the signature authenticated. According to Markus Sesko, there are only four signed Masamune blades that are definitely attributable to Gorō Nyūdō Masamune, so if he has a fifth, that would really be something. I'm sure he has a good reason for not bothering to get an expert opinion of the signature. That said, I suppose he could beieve that it is a genuine example by one of these smiths: MASAMUNE (正宗), Eishō (永正, 1504-1521), Sagami – “Sōshū-jū Yamanouchi-jū Masamune” (相州住山内住 正宗), “Sōshū-jū Gorō Nyūdō Masamune” (相州住五郎入道正宗), “Masamune” (正宗), nickname Yamanouchi-Masamune (山内正宗) MASAMUNE (正宗), Kan´ō (観応, 1350-1352), Musashi – “Bushū-jū Masamune” (武州住正宗), “Masamune” (正宗), according to tradition the student of the Kenmu-era (建武, 1334-1338) Tameyoshi (為吉) MASAMUNE (正宗), Daiei (大永, 1521-1528), Musashi – “Bushū-jū Masamune” (武州住正宗), “Shitahara-jū Masamune” (下原住正宗), “Masamune” (正宗), Shitahara school, mostly a hiro-suguha MASAMUNE (正宗), Keichō (慶長, 1596-1615), Musashi – “Tosa no Kami Fujiwara Masamune” (土佐守藤原正宗), Shitahara school, probably the same smith as “Hitachi no Kami Fujiwara Masamune,” chūjō-saku MASAMUNE (正宗), Keichō (慶長, 1596-1615), Musashi – “Hitachi no Kami Fujiwara Masamune” (常陸守藤原正宗), Shitahara school, probably the same smith as Tosa no Kami Fujiwara Masamune MASAMUNE (正宗), 1st gen., Enbun (延文, 1356-1361), Bingo – “Bishū-jū Masamune saku” (備州住正宗作), Ko-Mihara school, according to tradition the son of the 2nd gen. Masaie (正家), standing-out itame-nagare, suguha with ashi, yō and sunagashi MASAMUNE (正宗), 2nd gen., Eitoku (永徳, 1381-1384), Bingo – “Masamune” (正宗), Mihara school, it is said that he signed first with Masasada (正貞) MASAMUNE (正宗), 3rd gen., Bunmei (文明, 1469-1487), Bingo – “Masamune” (正宗), “Bingo no Kuni Masamune saku” (備後国正宗作), Kai-Mihara group, he was noticeably later active than the 2nd gen. but he is nevertheless listed as 3rd gen. Bingo-Masamune, mostly a suguha-hotsure and a long kaeri, also a ko-midare or gunome, chūjō-saku MASAMUNE (正宗), Eitoku (永徳, 1381-1384), Yamashiro → SHIGEMITSU (重光), Eitoku (永徳, 1381-1384), Yamashiro MASAMUNE (正宗), Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Yamashiro – “Masamune” (正宗), he lived in Rakutō (洛東), i.e. in the eastern Kyōto MASAMUNE (正宗), Eikyō (永享, 1429-1441), Ōshū – “Gassan-jū Masamune” (月山住正宗), Gassan school MASAMUNE (正宗), Tenbun (天文, 1532-1555), Yamato – “Fujiwara-jū Masamune” (藤原住正宗), Kanabō school (金房) MASAMUNE (正宗), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Yamato – “Washū Nanto-jū Fujiwara Masamune” (和州南都住 藤原正宗), Kanabō school, gunome-midare, suguha mixed with ko-ashi, wazamono MASAMUNE (正宗), active period unknown (kotō), Echizen – “Masamune” (正宗)

Well...it says Masamune so it has to be. I can't believe that anyone would bother to fake one. Have you seen the blade?

I can't see anything to indicate anything other than non-traditionally made blades.

Sorry! Wasn't paying attention. I've only just got the bed off my back.

This guy I think: TAKAMASA (高正), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Takamasa” (高正), real name Yasuda Yoshitarō (安田芳太郎), born April 7th 1912, he worked as guntō smith. From Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan. Best, John

Hi Jiri, I am very sorry but I don't know what you are asking. This morning I didn't have time to set out all the kanji fully but maybe this will answer your question: 万延 Man’en Nengo period commencing 1860. 元年 gannen First year (1860) 十一月 ju ichi gatsu 11th month (November) 十九日 Ju ku bi 19th day 於 千住 Oite Senju At (in the place called ) Senju 太 々 (this (々) symbol indicates that the previous kanji is repeated) so: Tai tai Literally “very thick”. The cut made on a human body (dead or alive, the inscription doesn’t say) across the chest at the level of the collar bone. 土 壇 拂 Do tan barai Earth mound (barai – literally to sweep away, but used to indicate entering the earth mound after cutting through the body in sword tests). 山田 吉豊 試 之 Yamada Yoshitoyo tamesu kore Name of person doing test tested this. I hope that helped. If not, please let us know your nationality and perhaps one of the other members can help to translate from this. John

Hi Jiri, First line: "On the 19th day of November in the first year of Man’en (1860) at Senju, tai tai dotan barai". (Cut the body across the chest at the level of the collar bone and into the earth mound). Second line: Yamada Yoshitoyo tested this. Best, John

Hi Gary, Not everyone judges their enjoyment of Japanese swords in terms of their bank balance. If you can conceive of no possible circumstances in which someone might sell at a lower price than they bought an item for, then you need to develop an imagination and probably haven't attained the level of perfection that your professed self-discipline would suggest. Have a search around the previous threads on the Board and you will get an idea of why people sell swords and why they might not always get back what they paid for them. Perhaps if you had invested some time in that piece of serious study you would be less prone to making crass statements. With warmest regards, John

I've had a look through Shin Kachushi Meikan and drew the same conclusion as Uwe.

Hi Dan, Welcome to the Board. I think that the advice that you got regarding the potential armour purchase is good: wait a while. The reason that you haven't seen a katana with this kind of tsuka or tsuba is that this is a tachi koshirae. I wouldn't read anything into saya having a chrysanthemum crest - it almost certainly has nothing to do with the imperial family and the fittings may be more modern than the blade - see below. My feeling about the package is that it is a piece to attract tourists, whether tourists from the 1880's or modern day in this shop. The blade is a mixture of steels which creates the grain that stands out and gives the appearance somewhat like Damascus steel. This is a pointer to its age being as advertised but (for me anyway) isn't particularly easy on the eye and the whole thing is a bit "bling". The blade is unsigned and is quite short (not things that enhance value in this time period) - the paperwork says 64.6cm. The tang is crudely finished with a second mekugi ana over the first one. This might be an indicator that the koshirae isn't original to the blade or may have been done to create a semblance of age. For the price being asked, you can get a very nice package with a genuine samurai period sword (this blade is dated to after the law banning the wearing of Japanese swords) in a good Edo period katana koshirae, signed and with authentication papers. What's in the picture is the Torokusho which is just the registration document required by the Japanese authorities and you shouldn't receive this with the blade as it has to be surrendered when it is exported. Have a look here and compare prices to see what you could get for this kind of money: https://www.aoijapan.com/ Again, there are European dealers - have a look at the links section at the top of the page and some very good deals can be had in the sales section on the Board. Best, John

Hi Geraint, Maybe Tomomich saku: 友道作?? I'm guessing though. I can't do anything with the first one. Best, John

You're right: Bishu Osa... So it's one of the Bizen Osafune smiths.

There might be a clue in the listing: 逆刃刀 - sakaba to - reverse/ opposite edge sword. My feeling is that it's genuine but whether made to be like this or has undergone a creative repair I've no idea.

Thanks to everyone for the interesting replies and particular thanks to Jussi for the detailed analysis. I had overlooked Paul's idea that the sword was simply overpriced: I see comparatively few mainline Rai blades on the market and had assumed that the rarity value alone would add a premium. The other Rai katana that I had seen available currently (both Kuniyuki, one at Seiyudo and one with Darcy - who I see now has a Kuninaga available) both require the buyer to ask for the price and so Aoi's price didn't seem beyond the pale. That said, I agree with the observations that you can get a lot of sword at this price point and many are better swords than the Kunizane, though perhaps without the added rarity value. As Jussi says, it would be interesting to see if Kunizane has ever had a sword go above TH. The Iidakoendo blade looks to me to be a very likely candidate given the exceptional length and, what looks like, tighter jigane. Thanks once more to everyone and kind regards, John

Gentlemen, Never being one to shy away from an opportunity to demonstrate my ignorance, I'm wondering why this sword at Aoi Art isn't selling: https://www.aoijapan.com/katanared-signature-rai-kunizane-honami-kaomistutada It has been in their auction twice now and is currently back sitting on the shelf looking lonesome and waiting for that Mr Right to open his wallet. I suspect that there is a deeper reason than my analysis is capable of revealing: the sword appears to be healthy, is unsigned but has a shumei done by Hon'ami Mitsutada attributing the blade to Rai Kunizane and this is backed up by Tokubetsu Hozon papers but, there is the telling remark "we think that this blade is comparable to NBTHK juyo blade"...which I take to mean "this blade won't receive juyo papers". If I am correct, does anyone have any thoughts as to why not as it seems, at face value anyway, a pretty good candidate to me and it may be educational to indulge in a bit of speculation. Has the shumei attribution prejudiced its chances of progressing further perhaps or am I just overestimating the quality??? Any views gratefully received. Kind regards, John

I would guess Yamato Hosho school which is famous for its masame hada. I think he's gone a stage further and mixed two kinds of steel as the layers really jump out on this one. A lovely sword.

I think it's one that Peter Yorke attends regularly, but you would have to check the list of exhibitors. Garth Vincent sometimes has Japanese blades as does Michael D Long and I've encountered them at the London Arms Fair so they may do Birmingham as it is nearer for them and may well be for you too. If you are going to London you could try to drop in on Don Bayney at Grays Antique Centre, though I understand that it pays to contact him first as he isn't there every day.

Hi John, The top floor of the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford is given over to weaponry and there are some Japanese blades there. Best, John

One of the other things I do is archery and they ain't arrows. Not if they are expected to fly anyway.

Sorry Jean and all the other members, I was hoping that the irony would come through, but French is my second language... Perhaps if Gerald were to contact one of the Francophone members by PM he might get more information? Mes meillieurs sentiments, John

Vous avez raison. Tous les membres qui parlent Anglais sont nuls. :laughing:

My first thoughts were shinshinto Gassan and I haven't had any better ones so that's my bid.