Shugyosha

I can make out 貞弘作 - Sadahiro saku or ??sada Hironari if the last kanji is part of the signature - the lighting on the first two kanji isn't clear enough for me to read.

Here you go Hamish:

It's an easier mistake to make than you might think - tsuba with this very overdone inlay style are fairly representative of what I'd always considered to be Kyo kenjo tsuba: https://www.aoijapan...suba-mumeikyo-kenjo/ See the post by David Stiles (Soshin) on a different thread for a Kaga tsuba of similar style to that of the OP: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/27077-kaga-zogankaga-school/ When I was researching my own tsuba I came across a Kyo kenjo tsuba in the style of that on the Aoi website with a similar kao, but the workmanship was so different and the kao was slightly off so I discounted it. Anyway, everyday's a school day...

Hi Grev, Could you post a picture of the whole signature please Grev? I don't think it's in common use and it might help to have it in context.

Well the bidding hasn't gone crazy so far, only three bidders up to now. I assume that there will be a bunch of snipers hiding on the long grass but I thought there would be more interest.

Hi Iansa, Both are Edo period tsuba. The design of the first one is fairly typical for those originating in Kaga province in terms of its overall shape (slightly dished around the seppa dai, the area immediately around the hole for the sword's tang) and the gold inlay (Kaga zogan). I think that you would describe the theme as "autumn grasses and insects" and I had a very similar one also signed just with a single kao (artist's seal) and, whilst I'm relying on memory, I think it was the same one. Unfortunately, I could never pin it down to a specific individual. See my first post in this thread with a (hopefully) a picture of mine attached. https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23518-unusual-tsuba/#comment-238881 With regard to the second one, as Dee says it has a war fan, a banner and the other item might be a representation of the cloth screen used by Japanese commanders to create a private area around their pavillion but I'm guessing there. I'd guess that it was perhaps from the Bushu school (working within the province of Bushu or related to it) given the carved iron and openwork design but that's not unique to that school and without a signature it's hard for me to be more precise. If you google Bushu tsuba you'll get a feel for what I'm talking about. I hope that gets you started and I'm sure you'll get some more information soon.

Whatever it is, it does look pretty poor quality though - just considering the "nanako" itself, it's of varying heights and shapes and non-existent in places and that alone would make me steer clear.

Hi Ran, That looks correct to me. Have a search around on the forum and internet, you'll find plenty to compare it to.

Great exercise Colin, thank you!

I’m on my phone and can’t magnify the pictures but I’ll guess the left hand one for the same reason as JohnC but also because the seppa dai is patinated and it doesn’t have the tagane ato similar to the Nagoyamono examples earlier on the thread.

Also a lot of museum collections are based on donations made by 19th century collectors who made bulk buys of lower grade and gimei tsuba. “Museum quality” tsuba are often not so good as those in private collections. If you haven’t already, a good look at this thread:

Hi Gwyn, Long time no-see - I hope that you’re well. 👍

Yes. I think that whoever told you it was from the muromachi period was wrong or did so to make the blade more attractive to you. Google Kanbun shinto sugata - your blade is a similar shape to that seen around the 1660s. Also, if you do a search on both smiths’ names a correlation will confirm when they were both working in Bungo or perhaps someone can quote from a list of smiths to pin it down?

I assume that it's what Piers said: that it has only just been to shinsa and they're waiting on the papers otherwise you would just hand over the papers with the sword wouldn't you? It does seem to be a very odd way to go about things.

I think it's a representation of Jurōjin - often depicted with a staff (sometimes with a fan too) and a deer.

There’s (insert appropriate quantity) born every minute. There’ll be a “what did I just buy” thread shortly…

I don't know and I suspect that this is one for Jussi to answer if anyone can. This thread mentions a sai ha Sadamune retempered by Echizen Yasutsugu who is known to have retempered a number of important fire-damaged blades in the 17th century and I would be surprised if there weren't more amongst those blades that made Juyo - but obviously that's opinion not fact.

I don't think so - given the position of the marks on the tang relative to the mekugi ana, it suggests the sort of wear from habaki that you might see on an old blade - at least you would hope that something so obvious wouldn't get past the NBTHK. For me the key issue (if I were fortunate enough to have the wherewithal to buy it) would be Jussi's point: having to buy blind without sight of the paper. Sekizan seems to be unknown to the internet so the sayagaki doesn't necessarily add anything for those who didn't know him so that doesn't help. It will be very interesting to see how the bidding goes on this - it's possible to speculate that it might be a Juyo candidate or higher based simply on its rarity and historical value.

Being generous, it might just be some shrinkage of the same/ wrap as it has moved around the peg hole too. Being less generous, it looks like someone has coloured the wood with black ink to try to hide what has happened and it doesn't look very good.

I think the late muromachi period might be a bit of a stretch with the new papers too. Had I seen that blade without knowing what Aoi had said, from the shape and condition (leaving aside the state of polish) I would have said shinto all day long. It might be what Aoi say it is in this regard but (for me anyway) I’d say later.

Hi Carlo, I can't see anything about the paper or sword that would make me think that it is anything other than as stated. There are several smiths signing this way, but probably 3, perhaps 4 who were active during the period to which the sword is dated: https://nihontoclub....a=All&school_nid=All If you go to the www.aoijapan.net website (where they list the swords they've sold previously) you will get a number of hits if you use the search facility but you'll have to sift through them: https://www.aoijapan...=norimitsu&x=22&y=13 Alternatively or in addition, a general internet search on "Osafune Norimitsu Bunmei" returns a number of hits for swords made around the same time as this one.

@OceanoNox - An interesting video. I take your point, I had always assumed that the "woven cloth" description referred to the effect achieved at the end of the process rather than the method used to achieve it and that, given there are a variety of methods for achieving an inlaid effect, some other method than nunome zogan was used where it didn't have the weave effect. Certainly in the video you posted, the gold is left proud of the surface and there is none of the woven effect showing through it, also it shows how the gold is spread into and over the grooves and which would also account for the varying thickness of gold effect in the tsuba posted first up and which made me think it was not inlaid wire. @JohnC - (and to others) - apologies, my error.

Hi Florian, The lower two kanji are "nikubori": 肉彫 - the top one is eluding me though.

I'm sorry, but the tsuba in the OP looks nothing like nunome zogan to me, the essence of which is that it creates the appearance of a cloth-weave pattern (as indicated by the title 布目象嵌). There are striations in the metal, but in relation to the vine pattern, the gold is not pushed down into them but sits across them and does not appear to be done with the wire technique shown in the video above. I'm not sure what method was used to apply the gold, but in relation to the vine, it certainly looks like it could have been a Sharpie, though the flower might pass for Kaga zogan. Examples of nunome work below: https://www.aoijapan...h-gold-nunome-inlay/ https://www.aoijapan...bon-matu-pine-trees/ https://www.aoijapan...ayuu-sasa-kumo-nami/

Hi John, Yes - the vine pattern looks really badly done and appears to be painted on rather than inlaid.