Ford Hallam

Hi Ken, I just came across this rather intriguing passage in the introduction of the Red Cross Catalogue. This was written by Henri Joly at the start of the first world war. hope this keeps the fire burning :D regards, Ford

To add to the picture of who the man was... the following is from Haynes; with some added speculation on my part. Mototada was also a painter, something which may have added to his design abilities. He was schooled in metalwork by the Kyoto branch of the Goto family and other Kyoto studios. I get the impression of someone somewhat outside of the mainline school system therefore. He inherited his father rank of 3rd level court noble ( Kuge ), perhaps this allowed him a certain freedom in moving between schools etc. This type of bold and sweeping kata-kiri work is more likely influenced by the Yokoya lineage, Somin being credited with the invention of the technique. Many other artists used the technique subsequently but this does have a strong Somin look to my eye. Some clearer, and larger images would allow for a better assessment of the quality of the work but it seems to me to reasonably good, as one would expect. Regards, Ford

with reference to Reinhard's comment regarding the actual silver inlay; my feeling is also that this is a later addition ( ie, somewhat dubious ) done to enhance the commercial value of the blade. The kanji themselves look a bit poorly written and the inlay is not particularly clever. regards, Ford

In my opinion the first one is an obvious modern fake/pastiche piece, probably Chinese in origin. The actual quality of the modelling and the colours are very worrying though...these guys are getting very clever. The second tsuba, the shakudo one, appears to be a modern work by a fairly skilled amateur using classic technique and materials. Apart from its age ( or lack thereof :D ) and the fact that it was not really made with mounting in mind, I would say this one is a perfectly legitimate piece of work. In fact there a quite a few points that I think are very well done and even suggest to me the work of someone who had a strong artistic sense. The way the pine tree's bark is rendered is one such aspect. Certainly at least as good as the average Edo kinko piece. Regards, Ford

I deal with the jet lag by arriving in the morning, staying awake all day ( I tend to check in to my lodgings and then go directly to my teacher ) I have a light supper at about 8, a tokkuri ( or 2 ) of sake and hit the sack at about 10. I generally wake up to the sound of crows very early the next morning ( seasoned Edoko will know what I mean )....then have to wait bloody ages for a coffee shop to open for breakfast...a couple of cups of tea, a boiled egg and piece of toast and a dodgy looking bit of salad. Then I'm ready to take on Godzilla.... :D Someone once advised me to try melatonin tablets before going to bed to help reset my body clock. I tried a quarter of one tablet one evening, a few days before leaving for Japan and spent the next day stumbling around like I was stoned. It apparently works for some some people really well though. It's available over the counter in SA and America but not in the UK.

In my opinion this is a modern cast fake/reproduction. The shape of the nakago ana is completely unconvincing and appears to be as originally shaped. the sekigane clearly have never actually held a sword, particularly obvious is the top bit of copper. The mei looks as though it was cut by someone who has only very recently picked up a chisel and there is what looks like a casting flaw in the form of a gas bubble hole on the edge of the nakago ana. I wouldn't buy this with your money regards, Ford

and if Dr Steins warning wasn't enough I would add that once the Sushi Chefs union discover your filthy habit of marinading sashimi in the shoyu you'll definitely be deported ...if not asked to commit seppuku with a yanagiba Just a concerned friend

Richard Adams, in Kent, England...if you need someone in Europe. I've known Richard for many years he's pretty handy for shira-saya, habaki ( all types ) and will even produce a very passable tsuka-maki if you ask nicely. He also does saya-nuri. pm me if you want his contact details. regards, Ford

he he he, I like the way you're thinking now, Brian. Guerilla tactics may be called for, fight fire with fire...

I very much doubt that it would actually be done using to use a real section of tang. If it was a gimei why bother, and if it was genuine it would be a bit of a shame to say the least. I'd be interested to see if there is any further clues to be gained from examining the inside though. I've seen a few tsuba that had pierced designs of a number of overlapping nakago, these were clearly just a design feature and all made from the same plate. I'd suggest this is a similar sort of idea, quite Japanese, I think, in a quirky sort of way. I actually really like it , what does the kashira look like? regards, Ford

p.s. Over on the Token Society of Great Britain's website, if you have a look in the "articles" section, you'll find a pretty detailed essay on Munetsugu written by the illustrious Mr Sinclair. There are more oshigata in the sword registry, the mei could be clearer ...but may suffice. Ford

Hi, I have a little experience of Munetsugu and in my opinion this is gimei, sadly. respectfully, Ford

Hi John, I think you are absolutely right, art appreciation is by it's very nature, subjective. The "trick" that the connoisseur attempts is to go beyond that subjectivity. To try to see things from a more broad, less personal, assessment but I get the feeling you were sort of beginning to express exactly that. I think also, like you, that part of that development comes from understanding the craftsmanship and skill that is demanded of these items. Brian, Perhaps I wasn't clear in my use of the word, egocentric. What I was getting at was the fact that neither really offers us anything useful in our own pursuit of the answer to the question; "is it/what is art?" as for this; ...isn't that just yet again someone else's unverifiable opinion?

this sounds remarkably like; " I don't know a lot about art but I know what I like....." both statements being utterly self referential ( ie; egocentric ) :? p.s. and I have to add ( echoing Guido ); why bother studying flawed, or otherwise "ugly" work, when wanting to understand Japanese art swords what is to be gained from looking at second rate, or utterly buggered work....?

The Indonesian Kris was traditionally made with significant inclusion or iron/nickel meteorite ( sidderites ) and archaeological evidence does indicate that this source of metal was not uncommon at the start of the iron age in various cultures. We could speculate that prototype Nihonto may have included some of this material. I would be surprised if it wasn't at least experimented with in ancient times. The source would always have been seen as highly auspicious too. We had a little discussion about this subject on the ironbrush forum that might be of interest to you, Ken. Here's the link. cheers, Ford

for what it's worth, "yaki-namashi" is what we call annealing in the kinko and tankin world. These sorts of misunderstandings are inevitable, I think, when non specialists use terms that, are in fact, very specific. One such "mistake" has amused me for years. Although I think I detect the humour of the late Tony Chapman and Mr Mishina ( Mr Mishina was his neighbour in England ) at work here... This is from the original translation of the "To-ken Kantei Dokuhon" ( now available as " The connoisseurs guide to Japanese swords" page 326, nioi and nie, and on checking...it's repeated in the Kodansha edition... :D " Nie and nioi are the crystalline effect which is called Martensite in Western metallurgical terms. There are also many other terms such as Austensite, Pearlite, Trotskyite, etc "

I don't think it looks too bad. Better than a gaping hole :D . Also, I wouldn't expect the bamboo to shrink really, it doesn't behave like wood in that respect. The colour may change ever so slightly though, but it will be very slow... Stephen, I reckon that Milt could do a gold plaque himself, just stuff the hole with dental amalgam , I mean, how hard can it be? Cheers, Ford

Hi Yitzy, No need to feel nervous. Japan is very safe and although many of the older generation don't often speak English you'll find that younger Japanese do and will generally be quite willing to help you get around. You won't be alone, as a foreigner at the show, I'll be there too...along with quite a few others I know of. Communication at the show won't be impossible and most dealers are quite used to bumbling gaijin who mangle the Japanese language and who can't pronounce the word "tsuba" , there's generally someone around to help out... It does always help to learn a few basic phrases and the effort is always appreciated. You'll often find that your efforts to try some Japanese will be met with a greater willingness by Japanese people to them respond in English. This is the sort of politeness that can make trips to Japan a pleasure. Accommodation would depend on budget but if you want to pm me I could give you some suggestions. I think the biggest hurdle ( and it's not that difficult ) is on arrival, feeling tired and disorientated, getting from the airport to your hotel. Once you know where you will be staying I can help you figure out the best route/method. regards, Ford Brian, it might be an idea to start a thread for useful, swords dealing related Japanese phrases. For example, may I examine that tsuba, could you show me that sword, please. Do you take credit cards/ cash/ non vital organs in payment. You want how much?!!!! ...where's the nearest bar?

they're on to you, Guido. This is where they start censoring your fun....big brother is watching I see Thierry has beaten me to it...thanks

Hello Reihard, I agree absolutely with you when you make the distinction that with clay there is always an element of serendipity whereas with the master swordsmith the elements are more controlled, I don't know if I agree that it is absolutely under control though. But that may be a moot point. What I was trying to get across was an attitude regarding the aesthetic appreciation, not similarities in the objects or their manner of creation. I recognize that the awareness of the processes involved etc may add a great deal to the experience ( as Guido describes in his essay ) and in that the two, sword and tea bowl, are different but never the less I think there may be something to be gained from looking at these, apparently, unrelated cultural icons. After all, both are born of earth, fire and water and express very Japanese aesthetic concerns. Regards, Ford

I found this on ebay this morning....tsuba for the samurai who has everything Kampai, Ford

Hi Paul, thanks for the vote of confidence . The whole proposition is indeed, massively complicated...but it has to start somewhere. Just as with the ongoing discussion around art in general. You are absolutely right too, to state that we won't reach any answers but I don't think that's the point. In any philosophical exploration of meaning, and art is one of the big ones, there is no ultimate, sacred truth to be found. Those " ideals" that are sometimes held to be truths are actually only of value to us in terms of their usefulness. Guido's essay describes the process of learning we need to embark on, others have also described how our appreciation "matures" with continued exposure to this art form. Some sort of road map from those who claim to see more might be of great value in helping to form a more sensitive and refined understanding of the subject. You raised the issue of subjectivity in taste and I'd agree, this will always be present but it came from somewhere, we weren't born with innate tastes in Japanese swords,...so it can continue to be "informed". Perhaps it's time for a more poetic reading of the subject...to counter balance the very academic approach this seems to dominate. We may discover in fact that this is where we will begin to see the real art. I realise that by leaning so far off in this "arty" direction I run the risk of sounding a bit "hippie", for want of a better word, but there is precedent in appreciating art in more poetic terms. It may in fact be the only way to convey this aspect in words. regards, Ford

This is really heartening to read, Gentlemen. It would appear we are all hungry for more regarding those aspects of the art of the sword that aren't covered in the basic texts available in English. Reinhard, The very eloquent description of the Masamune blade you gave is an excellent starting point, this sort of detail, about the particular "expression in steel" of a particular smith is where I think we can really start to see the sword as true art. As you said, Masamune's handling of nie would be seen as a fault in a lesser smith but in the hands of this master it becomes one of his defining traits of brilliance. I'd like to think that those of us who are now made more aware of this feature will be a little more attuned to the next Masamune blade we will encounter ( however rarely that may be )...that door has just been nudged open a little wider. I would like to propose that we could also be considering the overall aesthetic impact of a given sword in sculptural terms. We are all informed, to varying degrees, as to what a functional sword looks like, form follows function, but therein lies a world of subtle variation. Each minute change alters the overall effect. The width, thickness length ect, the size and shape of the kissaki, the contrast with the nakago. What does the look of the hada add in terms of the feel of the sword. The hamon is practically a subject on it's own, the polished steel being the canvas for a sumi-e in nie and nioi. What does the artistic sensibility expressed in a hamon of a particular smith tells us, and how does this relate to the rest of the blade in purely aesthetic terms? My instinct tells me that the truly great swords somehow manage to bring all these aspects in to an un-contrived harmony. I'm excited at the possibility of catching a glimpse of this... I suppose what I'm getting at is the need to understand art swords as compositions in steel. We label all the various details but do we really consider their contribution to the overall artistic expression. We can similarly analysise a painting, noting the perspective, composition, the colour pallete, the tonal values, texture etc etc...but we don't stop there. We relate all of this information the the contribution it makes to the overall artistic vision of the painter. Did he get it right...? We've analysed the sword, now I think we could gain something by contemplating how it all combines to create art. It is a very abstract art we're looking at, perhaps uniquely so, and undoubtedly Japanese, just like tea bowls in so many ways. Perhaps the appreciation of tea bowls is not so far from the love of art swords either. We could also probably start a parallel discussion regarding tosugo. regards, Ford

Hi Brian, I think in fact this is more than semantic hair splitting, we're established already that we aren't all interested in the same thing. :? We all come to this with our own sets of criteria and prejudices. As to swords not having been made as art in the past, I'm not too sure about that. I believe it is quite well documented that the finest swords have been appreciated as art from at least as early as the beginning of the Kamakura period. How did these earliest connoisseurs evaluate the swords that have come down to us as masterpieces? How did they appreciate the finer aesthetic of the blade with no NBTHK to tell them? ...and they were all shinsakuto blades back then when they were new. We know that polishing techniques have developed tremendously in the modern period but it seems clear that most of the details of the steel were noted in the past. There is a lot more we could discuss on this issue too. What we do all agree on is that these are weapons, first and foremost. But, clearly some are a lot more than that. Like paintings, we can all agree on what they are and in have a general consensus about what is passable and what is awful but things get trickier as we attempt to define those we judge to be exceptional. I don't agree that we all know what makes them special, this thread has proved that point :D What I'm arguing for is exactly a more in depth way of discussing this vague idea of "sword as art". It is precisely because it hasn't been thrashed out in discussions and debate that it is so vague as to mean whatever anyone wants it to. We'll never reach an absolute answer but the discussion will keep us on our toes at least. As Reinhard predicts; the next generation will no doubt do it all again, but that is what keeps the study vital and keeps us thinking and looking ever more carefully.

Jean Jacques I think I understand what you're getting at here Jacques but I think that what Jean was suggesting is that while great art may, of course, take great craft the opposite, that great craft automatically becomes great art is not also true. You seem to be disagreeing with something no-one said I don't fully agree that these two criterion can't be separated, at least to a useful degree, so as to help define more clearly what we might mean by "art." Jean, I also think references to the rear end of a horse ( un cul chevaux ) may be a bit risky for all of us