Gakusee

Piers - that is as conclusive as it gets with no zokumei. Clearly the quality is the main reason for the attribution, supported by the date. Were the jiba not of sufficient quality and clarity, it would not have gone to Yosozaemon. Remember that he had a workshop full of students and helpers. It would have been a generic statement (in the other Juyo, there are such, stating it is a good quality Sue Bizen of Sukesada school). So quality first and foremost. Similar case with this one. Also ascribed to Yosozaemon.

Don’t trust me?

Well, as you asked politely and nicely It does not happen often and is in fact rare. Normally they have to have a name such as Hikobei etc. But there are various Juyo Sukesada which are just Sukesada and without a specific name. This below has an interesting setsumei which speculates that it could be by Yosozaemon. As always, for advanced study and understanding, one needs to read / translate the setsumei.

The reality is that they cannot be 'sorted out' to a specific smith unless they are dated and named (or in very rare circumstances, the quality is very high and they are dated, so they go to the school head of the time). They are often generic, multitudinous and span several centuries. One could say 'well this does look like a Muromachi Sukesada' or 'this is signed Sukesada,the mei is a bit unusual for the Muromachi ones, so likely later one', or 'this is a Sukesada but the shape is not early', etc. Actually, people sometimes even struggle to differentiate between a kaziuchimono Sukesada from non-kaziuchimono one, let alone pinpoint a generic one. So with the more generic Sukesada, one can sort of veer towards a broad period and whether it is mass made or not.

Apologies, Grev - what are you trying to achieve with a new Sukesada post? Markus Sesko and Hawley have both listed and sorted various Sukesada smiths. If it is one of the master smiths, eg Yosozaemon, etc, usually the sword tang will bear the specific name or the NBTHK will have noted it. If the NBTHK have not noted one of the greats (Yosozaemon, Hikobei, Genbei, Hikozaemon) on the paper, then it is one of the many Sukesada smiths (or at best they might say something like 'late generation').

Agree. We just need to be very clear about the point in time we refer to and what monetary values were pertinent then. We cannot generalise over an extended period of time (end-Muromachi to end-Edo). Thank you for the interesting topic. I also recommend that people read this: https://nihonto.com/samurai-income/

The value of ryo fluctuated widely due to the debasement of the koban and diminished gold content (over a century, century and a half, it halved from the original 18.5g). So while 1 koku used to be worth 1 ryo = 1 koban, by the end of the 18 century, 1 koku was already worth over 5 ryo. So, calculations as the above are meaningless unless we know precisely when certain prices are quoted and then comparing these prices to the in-kind value of rice koku and also physical gold content (from the respective gold coinage at the time). So people are not comparing like with like in the commentary above.

Well, the NKBKHK article written by Nishioka san is very clear that all these were made by Otsuka san. That would make him a katchushi in my mind, as some of these seem quite sophisticated, but I am no expert to determine that, Andrew. The same magazine, after the article dedicated to Otsuka san, has a tribute to Miura san by way of a trilateral reminiscence by Ueda san, Yamasa and Jo Anseeuw in discourse format.

Thank you for posting them, Giuseppe; indeed these are top-notch items, from katchu to blades.

The hamon and shape and nakago sort of look in these photos consistent with Muromachi to Shinto Sukesada. But two things to note on the mei: - as Kiril intimated, it does look “blocky” (I think Geraint above also had some intuition about its appearance) - the usual early Sukesada mei starts with “Bizen [no] Kuni Ju Osafune…” while here I seem to see “Bizen [no] Kuni Osafune Ju…” -> food for thought….. Markus does however list some late Sukesada following the format here

Luc, it was not only kabuto but whole armours and also it looks like whole koshirae, accessories, etc. Chris, looking at what Otsuka san has made, if I were to extrapolate, I think if he probably put his mind to it he would have been able to make the rivets. Why he did not, I am not sure, but the skill and ability of that gentleman seems to have been very high. He also studied with professional katchushi. Below are excerpts from the magazine with his creations which the family donated for study purposes to the NKBKHK.

To revert back to the original post and original questions. I have been provided with an image of an Edo document outlining the prices for various parts of a Miyochin armour suit. Unfortunately, it is not fully translated but Markus Sesko has helped with some of the text (thank you very much, Markus!). do & kusazuri 7 ryō+ kabuto by Munehisa: 10 ryō, sode 4 ryō, kote 3+ ryō [something] 3+ ryo jinbaori 1 ryō etc The whole thing adds ups to a lot of gold coins…. More than 30 altogether 1 ryo=1 oban= 1 gold coin. There was some fluctuation over time in the gold content of a gold coin but that was a lot of money. 1 koku was roughly worth 1 ryu but it fluctuated a bit over time. I advise people to dig out Markus’ treatise “Sword prices, origami and samurai income”. In there he very clearly explains different salaries for hatamoto and gokenin (measured in both rice and coins). In early 18c, the vast majority of hatamoto earnt less than 400 koku. A lower ranked regional hanshi earnt less than 4 ryo pa. A top ranked hatamoto in court earnt 2000 (but had to pay two thirds in taxes and maintain various lower grade retainers and vassals and had to borrow money to fulfill his duties). I quote from the above Markus’ article directly: “Basically it can be said that the problem of shortage of money because of the obligatory duties to the bakufu was rife among all classes of samurai. High-ranking hatamoto with an income of from 1.000 to 3.000 koku were the worst affected, because top earners had certain reserves, and on the other hand the duties of the lowest ranks could be neglected.This becomes clear from the records of a samurai of the Chôshû fief with a basic income of 100 koku. After subtracting the cost of rice for feeding his family and seven obligatory retainers, he was able to change the remaining 17 koku and 4 sho of rice for 915 silver monme. From this amount, 120 monme was used for the rent of his house in Hagi (capital city of the Chôshû fief), 250 for a cook and a man, and the remaining 545 for food and clothes for a half year. If he could not cover the money for the other half through an officially approved second job.” So the armours we admire and see in auctions and at dealers… They cost a lot of money back then and very few people could afford them.

So, on that particular kabuto: another not fully professional but dedicated Katchushi enthusiast (and NKBKHK board member) in Japan, the late Ostuka san, also made a rather impressive replica. He apparently made a lot of armours and kabuto, even though professionally he was a company manager. I presume he will fall in Andrew’s “craftsman” category. But I was impressed by his various creations which were donated to the NKBKHK. Please see attached courtesy of the NKBKHK and their monthly magazine.

From previous conversations with Sotheby’s it should go up at the end of this month. It is still too early.

Because Japan has been deflationary for 30 years and prices have been stagnant for that long. One can have a lunch for $4-5 and polishers are not known to live lavishly. If you buy your food from a supermarket I suppose you can live on $10 a day in some parts of Japan. From a Western perspective, it seems very, very cheap and I agree. My gardener also charges $35 an hour but that is London, where inflation has been 10% in the last year. Some food prices have doubled in fact.

Thank you very much, Andy, for the very exhaustive response. Appreciate it. For one-two years I was a member of the NBSK, but it seems to me they do not need gaijin or try to keep us informed or involved. At least it was like that a few years ago. The NBTHK and NKBKHK at least send magazines, organise lectures / trips / exhibitions for foreigners and keep the international community much more engaged and educated. On the other points - very interesting perspectives. Keep up the craft and art please. Maybe one day we shall meet in Japan, when I find the time outside of swords and work.

Omiya Morishige, as per the kanteisho papers, is plausible. Attached below are two Juyo examples - second one below around 69 cm nagasa and the top image around 72cm. The bottom image below - described by the NBTHK as sakizori and the other as koshizori. Both described as having chu-kissaki, while I would have characterised the longer one / top image to be with closer to ko-kissaki but difficult to say from oshigata. Interestingly, the bottom image below even has what appears in the oshigata as fumbari, so evident are various Kamakura features across both blades (small chu-kissaki, fumbari and koshizori). Note that both have shortish nakago, like yours. But they have different dates - one in 1400s and one in 1500s. So, as Kiril said, even later in time, there were koshizori blades with smaller kissaki in utsushi manner. The shape guides very broadly, but you need to look at the kitae first and foremost. Jigane is key to ageing and so is hamon. Ganbatte!

Nishioka san has a couple of deshi / employees working in his studio together with his wife, who is a kumihimo artisan. There was a very informative article and set of interviews with all of them in the Katchu magazine (either the 2020 or 2021 issue) of the Japanese Armour Society. I am glad that Andy has started shedding more light on this fascinating craft, its traditions and intricacies. Hopefully it is preserved, but as is the case with so many traditional arts and crafts in Japan, it is unfortunately in jeopardy since very few young Japanese follow in the footsteps of previous masters. It requires hard work and perseverance. The more various katchushi, both in Japan and in the West, educate us, the better for the art and people who appreciate it. It is informative to hear different perspectives from several artisans. There seem to be somewhat more people who restore / repair armour than there are armour makers. Andy - what is your view on restorers, both in Japan and in the West? Next: is there a katchushi “craftsmen” association in Japan similar to the sword-related NBSK, which itself is comprised mainly of swordsmiths, sayashi and polishers (as opposed to the museum / evaluation /education focused NBTHK)? I am a member of the NKBKHK, which focuses on appraisals, preservation and education in relation to Japanese armour. Nishioka san is a senior member of that body. But are there even enough such katchu craftsmen in Japan to justify a pure “artisan” organisation? This could comprise armour makers who forge metal parts and assemble armour or people specialising in leather or dying or braiding etc. In the sword world, there is a strict differentiation and segregation between the different crafts of swordsmithing, koshirae making, polishing, kodogu and tosogu making, etc. That differentiation has resulted in supreme quality as the skills and knowledge required are very different. It seems to me that in the world of armour, katchushi learn to make and do everything themselves even though ito braiding / lacing is a very different skill to metal forging / forming, for example….. Thank you for your views.

Most dealers can do that for you. As well as probably people like Bob Hughes “Keichodo” etc. Actually, Tanobe sensei is very personable and friendly. Have not had the chance to meet Tokugawa san yet, but from friends who have met him, have heard he is down to earth and friendly too.

The latter

The mei does look like Mitsushige in your photos. There are plenty of Muromachi Bizen and Bingo Mitsushige smiths (p 628 in Markus’ Index).

Well, thank you in any case for the beautiful images! The tsuba are great.

Pietro - any of the Natsuo or Ishiguro :)?

Well, it depends on what you mean by that generalisation....The role of bushi, from landowners who had to protect their land to landed gentry to conscripted warriors to codified military caste changed quote a bit over 7-8 centuries! My interpretation of your statement (and apologies if misconstrued) is that actually what you are thinking of samurai probably can be narrowed down to the period 1550-1615 (which is when their behaviour was quite codified and they were the exalted warriors we romanticise about and actually fought and so on). Before then, the behaviours were different and they were summoned, trained, equipped more sporadically and differently. After that, they just became a military class but lived mostly peacefully. So charts such as the pyramidal hierarchy cited above are snapshots at a given point in time and are representative of a certain period.