Marius

Dear NMB members, I have an interesting tanto that exhibits strong Yamato characteristics. I am away from my library for a few weeks, hence the question: What do you think about this mei, in connection with the characteristics of the blade. Of course I have immediately assumed it is gimei, but who knows, especially if there were quite a few of smiths with this name. Pictures are attached, I shall be grateful for your opinions.

Gentlemen, this is fantastic, thank you so much! Let's see how high this extra-special "support the NMB" tsuba can go.

OK, here is the deal. This auction is for the benefit of the NMB. It will last until the 14th June, 23:00 GMT. The winner pays the bid amount directly to Brian, our admin. The shipping cost is on me. Once payment has cleared I send the tsuba to the winner. It’s a nice iron tsuba from the Edo period. Good iron tiny gold remnants at the end of the leaves, nice shape, heavy in hand, shakudo plug. It gives me a Genroku feeling. Measurements: 7.6 x 7.25 cm thickness at rim: 6 mm at seppa dai 5mm The auction starts at $50 make your bids, the upkeep of the NMB costs money. And many thanks, gentlemen! 🙏🙏🙏

Tosho is sold. The second tsuba - I will open a bew sales thread with proceeds going to the NMB.

Tosho is on hold

First and only reduction: Tosho: EUR 100 The other one EUR 80.

I have two tsuba. Priced to go, prices include shipping. 1. Tosho tsuba I hope pictures will tell it all. A large (8.5 cm) tosho tsuba, possibly early Edo, maybe earlier (although orthodoxy will tell you otherwise because of the thickness). Measurements: 8.45 x 8.2 cm thickness at rim: 3.5 mm Great for mounting or just enjoying. EUR 150 including shipping to EU and US 1. Iron tsuba Tiny gold remnants on this one, nice shape, heavy in hand, shakudo plug. Measurements: 7.6 x 7.25 cm thickness at rim: 6 mm at seppa dai 5mm EUR 100 including shipping to EU and US

On hold

Thanks Brian, of course I can increase the price 🤣

More pics...

While not a masterpiece, this wakizashi offers a lot of pleasurable study. It is koto, most likely sue-Seki, but who knows, with this flamboyance it might paper to goodness knows who, if you insist on papers, that is While I dare not hope that it's Magaroku Kanemoto or Kanetsugu or Kanemichi (but who knows), I can guarantee you hours of fun analysing those sunagashi and other activities (see description below) Measurements: nagasa: 46 cm kasane: 6 mm motohaba: 2.85 cm sakihaba: 1.8 cm Hamon: Ura: kobushigata choji clusters with deep, rounded “fist-shaped” choji Omote:, the hamon is more linear with uma-no-ha (horse tooth)-like sharp peaks, and shows intense sunagashi running through and around the peaks. This asymmetry — one side being wild and organic, the other sharp and tooth-like — is deliberate and part of the smith’s design (like in Kanetsugu or Kanemichi work) Nie activity: There is dense nie, especially near the kissaki, bordering on arai-nie but without looking coarse — suggesting skilled control. Presence of sunagashi and some kinsuji-like activity (imozuru, to be precise) Boshi The boshi has midare-komi structure and hakikake in line with late Muromachi to early Edo work by good Mino smiths. Hada: Itame, coarse grain in one place as seen in the pictures The blade comes in good polish, however, the tip misses a teeny weeny fragment, hard to see when you hold the blade in hand, but blown out of proportions, so to speak, in my pictures. Also tiny teeny nail catchers in the kissaki. Again, almost invisible. But, with all that this lovely blade (which comes in shirasaya) is priced to sell. All yours for: Sold Below are pictures, I have taken them in two different light conditions. If you want to see them all, here is a Dropbox link. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/j56a8i2tghbh7l0ny3l9c/AGmJYNGmyJ0TyXzwbgQP5WM?rlkey=uoki51pyu7mi7jwrx08py30ed&dl=0

Rob, I understand. I will check out Lulu.com and report back here

R Thank you, Nicolas, I really appreciate it

Thank you so much, Alex

Hi everyone, I wanted to share a book I’ve written — Samurai and Shōguns. Some of you may know me as a long-time collector, especially of pre-Edo tsuba, and I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with a number of fellow enthusiasts over the years. This book grew out of that lifelong interest. It’s not an academic monograph, and I don’t pretend it’s breaking new ground for specialists. But I’ve done my best to go beyond the usual pop-culture image of the samurai, and to bring out the complexity, contradictions, and lesser-known sides of their world — things I found fascinating and thought others might, too. The book is written for a general audience, but with care for accuracy and detail. It’s also richly illustrated with woodblock prints and historical photographs — something I personally value in a good history book. If you’re curious, I’d love for you to take a look. And if you do, I’d be grateful for your honest thoughts — whether you spot something insightful, or something that makes you wince. Here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHPD39RM?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_9Z7P2NDJ0ZK83R9E7RWX Thank you for looking PS: This dramatic layout of the book against the backdrop of a poem and scrolls is pure marketing, not to be taken seriously. I just thought it looks nice

Brian, since I have been called out, allow me to explain why I haven’t posted anything about my bookhere… Well, I felt a little embarrassed to present anything less than a groundbreaking achievement on the history of samurai. And my book (Samurai and Shōguns. Legacy of Japan’s Warriors) is not groundbreaking, it’s something for beginners and people who’s understanding of samurai is shaped mostly by popular culture. Anyway, I shall be happy to post info about it here 😊 With “here”, I don’t mean the Tosogu section, of course. Izakaya maybe?

Steve, Many thanks! I just couldn't crack that "水" Please note that the "mei" is on the ura. So maybe it is an inscription, and not the artist's name. In which case 田水 would be either ta mizu or den sui. Water in a rice paddy... I admit, it is a strange one...

Gents, I am at loss about the second kanji. The first seems to be 毋, but the second? Is it 乃 ? Apologies, I am hopeless when it comes to mei... And many thanks for your help. It will be appreciated

SOLD, thank you.

HOLD

More pics...

Gents, a sturdy tanto, a long yoroi doshi. Comes in shirasaya, with nice copper habaki. NBTHK has attributed it to Uda Tomotsugu, while NTHK thought it is a Bizen Osafune Kiyomitsu. You decide what works best. Nagasa 25.4 cm Motohaba 24.8 mm Motokasane 6.4 mm Hada: itame nagare Hamon: nie deki, sunagashi, nice big formations of nie I think it is this sword smith (from Sesko's Index): TOMOTSUGU (友次), 5th gen., Tenbun (天文, 1532-1555), Etchū – “Etchū no Kuni Kawasaki-jū Tomotsugu saku” (越中国河崎住友次作), “Hikokurō saku Tomotsugu” (彦九郎作友次), first name Hikokurō (彦九郎), he signed also with his place of residence, that is to say Kawasakimura (川崎村) written as (河崎) without “mura” (村, “village”), he was active from Tenbun to Eiroku (永禄, 1558-1570), most of the extant Uda-Tomotsugu blades go back to this generation, the jigane is a standing-out itame-nagare, the hamon is a gunome in ko-nie-deki mixed with ko-midare and sunagashi, the nioiguchi is subdued, chū-jō-saku SOLD

Allow me to chime in. As you know, I do not recommend tsuba indiscriminately. I do it only in cases where the tsuba is exceptional. Now, this is such a case. Unlike so many other schools, Sado Island masters have retained true martial spirit in their work even in the "weak piping time of peace" that was the mid Edo period. I know that John's photography does not do the tsuba justice. and that it looks much better in hand. What I see here is excellent iron and a very dynamic motif that makes this massive tsuba anything but plain or boring. This is the work of a true master. Needless to say, that if Mr Haynes stated that this work is rare, then that's what it is. A great opportunity to purchase an exceptional tsuba for what I see as a great price.

Thanks Curran!

I will get measurements later. Please note how well the copper plugs are carved to match the motif of waves - really cool work. I get Owari Fuatgoyama vibes with this one, feel free to correct me (Curran? Please?). Needs some TLC, is wakizashi size and really nice. HOLD ($200) incl. shipping to US and EU, Paypal fees blah blah blah, wire transfer preferred.