Marius

for me, some avatars show, some not. And here the plot thickens again: I can see all avatars on my iPad (Safari, v. iOS 5.x), while I cannot see most on my iMac (Google Chrome v 16.0.912.77). But I can see it on the same iMac with Firefox v. 3.0.7 and Safari 5.1.3. This could a browser-specific issue, gentlemen :-)

Maxime, None of your pics has been viewed, and ImageShack asks me to register to see them. Maybe that is why you have received no answers to your questions?

Brian, I am not sure where this person sees rust issues? Could you or he elaborate? This is getting interesting :-)

Aww, and now it is gone But then again, the price was steep, no? $1,750... If it were ex-Sasano, that would have been a bargain... Funny how provenance matters. There is one Owari from Sasano's silver book on eBay for $8,500...

Just an observation... The outline of the 'new' seppadai intrudes on the kogai hitsu ana. This is an indication of age, as Muromachi tsuka had a smaller footprint than those used in the Edo period. I find the tsuba very enticing, I must say... Its mimi doew not really fit a Heianjo or Yoshiro tsuba... It might have been a katchushi tsuba originally, adorned with shinchu at some later time. The kozuka hitsu ana seems to be later as well.... Just my felings...

I meant what do you think about its condition... Is it corrosion that I see or was it designed this way?

What do you think? I must say I like it... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heianjo-tsuba-s ... 4474wt_922

Cast Chinese fake. Sorry.

Jason, start here: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/laminate.htm

Tim, many thanks for the correction. Indeed, regarding the Kanayama tsuba on the top of page 2 of this thread, you are right. It is not "Ho"- thanks for pointing out this mistake (which I have repeated after the KTK book). For "Ho" anybody interested, please look up Sasano's silver book (Japanese Sworguards Masterpieces from the Sasano collection), a quite similar Kanayama tsuba #140, page 171 - "the character meaning 'to preserve' (ho-no-ji). Pic attached.

No tea. Unless you want to send it to someone who is qualified (and most people are not) to repatinate the tsuba, it is best to leave it alone.

Paul, Thomas, many thanks Just to inform you why I use bags - as my rack is not Japanese made and quite hefty, when I display koshirae without bags, they look thin and my tanto koshirae lies flat on its side. An unsightly view... So I will keep them in bags until I purchase some Japanese rack.

Stupid question - which of the two swords is on top - the short or the long one? I would assume the former.... I just cannot recall and I want to place my two pieces of koshirae (in Obi silk bags) in the correct manner. thanks

I am with you here, David. In one of the KTK catalogues (can't recall which one), there was a Kanayama tsuba. The kanji on it is "Ho" - protection. Pictures of tsuba and kanji attached.

Guido, quite a refreshing view :-) I am not obsessed with age, but, yes, I try to collect pre-Edo tsuba because of their simple aesthetics. Not that I would not find similar, excellent tsuba among late Edo products, but somehow I share Yanagi Soetsu's view who seeks real art in craft. A simplification (apologies): pre-Edo tsuba are often the work of a craftsman. Edo tsuba are often the work of an artist. I wait for he flak now :lol: Oh, and many thanks for reading and communicating Sasano sensei's attribution

Dear All, I have a little argument with a collector friend of mine. I have bought a tsuba recently here on the NMB, which I see as a Muromachi (or Momoyama at the latest) kagamishi tsuba. My friend think it is an Edo kagamishi. He bases his assumption on the design, which for me is naive but noble. The plate has great patina, the tsuba is large at 7cm, very thin - 1.5 mm at the seppa-dai, tapering to below 1 mm close to the mimi. I have attached a picture of a somewhat similar tsuba form Sasano-sensei's booklet, together with a description, which I cannot translate (maybe someone would confirm that the age attributed by Sasano is indeed at least Momoyama. please?) So, what do you think? I know some of the members here have some excellent kagamishi in their collections Thanks for your time

Ken, this is bad advice. As this might be stainless steel, chopping trees (I hope you have meant wood) could be dangerous. Sorry, Rob, old sport...

Something tells me Satsuma. Edo. Just a feeling...

David, this looks like a katchushi tsuba, but it could be made by any shool in the katchushi style. How thick is it at the seppa-dai?

John, there will be 26 tsuba (two have been already posted) and 11 kozuka. I have dropped Brian a line, asking him if this is OK. Again, strictly pro publico bono, no commercial background whatsoever. As for drawers - these tsuba and kozuka come from the Muzeum Archeologiczne i Etnograficzne (Archeological and Ethnographic Museum) in Łódź, and they have been most likely part of the collection of Henryk Grohman, a famous pre-war industrialist and art lover. All the tsuba and kozuka have been given into deposit of the District Museum in Torun, where a permanent exhibition of Japanese art is being organised by Pawel Czopinski, with some assisstance from our Society (allow me to translate it as the Polish To-ken Society). Glad you like it

Dear All, allow me to explain that I am posting this second (and will be posting subsequent) tsuba on behalf of the curator of the Torun District Museum, Pawel Czopinski, whom our nihonto society has managed to get excited about nihonto, kodogu and woodblock prints (I am working on cha-dogu as well ) Pawel's kind help was essential to an exhibition we have organised - http://gomabashi.blogspot.com/2011/05/p ... ition.html Pawel is in the process of uncovering tsuba from various Polish museums - before WWII there have been some serious collections in Poland, which have been since scattered and bits and pieces now rest in museum storage. If you and Brian, our Admin, do not object, I will post tsuba and other nihonto related items here on a regular basis, asking for your opinion about school, age and motif. I am ignorant when it comes to Edo tsuba... Please rest assured that this there is no commercial background to that. I hope that once catalogued, these tsuba will find their place in some big exhibition. So, here we go: a kinko tsuba, the motif of which is most likely Fujiwara Hidesato and the Dragon King. Higher resoltuion pics are here: http://gallery.me.com/mariuszk#100568 Thanks for your time and effort

Franco, I would say it is a stick and a gourd (traditionally used to hold medicine).

The seller is Mike Yamaguchi, one of the most honest dealers you can find. Just ask him about any blade he is selling and he will reply, being absolutely honest about its condition and whatever you ask for.

Gentlemen, Thank you I am very impressed, as always

Thanks John :-) The pupil looks like a monkey, though?