SteveM

Didn't I read somewhere (probably on this forum) recently where the Iida locking mechanism was developed by the predecessor (grandparent?) of the owners of the Iida Kōendō sword shop in Mejiro (Tokyo), and presumably related to the Iida Sword shop in the photo above? Edit: It is the predecessor of Iida Koendo... I found the same picture on their website. http://iidakoendo.com/info/history/ (still don't know if they are the origins of the saya locking mechanism)

Maybe not much of a help, but the vase itself looks like Kyoto cloisonne enamel (京七宝 Kyō-shippō) I was thinking the mark is something like 山一 (Yama-ichi), with the red angle representing a mountain over the kanji numeral for "one". But goofing around with the search engine didn't uncover anything like that.

西嶋氏 Nishijima shi (uji) I agree that it refers to the owner, rather than a manufacturer.

The set with the Chinese sage: April, 1976

庵に木瓜 Iori ni mokko Seal of the house of Itō 伊東, Kudō 工藤, and probably a million others. http://www.harimaya.com/o_kamon1/yurai/a_yurai/pack2/iori.html

I agree with every post in this thread. 1. It is (another) lovely and enigmatic saya. 2. It is probably wise to sit out a few rounds before jumping in to a $1500+ purchase 3. Having said that, offering a very low bid for the ensemble might be one way to get your feet wet, if you are indeed determined to get your feet wet. 4. The bird does in fact look like it had the same 6-year old designer as the bird in the other thread! Take it from a fellow enthusiast whose first purchase was an overpriced sword of dubious provenance; I know what it is like to become fascinated with these things, and to have your heart set on an acquisition. If you are just looking for an antique, I would buy the $400 aogai mijin-nuri saya that you posted in the other thread, and with the money you saved (you mentioned your budget was ~$1500) you can buy some books. Eventually, after your tastes have become settled or refined, you might consider getting a quality set of fuchi/kashira, menuki, and tsuba, and then you'd have something special. (The same could be said for this saya, too, except the entry point for this one, as charming as it is, is quite high).

As always, the blade's the most important thing, so probably no use fretting about the signature until you get the blade in your hand and can have a good look at it. However, since you mentioned Osaka 3rd generation Yoshimichi, I dug up some other examples of this signature. In short, I don't think this signature matches Osaka 3rd generation Yoshimichi. The Yoshi (吉) is a giveaway. Here are presumably authentic Yoshimichi 3rd gen. swords and signatures. http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2014/1410_2041syousai.htm http://www.aoijapan.com/img/sword/2014/14674-1.jpg http://www.aoijapan.jp/%E8%84%87%E5%B7%AE%EF%BC%9A%E4%B8%B9%E6%B3%A2%E5%AE%88%E5%90%89%E9%81%93%E5%A4%A7%E9%98%AA-%E4%B8%89%E4%BB%A3 In the sword you are looking at, Yoshi is written differently from those linked above. In the sword in this post, the top component of Yoshi is 土 (つち) instead of 士 (し), a difference that is almost too subtle to notice in this font, but on the swords it becomes very apparent. The authentic swords use Yoshi with a 士 (short horizontal stroke on the bottom). There are other things, too, that would push me away from Osaka 3rd gen. Yoshimichi. Again, none of this means the sword isn't a genuine Yoshimichi. I just think its probably not Osaka 3rd. Would be great to have better pictures of the blade itself.

It is possible it could say something like that. The first two kanji aren't 後藤. They are 好若 or something like that. Neither of the two Hirotoshis listed in my reference are part of the Gotō clan. The first one in the reference is from near Hiroshima, and seems to be an independent artist. The second one is from a different school (not Gotō). So, it could possibly be something like "Disciple of Yoshiwaka" (好若弟子). However, for some reason I feel like 弟子 is a bit presumptuous. 入門 sounds more appropriate (modest), to me. So I was wondering if the 弟子 refers to someone other than the artist himself. (Or maybe I have misread it).

Hello Paul The are both by Utagawa Kunisada, aka Toyokuni III. They are illustrations of scenes from plays/kabuki. The first one (tobacco smoker) is the middle panel of a triptych, and features a character called Oni Azami Kiyokichi (sorry, I don't know the story). It was done in 1859. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunisada You can see the triptych here http://ja.ukiyo-e.org/image/waseda/101-4005 The second one was done in 1858, and is from a story called Nyōbō O Maki http://ja.ukiyo-e.org/image/waseda/100-2669

I agree it looks like 廣利, of which two are listed in Wakayama (both late Edo). I was hoping either entry would give me a clue as to the right side, but I'm not getting anything. It looks like 囗若弟子, but I can't figure out the top kanji., 弟子 (deshi) means apprentice, if that helps any.

Hello Steven, Yes it looks like an aogai mijin nuri scabbard, which was popular in late edo (or so I read somewhere). I agree that it isn't National Treasure-level quality. Still, it looks to be in fairly good condition, even if there are a few bits of gold-leaf missing from the sakura petals. And obviously its missing a tsuba too (unless its meant to be an ai-kuchi scabbard, but I think that's unlikely). The newish tsuka-maki and same/shark/ray skin doesn't bother me that much. At least the tsuka-maki looks like it was done professionally, and was well executed. The fuchi and kashira have maybe a karuta theme. I can't tell what the menuki are. So overall it has the effect of a good scabbard that someone was restoring, or maybe someone was assembling pieces to fit a sword that had no koshirae. But I like it and it has a charming, playful quality to it.

延壽(花押)　Nobutoshi? (kao) then on the right side 山庵里人　San'an satobito ?? (wild guess)

Hello David, The mei on your sword is from a different Onitsuka Yoshikuni to the one who made the sword above. I think George is right in that your sword is WWII vintage. It looks like it has had the rough life of a military sword, having lost the yokote (if it ever had one), and with no signs of a boshi or hamon. Mind you I am making a lazy judgment from an armchair on the other side of the internet. Your sword could be hiding some details that haven't shown up in the photograph. However, unless there is some compelling activity in the sword that suggests it is from a few centuries ago, best to assume it is a vintage-WWII blade.

The pool is so limpid: one suspects that it's not so deep. Lotus stirs: one knows that fish have dispersed "Fishing Bay" Chu Guangxi, Tang Dynasty Poet (found after a bit of Googling)

Mei on the knife reads 品川入道内一作 Shinagawa Nyūdō Uchikazu(?) saku Unsure of the bit in red.

元徳二年正月十五日　 Gentoku 2 (1330) January 15th, I think.

I think 臨川堂 (not sure how to pronounce, but I'll guess Rinsendō). This is the artist's name of a couple of artists of the Tsuji group (eg Mitsuō, Mitsutane, Mitsumasa), active in the latter part of the Edo period. No idea as to whether or not it is authentic.

Well done. Allow me to burnish the rough edges. This is an excerpt from a tōsōgu reference book: Wakayama's Tōsō Kinkō Jiten. It is the entry for (presumably) the artist who made the works contained in the box - Yoshimune. "Last name of Tsukui. Known as "Ichibei" (in other words, his first name). Apprenticed to Ono Yoshitoshi. Signed as Tsurusensai Yoshimune Kinsaku. There exist a set of his menuki with the accompanying date of December, Keiō 1 (1865) kinoto-ushi. Lived until (at least) 1892. Skilled/Expert. Tokyo, Shiba, Shin'ami-cho (nb. Present day Shimbashi. Kind of in-between Shimbashi and Hamamatsu-cho stations. Shinbashi is the train station you are likely to use if you go to the DTI). Artist's name: Tsurusensai

It says 三谷喜 which I presume is a name, MITANI Yoshi (but Yoshi by itself is somewhat strange). Could also be the name of a company: there is a lacquerware company in Kyoto by this name (Mitaniki) The final kanji in the picture above is a variant of 喜, but the meaning is the same.

Hello James, as Jean mentioned in the previous thread, usually the signature comes in the form of (top to bottom) Location (the province, or kuni where the smith worked) Smith's name There are a limited number of provinces, and not all of them were great production centers for swords, so with a bit of practice you can recognize the kanji for the main provinces, and that will lead to a hint for the smith's name since smiths from one location/school often adopted names that had a particular kanji in them. The links posted on this site ("Research") are full of good information. To get you started;

This might be close, but not tokubetsu http://www.seiyudo.com/ta-120812.htm

Hello Ed 火薬　kayaku gunpowder

There was a thread recently about an estate sale auction (I think in Memphis?) where the estate was auctioning off a huge haul of swords. I think the firm handling the sale was an online estate auction firm. That might be one option for your friend to consider.

Hello Kay - John nailed it previously with 梅沢六左衛門 切落之 Umezawa Rokuzaemon Kiri-Otoshi kore - with Rokuzaemon being verified by Guido Schiller's list of sword testers. I also think the two Johns are right with 正元 being the last two kanji (maybe the top line of 元 has been scratched off - or, if it is in inlay, the inlay has fallen out). Maybe this is the name of the person who did the actual writing of the saidanmei - but that's just a wild guess.

My attempt at the date. Showa 39 = 1964