FletchSan

Picked this Koshirae up recently and thought I'd post to add to this thread. Looks to be one of the civilian sakura tsuba with matching fuchi kashira.

Yes it's not, it's a steel Iaito from my research - found a few examples that are very similar looks like a custom order through a place called "sword store" that have them made in Taiwan. Mystery solved

Wow great work Jan - I have found a few others with the same mei and date now so suspect you are right and a non-Japanese perhaps still "traditionally made" iaito. I would have sworn Japanese made though - here are a few pics.

Maybe Harutada? 濃 No 州 Shu (Mino) 春 Haru 但 Tada 作 Saku

Hi All, Looking at a modern sword for a friend and trying to translate the nakago. I've translated the date to December, 2000. 平成十二年十二月 Struggling a bit with the mei... i think it's 濃州春?作 - Noshu Haru ? Saku thanks, Ben

Thanks everyone! Malcolm - I didn't know it was a kusakabe, can you send me the reference from the Getty catalogue?

Thanks Piers - love the print also. The photograph is 1870s though not sure of the photographer for this one, I don't believe it's a Beato. I was thinking the same thing re: the armour as the mino may have just been another prop in the costume chest of one of the many Yokohama Studios at the time. However, the print made me wonder whether it was actually more commonly worn by Samurai for purposes other than to keep off the rain

A request for information from our armour enthusiasts! I have been updating the descriptions of my photographs and would like more detail on the armour worn in this photograph. Also - I'm interested in what appears to be a Mino "straw coat" - or could this be for some kind of camoflauge worn by this kyūdōka ? Maybe both I have also attached a ukiyo-e print of a samurai wearing one. thanks!

Nice Tsuba ! Agree - most likely water buffalo which were domesticated in Japan.

This is my favourite of the prints that I own. It’s a kabuki diptych by Kunisada. The actors from left are Segawa Kikunojō V and Ichikawa Monnosuke III as Soroku nyobo Ohama (惣六女房おはま), Karaki Masaemon nyobo Otani (政右衛門女房お谷) in the play "Torimazete Sekison miyage", performed at the Ichimura theatre in July 1823; publisher is Enomotoya Kichibei.

Alright, I've cracked it It's an old photograph of the statue of Date Masamune at Zuiganji temple which was commissioned by his widow Yotokuin in 1652. Interestingly the armour on the statue is original Warring states period. The old sepia photograph almost brings him to life

Hi All, I recently picked up this photograph of a Samurai for my collection that I haven't seen before. It's a small sepia photograph. Has anyone seen this one before or know anything about the Samurai photographed? I wonder if it is a Felice Beato pre Meiji photograph that may have not been published before.. I've also attached an enhanced version as well to try and bring out some of the detail. cheers, Ben

Thanks Curran - I don’t actually have a copy of the waki goto book so will look into that as a starting point. Are there any further details on the nthk paper? I haven’t had it translated yet. Cheers, Ben

Not too many examples online - though this one has some similarities published in this exhibition catalogue "THE Japanese SWORD AND ITS FITTINGS From the collections of the members of the Japanese SWORD SOCIETY OF NEW YORK and The Cooper Union Museum The Cooper Union Museum, New York March 26 through May 28, 1966".

Perhaps my photos - here's one with the flash, though it makes it look overly glossy. It does show the details a little better. It's also an iron tsuba which I assume wont have the fine details of a soft metal tsuba. I don't have too much to compare it with, so if anyone has examples of iron Goto Seijo they could share that would be great ! cheers, Ben