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Markus

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Everything posted by Markus

  1. I think the part after 75 reads "ôju" (翁壽), about "old and long-lived". Maybe someone has a better English translation...
  2. Sorry to hijack this thread and I don´t wanna go to far off topic here but I totally agree on this one. Do always compare blades of the same category. An important point often missed.
  3. I tend to Norimitsu (法光).
  4. Thank you very much Morita-san! Yes, the figures and photos are identical with the German version.
  5. Hi everybody, Finally I managed it to finish the English version of my book "Legends and Stories around the Japanese Sword" published about a year ago. A big Thank You goes to Paul Gill for his tireless proof reading! I would take the liberty to quote from the blurb: "In the last years and decades several publications and translations on the subject of the Japanese Sword have been published in the West. In this way, the historical background, the characteristics of the blades, smiths, and schools, as well as the art of sword forging, and the sword fittings were introduced and explained. The aim of this publication is now to bring the reader closer to the role the Japanese sword – the nihontô – played in the warrior class and the Japanese society, namely by the means of legends, stories, and anecdotes on famous swords and their swordsmiths, embedded in an explanation of the background and other relevant facts. In the end, the reader should have an idea about the high value that was placed on this proverbial legendary weapon that span than a thousand years of Japanese history (and even still today as an object of art). The aim was to obtain a balance between easy access for beginners and detailed facts for confirmed enthusiasts." It can be ordered at my publisher at the link below but it will show up at amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.com in a while: http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=518958 Thanks for your show of support.
  6. Dito. Katsuie for sure. Please bear in mind that there are many different ways a writer/smith can abbreviate certain parts of a radical.
  7. @David I think the last time it took about a week to be ordered at amazon.co.uk and a couple of days more at amazon.com. Just curious: Has anyone ever ordered a book of mine directly at Books on Demand (http://www.bod.de)? I wonder if it works faster that way or if they ship to the UK/US too. And not to forget, thank you all for your interest.
  8. The signature on the blade reads: Inoue Izumi no Kami Kunisada - 井上和泉守国貞 And on the kozuka: Gotô Mitsuyasu + kaô - 後藤光保
  9. @Richard Yes, it will be listed there too. It takes a little longer to show up at amazon.com.
  10. Hello Everybody, I would like to announce my latest publication called "Handbook of Sword Fittings related Terms". The German handbook was privately published by me some time ago but now I was able to finish the English version. I would like to quote from the blurb: "This work focuses on the explanation and the origins of the most common terms in the field of tsuba, kodôgu, and tôsôgu. Terms from all areas are explained in detail, like zôgan (inlay), hori (carvings), iroe (colouring), sukashi (openings), dôgu (tools), jigane (raw materials), jimen (surface and surface finish), etc. Most of the explanations are supported by illustrations." ISBN 978-3-8423-6422-6, paperback, 88 pages, A5, s/w illustrations Price: 24,90 Euro PS: It might take a couple of days until an order can be placed via amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, or amazon.com http://www.amazon.de/Handbook-Sword-Fit ... 941&sr=8-8 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Handbook-Sword- ... 358&sr=8-8 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=514811
  11. The missing part reads "Kumamoto" (隈本). This is the old writing of Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) which was used for the former castle at the Cha´usu-yama. Katô Kiyomasa had erected the new castle where the old one stood. The construction was finished in 1606 and the new characters were used from 1607 onwards. Quite interesting background...
  12. I apologize for the lack of clarity. There is no English version (at least now now) of the full Encyclopedia but an English publication of the genealogies found therein (enlarged with the genealogies of the tsuba craftsmen) is available since April. @Lorenzo: This book was announced here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=10155
  13. Iwama Masayoshi had some students. One was adopted by him later as his successor, called Nobuyuki (H 07300.0). Other students were Nobuyoshi (H 07283.0), Naoyuki (H 06907.0) and Norishige (H 07393.0). Masayoshi´s student Hiroyoshi (H 01450.0) is listed in some sources as his son.
  14. Thank you Paul! @Brian: I do not sell them directly, only in special cases if ordering does not work. But please bear in mind that I can´t offer the "free shipping" as does amazon (at least in the EU AFAIK). Anyway, it was the first time that I added the supplement at Books on Demand which guarantees an ordering from the US and UK. I hope this works but I don´t know when it is available in the US. At least it shows up when looking for the book at amazon.co.uk. So for all those who are interested in a copy and the ordering does not work via the two links given above, please contact me (PM) and I will send one (PayPal is fine).
  15. Hi everybody, I want to inform you that my latest publication - in English this time - is out now. It is like the genealogies book of the swordsmiths but this time it deals with the tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools. Quoting from the blurb: "The aim of this publication is to make the genealogies of the Japanese tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools easily accessible to the reader, namely in that they are complete and have been revised for the first time, in a single book. The book contains 120 genealogies of all the major schools, divided up into two sections: the tankô who worked in iron, and the tôsô-kinkô who processed soft metal. For a better use of the genealogies, an extensive index is added at the end of the book." 148 pages, A4, price 39,90 Euro Here two links: http://www.amazon.de/Genealogies-Japane ... 436&sr=8-6 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=495248 And here some previews: Thank you for taking interest in my work. :D contents.pdf preview1.pdf preview2.pdf
  16. The kaô should represent those of Hon´ami Tadaaki (本阿弥忠明), 19th head of the family (from about 1854 to 1868). It´s either a fake or a well meant hommage. Note: A similar kaô was once used by Kô´on (本阿弥光温) during the Kan´ei era (1624-1644).
  17. Hi Mariusz, The first one: 浪華住 月山雲龍子源貞一 彫同作 慶応三丁卯年十一月日 Naniwa-jû Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu hori-dôsaku ([blade] and horimono made by Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu from Naniwa [Osaka]) Keiô san hinoto-usagidoshi jûichigatsu hi (a day in the 11th month Keiô three, 1867, year of the hare) The second one: 浪花住月山貞一精鍛 大正二年八月日 Naniwa-jû Gassan Sadakazu seitan (thoroughly forged by Gassan Sadakazu from Naniwa [Osaka]) Taishô ninen hachigatsu hi (a day in the eighth month of the 2nd year Taishô, 1913)
  18. To all your confusion, 三三五 is also a name, namely "Sasago".
  19. Sorry for being a pedant but it does not read "Toshitane" but "kô´in" (後胤) which means "descendant, scion".
  20. Probably not the actual motif but the closest thing which comes to mind is a gorin-tô: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/5 ... stone.html
  21. Thank you Brian! I think it is better to wait for my book "Genealogies of Japanese tsuba and toso-kinko Schools" which should be finished in summer this year because the only useful info for English speakers in the "Lexikon..." are the genealogies. The new book will contain then all genealogies - as the name suggests - also of the tsuba schools (tanko), i.e. not only the kinko which are given in the German Lexikon.
  22. PS: For all English-speaking enthusiasts, a book on the Genealogies of the tsuba and tôsô-kinkô schools will be out (presumably) in summer this year. It will be quite the same kind of book as my "Genealogies and Schools of Japanese Swordsmiths".
  23. Dear members of the forum, I would like to introduce my latest publication. It is called "Lexikon der japanischen tôsô-kinkô-Schulen" (Encyclopedia of the Japanese tôsô-kinkô Schools) and deals - as the name already says - with the kinkô schools. The main focus is the systematical introduction of the schools, their decent, and the master-student relationships of the various artists. The latter are visualized by genealogies of the major schools. It starts with Kyôto and Edo and includes all the kinkô artists from the other provinces too (of course;). As mentioned, the main focus is the systematical introduction of the schools. The book does not deal with workmanships or signature styles. The format is 22 x 15,5 and the book contains 468 pages (including an extensive index of the names to make finding a certain artist easier). As it is new on amazon, it might take a couple of days if an order can be made or is shipped. http://www.amazon.de/Lexikon-japanische ... 705&sr=8-6 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=478687 Thank you for your interest. PS: Attached a preview PDF of three pages of the book. Vorschau.pdf
  24. Hi Mariusz, The mei reads: 應友人之需 "yûjin no motome ni kotae" "made according to an order of a friend" 茅園逸士鐫 "Hô´en-isshi horu" "carved by Hô´en-isshi" (i.e. "carved by the hermit/retired Hô´en") "Isshi" means "hermit" and "Hô´en" was a gô of Ôkawa Teikan (H 09521.0).
  25. Dear Members of the forum, I would like to announce a just-finished publication/sword catalogue. This catalogue records a selection of the blades from our Nihonto-Club Germany. But it is not just an illustrated list but offers sound and considerable informations to each blade, its characteristics, and its maker and/or school.Listed are 40 blades of which twelve bear the status juyo-token. The sequence is as usual, speak Koto-gokaden, Koto blades of other provinces, Sue-Koto, Keicho-Shinto, Shinto, Shinshinto, and Gendaito. If anybody is interested, it is available at amazon in English: http://www.amazon.de/Swords-Nihonto-Clu ... 182&sr=8-5 and in German: http://www.amazon.de/Schwerter-Nihonto- ... 182&sr=8-4 And also on Books on Demand: http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=456541 http://www.bod.de/index.php?id=296&objk_id=453775 Thank you for your interest.
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