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Markus

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Everything posted by Markus

  1. Markus

    tsuba

    There were several Kaneshige active (Haynes lists seven using the characters given). Can you post a pic of the entire tsuba, maybe we can rule some out...
  2. Markus

    tsuba

    Hi Peter, The pics are upside-down but the signature could be "Kaneshige" (兼重).
  3. Yep, the latter is the simplified form of the former but otherwise the same character. I am curious about the mei on the sashi-omote. Maybe one can do a check-up in an electronic smith´s list which smith working round Keio used "Kane" as last character
  4. The year is "Keiô" (慶應), and the second year is "hinoe-tora" (丙寅), so this is correct. The (土) is IMHO just the upper part of a following "kichijitsu" (吉日). Unclear about the other signature, the last character seems to be "Kane" (兼).
  5. Hi Andi, "Only" a branch of the Shôami school is mentioned, namely: Aizu Shôami (會津正阿弥)
  6. I agree with George as the rocks being a stylistic measure - bearing Chinese landscape paintings in mind as Ford said - to place the central motif in a more natural environment.
  7. Ouch, kissaki resting on hard kitchen unit. Makes me feel hurt
  8. Due to the shape of the nakago-jiri, we should think about Kaga as well. Darani Katsukuni is also known for his sanbonsugi hamon. The third generation was working around Kanbun.
  9. Ah, Morita-san, you are my rescue I need Nakamura´s article on he Tenkyuwari-Kunimune. Can you PM me a scan of the pages 2-13 if you have time. There is no hurry. Thank you very much!
  10. Dear members, I am looking for No.446 of the Japanese Token-Bijutsu magazine. I think it should be the March 1994 issue. If anybody has an archive going back so far, I would be happy because I need an article which is presumably published in this issue. Thank you for your efforts.
  11. John, thanks for the update.
  12. The missing character is "chakushi" (嫡子), meaning "legitimate son" or "heir". I am not aware in which context this stands to the rest of the signature (heir of whom?). Am just about to leave the house, so maybe someone is able to check the connections of Masataka to shed light on this one...
  13. I agree with Ian on this one. I saw a couple of oversized blades (tanto, wakizashi and tachi) which were presented to sumo wrestlers.
  14. 経済第一部長: keizai daiichi-buchô (assistant chief of staff, economics) 愛媛縣部長: Ehime-ken buchô (head of Ehime Prefecture) 熊野徳次: Kumano Tokuji (or Yoshitsugu)
  15. Lou, it is not a common day to day phenomenon to stumble over an inscription of chinese proverbs, so it has to be regarded as let´s say "rare". More usual are inscriptions of the sword´s nickname, and much more frequent we find the name of the owner chiselled on the nakago. I can´t say from the pictures of the nakago if your sword is unshortened, so we have basically three possibilities: 1. The owner had him chiselled these proverbs when he ordered the sword. 2. The owner had him chiselled these proverbs on an unsigned sword he owned or obtained at a certain time. 3. The owner had to shorten a blade due to whatever reason and had him chiselled these proverbs on this occasion on the new nakago. I am sure someone can jump in for more possibilties :D
  16. Hi Lou, These are Chinese proverbs about mastering/cultivating onself. The first one reads: 有所恐懼、則不得其正。 Kyôku-suru tokoro areba, sunawachi sono sei o ezu. When you are awestrucked, this hinders you from correct decisions. And the second one reads: 有所忿懥。則不得其正。 Funchi-suru tokoro areba, sunawachi sono sei o ezu. When you are full of rage, this hinders you from correct decisions. [i´m still on holidays without my books, so please forgive any careless mistakes ]
  17. Hi Chris, Please don´t consider this as an offence, just a tip which is dear to me, but I suggest to touch all non-ferrous tsuba and fittings with gloves. It would be a pity if the one or other pieces patina gets damaged through exhausitve touching with bare fingers.
  18. The reading was correct: "Hidenobu" (秀宣) He was a Seki-based smith.
  19. I will be there too. Looking forward to see interesting stuff and - of course - you guys again
  20. I would say, YES I found another Kanenami on bidders: http://www.bidders.co.jp/item/122357332 If he is recorded or not does not matter. There is "Kanenami" written on the tang, and that´s that.
  21. Markus

    A rare kogatana?

    I just have to emphasize Ford´s observations with a double-underline, and I take the liberty to add something for the context. The clerical script (reisho) which was chosen by Natsuo was especially in fashion at that time (from the mid-19c into the Meiji period). It was Ichikawa Bei´an (1779-1858) who gathered and systemized rubbings from Chinese monuments and bronze. He worked for the Toyama fief as well as for the Maeda in Kaga (which is present-day Ishikawa, the neighboring prefecture of Toyama, and Toyama is where my girlfriend works, so that´s maybe brutal off-topic but the explanation why I spent some time with this subject ). So because of this "boom", we find also - frequently would be exaggregated but from time to time - Shinshinto blades with a reisho (or parts in reisho) signature on the tang. BTW: The meaning of the (nostalgic) poem is (maybe Koichi can correct me if wrong): "When I raise my head, I can see the moon from beyond the mountains - and when I then bow down my head, I can recall my home village."
  22. Markus

    tsuba oppinion

    Noooooooo (please imagine flying birds from my house, hearing my cry;)
  23. Well, badly (unaesthetically) shaped kissaki does not mean always Chinese fake. Just stumbled over this one... http://www.samuraishokai.jp/sword/09127.html (This post does not criticize the sword in question nor does it bear any discussion base for authenticity or not. Just wanted to show.)
  24. Markus

    What is this then?

    Are you referring to the one on the right? The design needs no more refining. It is a dynamic representation of the Musashino motif as its best, interpreted according to the aesthetical principles of iki as expected from the Akasaka school. BTW: I have an identical piece in my collection http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iki_(aesthetic_ideal)
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