Spartancrest

I just bought some 70s bling myself - not as nice as those! A silly nasu tsuba tie bar. - and I don't wear ties!

Thanks George, Osho must have had a similarly slow postal system as we are stuck with! Any idea what year this story dates from? I have heard of mail being sent by balloon but not by umbrella. [at least it would be kept dry!]

Back in 2017 I bought a rabbit tsuba plaque just for fun. I discovered yesterday, through chance that it was one of a set probably made in the 1970s. I was wondering what the kanji in the corner says ? I presume the theme is one of the animals of the Asian Zodiac. Anyone know the significance of the wall hanger? The 'tsuba' is made of bisque pottery with the decoration 'painted' on. For those interested there are two, part sets listed on Etsy. [removed from their display boards] I say part sets as there should be twelve in total. https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1076239617/Japanese-pottery-samurai-sword-parts and https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1076239513/Japanese-pottery-samurai-sword-parts No sympathy please, they are just a novelty. Just for fun what do you think of this tanto guard? UFO or lost Umbrella These are not the only 'pottery' examples, a porcelain paperweight from a sale also back in 2017

Gwyn one of your images shows two seppa on the one side of the tsuba - it shouldn't logically misalign the tsuka [the thickness overall is the same ] but have you tried all configurations? Thinner/thicker seppa?

Could it be a Daisho set that have been split?

Bruno it is the same guard as second from the right top row 23/2/21 starting from a cheaper 36,250 yen - compared to the 45,000 BIN. Must be hard to sell at that price?

Good idea Darrel - but that is doubling up at this stage Anyway one of my pet peeves is electronic books, I am old enough to remember writing on a blackboard and a time you had to carry your knowledge in your head rather than your pocket. With an e-book I wouldn't have anything to read by the firelight when the power goes off.

With that new information - I am confused by the attribution on the papers as "Nara" ? From Sesko's genealogy Mitsumasa was from the Edo line of smiths - or am I reading the lineage wrong?

Pietro thank you very much for that. I have a few of Marcus's books. [I must add that some of Marcus's books are printed in a very small font, which I find annoying and unnecessary. Not a criticism of the material just the format.] When I did a search on the signature, google always opted back to Goto Mitsumasa which it obviously is not, google can be a good tool but like all tools it can be faulty and unreliable.

I just came across an auction of a tanto sized tsuba of two long tailed roosters that matches one that I have owned for two years. Could I trouble someone to give a translation of some papers on the auction example? Also I would like if possible a confirmation on the mei of my piece as being by "Mitsumasa" a nineteenth century artist? https://zenmarket.jp/auction.aspx?itemCode=x1005989020 or https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1005989020 I must add my example has been cleaned and has a 'glossier' patina to it than the original auction image pictured.

Hi Collin that last guard you show, I have eleven image examples of that design. Four are described as Kinai, with one as Shoami. The rest including one missing it's rim from the Metropolitan Museum are not attributed. Did you happen to buy that guard from Thierry de MAIGRET Auctions? One of my images from there is identical to yours.

Hi Bjorn - How about a big bum bunny! Topical, seems big bums are in - though not with me https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1005568800

I would say it is a big improvement on the first guard, Kenjo [presentation] tsuba would have been my first guess from the amount of Gold overlay - but it is obvious that it has been mounted. The images are not very clear but looks like nunome score marks on the plate, it is a technique that can have very beautiful detailed results but is perhaps the worst at retention, if actually used. Very thin overlay that is basically just hanging on and easy to peel off. Shakudo fukurin?

Pieces ready for the skip - now ready to grace the best of collections. Very well done.

Jean Can I get the job cleaning up under the conveyor belts.

Darrel you may well be right, I have seen many items listed cheaply with high postage fees or the same item listed very expensive with low postage fee - either way you still pay the same [or more if you don't watch the postage cost carefully] I saw a guard sold recently in Japan where the usual local postage to the warehouse was 1,000 yen, but in that case it was 10,000 yen - must have had an armed escort!

Not merely a Tosogu problem but a world wide waste problem - I just received a long awaited Tanto guard that I purchased back in July - the guard is un-remarkable but 'cute'. My beef is with the amount of packaging involved with shipping an object that was under 5 cm and could easily fit in a match box or padded envelope. Why do we tolerate all this extra garbage being shipped around the planet? I have had conversations with sellers about this before but nothing changes, I can well understand packaging some fragile items in this way but an all metal virtually unbreakable object need not be packed to survive being dropped from space!

First thought - you are very lucky to own it!

I can't help but notice the 'decorative' nature of the hitsu-ana on all the present examples - I was almost tempted to say Colin and Mark's pieces look like Buddhist Stupa outlines, also noticed that many guards described as Owari have the same shape of hitsu on both sides [though as usual not all] - wouldn't it be easy if there were rigid rules - but not as interesting

I find it very difficult to tell the difference between Owari and Akasaka designs- there is a lot of design overlap. This link has a guard with some of the design elements to your example perhaps it may help. Regards Dale

Looks a little overloaded! I hope the waves didn't get any higher!

For the interest of those out there - the Shibayama sold for 962,000 yen - with fees, that equates to close to $9,000 USD. Something of a drawn out battle of 214 bids! For my taste the wonky fukurin was a let down.

It looks good even if not by Ichijo, there is a faint shadow of a seppa there, but it doesn't look like it's been mounted more than the once. I tend to check whether I like the piece first and never take the signature at face value.

I don't think your example is like the usual wall hanger type, it seems much too detailed. I think even though it's cast it was made for some as yet unknown purpose with carved details to finish it off. I don't know what you paid but it certainly is a talking piece. Might be like an advertising prop? Or it may have been a spare part for this monster? https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/norimitsu-odachi-who-could-have-possibly-wielded-enormous-15th-century-021428

Anyone need a 2 kg iron tsuba? https://www.jauce.com/auction/1002761518 they usually sell very cheaply - they also ship very expensively!