Spartancrest

Hi Peter, It could be Kaneie but if it is, it is late - seems like too much inlay and in various colours. Kaneie was more known for a sparing amount of gold inlay - less was more, at least in the early works. Gimei usually have a signature - it was the selling point even when it was obviously not true. No signature would suggest to me it is not trying to be a Kaneie but might be following similar designs. Shoami? [Yes I know a bit of a "catch-all"] Minimal inlay - prominent signature. Signed Fushimi ju kaneie, circa 1650-1750. Someone with more knowledge will point us in the right direction.

Me either! Sorry but the one with the timber background was the most expensive. [and from ebay!] Coming down to more realistic prices - [neither are from ebay ] one selling for USD $300 the other USD $55.19 In this case the one with the "heavy" Tagane-ato gets my vote and is the less expensive. I guess dealers have to make a profit but their turnover would be better if the profit percentage was say 100% rather than close to 500% like this last example! [OK 445.45% to be exact for the **** -retentive] Don't you just hate that! There are way too many of these "buy in bulk lots" where you only want the ONE good piece and you end up with a drawer full of junk and have to pay more for shipping that said junk around the planet! I have messaged many dealers asking for the price of "the one" but never get a good result - they are too anxious to clean out their own desk drawer!

I think this is the very heart of the "problem". Investing more money on fewer items is no guarantee that the items are in fact "better" - How does paying more increase the quality? It should be the case but often it is not. Which one of these is selling for US $32,775.00 and the other for US $422.06 ? - Now tell me why buying the more expensive one gets me value for money?

True - either way we lose because we have to pay the return shipping! Best to be sure first time around. Have you seen the shipping costs they put on somethings on ebay? I was buying a dog brooch for my wife [something she collects] $16- but the postage was $66 from the US. Give me a break, there is no justification for that. [NO SALE]

I do totally agree with you. I buy 99% of my things from Jauce - they are reliable and a great deal of the time much cheaper [especially when the same object is selling on ebay] I am not so happy with the multiple fees but even taking that into account they still end up better value. It is a shame even Jauce is now allowing the crude fakes to appear, but at least they tend to be bunched together so you can easily skip them en-masse. Of course Jauce and Yahoo and Buyee tend to sell the same items, it just depends which company people like to deal with. I have been buying through Jauce for more than ten years now - why would I switch? https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/286181606407 vs https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1162501365 that is US $163.89 on ebay vs US $55.70 on Jauce https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/286181606420 vs https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1162476189 that is US $120.99 on ebay vs US $36.27 on Jauce These are not insignificant price differences even with fees and shipping.

Crap tsuba are of course not restricted to ebay https://www.zacke.at...nagatsune/?lot=63242 this is a fake for €1,300.00 https://www.bonhams....period-19th-century/ same type of fake sold for US$976 Two "respected" auction houses? Who don't know their elbow from .............. Same fake minus the nice paint job on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/144617398691 A "better" fake also minus the paint on Jauce https://www.jauce.com/auction/f1162467177 I say "better" because the hitsu have been cut through (crudely) by someone after they got their hands on it. Whereas the others have only got the hitsu stamped into the design. How does a new collector get past the lies that some sellers tell when describing these things? I bet that the Bonhams' buyer is really pleased with his "WIN". I wouldn't be happy! PS Two sizes available - with or without the paint job.

I don't think this thread is directed to the "grandmothers" - more to the children, that is the entire point!

The only trouble with this statement is - Who can tell what are the most important works? Several times people have said you need to wait to get the very best - but who says what is the best? That is always a personal judgement based on experience. New collectors don't have that experience and should not be force fed the opinions and tastes of other people. We would all love to collect the absolute best but I will guarantee that each of us will have a different view of what that means. Price never guarantees anything, so we can rule that right out of the equation. JMHO

Thanks Dan, but you didn't mention my Hemorrhoids from long hours sitting at the computer. [not true - no Hemorrhoids - but that would explain me being a pain in the a*** ]

No this statement doesn't sound good either -

Kakemono, a vertical Japanese scroll painting Makimono ( 巻物: "rolled thing") Emakimono (lit. "picture scroll") Kakejiku (Hanging scroll) Lots of names for basically the same thing depending on the direction it is intended to be seen. They even make Chinese fake ones now [yuck]

See the extensive work to enlarge the seppa-dai. One little segment that didn't need "packing out" on the lower right.

A ken from the Walters Art Museum with a closer looking handle. https://art.thewalte...er-lotus-decoration/ No dragon involved with this one I can see the rice bale idea on the tsuba though, so the handle could be modeled on that theme.

From my understanding the "Male" dragon had a "Ken" at the end of his tail, so if this is correct, the Dragon on Jason's tsuba is a male?

I think the theme is a dragon wrapped around a "Ken" - Which is not that easy to make out, especially as Ken are straight bladed swords and this is anything but straight! Artistic license gone riot but beautiful! These examples have Vajra handles - not sure about the one on the tsuba. Jake's idea of Bushu Ito sounds good to me. Chosu also possible - I struggle with the differences unless they are signed by one of the schools as they copied designs back and forth. Kinai liked dragons but something about it does not say Kinai - besides Kinai was mad about getting them signed. JMHO Whatever the school or theme it is a fantastic piece and gets us thinking!

If my friend Okan is correct [very likely ] - give that thing a big miss - try this one it is more interesting, genuine and a lot cheaper https://www.ebay.com/itm/296351643175

Sorry to say it is a paperweight souvenir, it might be as old as 1980? - not made in the Muromachi [1336 to 1573] - a time when they didn't sign tsuba as far as I know. https://www.ebay.ca/itm/186730994595 I do hope your friend did not pay very much. The seller is either ignorant or a conman.

https://varshavskyco...collection/tsu-0356/ Two from https://klefischauktionen.wordpress.com/ I am keeping my gnarly old hands out of this!

Oh I remember the late 70s !! back Kotter!!

? https://www.samurais...equipment/ts034.html https://blog.goo.ne....0d3adebfd75c6b6c1fa3 the design looks mirror reversed in this one?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/296351643175 Is it just me or does this look like Grover kissing a mirror or two Proboscis monkeys ?

I found a "Do it yourself Futatsu" just a little work with a hammer! NAH! I don't think so.

I have sixteen images of double "Sho" woodwind instrument like a Pan pipe but I am not sure they qualify because the top and bottom indents are not the same? These are from my utsushi records - no big surprise just how many of the same designs get produced, yet each is an individual not a cast copy. I may as well throw in a Shingen from the Warsaw museum as well Make that 17 "Sho"

It is not my imagination is it, that the under board of the "drying rack" is thicker/wider for the last segments on all the abalone drying racks? Cast or hand forged this is poor workmanship IMHO.

Starting to find others - this one tilted over 90 degrees, does that count? https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1118290518 Smooth sided Myoga https://www.honto-nihonto.com/en/sue-tegai . While there are many Myoga tsuba like this design, they are more Kawari-gata because of the indents for the sides of the flowers/leaves (?) so I don't think they would count.