Hoshi

Hello everyone, Many excellent contributions so far. There is much left to be said on the topic, and it would be wonderful to hear from others. Thank you @reinhard especially, the comparison between the Mitsutada and the Ishido blade is excellent, and warrants its own conversation. And @Lukrez for your psychological/philosophical account of the subjective experience of encountering a masterwork. I am also an "emotionalist" when it comes to Art. This really cracked me up. Best, Hoshi

Hello, What makes a sword a masterpiece? What are the features that are, in your view, necessary, sufficient, or ideally both, for a sword to be considered a Meito. A Meito, literally “named sword” or “famed sword” is a term used to describe masterpieces. There has long been a misconception that a Meito is a sword with a name (Go). But this is incorrect. It is because a sword is a Meito that it often comes with extraordinary provenance and in some cases, a Go (name). Let's try to go beyond Ogasawara Nobuo's famous lecture on the topic. My hope is that this question will stimulate some interesting exchanges and create educational value. Best, Hoshi

Compare the hamon structure at the hamachi, and the shape of your boshi, with the oshigata below. Notice the very small tobiyaki, and the repeating patterns (3's, 4's). The only noted discrepancy from prototypical Oei works is the height of your sword's yakiba, the lowest valleys are unusually high, this gives me minor pause. I steer more towards one of the three Mitsu's, than Sanemitsu and the others. Your boshi, in particular, is a near perfect match. Juyo Osafune Yasumitsu

Spending capital to acquire valuable cultural artifacts with the intent to destroy them is categorically unacceptable from a deontological moral standpoint. This is not up for debate—it is a founding principle of this community. This principle underlies our firm stance against practices such as amateur polishing. There is a troubling pattern here, a parochial bias that coalesces into a kind of populist faction, quick to leap to each other’s defense, with very little grace and forethought. It is understandable—tribal solidarity is deeply human, but it is also hampering your progression in this field. Worst, it hampers the progression of others, as this forum is a public good. Now you know, look in the mirror. You just fell for the bait - hard - on the other side of it. With all that said, @Hokke, I sincerely wish you the best, may you find wisdom and growth. Best, Hoshi ... @Rivkin

Hi Marcus, This is an Oei bizen hamon structure, it was first introduced by Chogi and the Soden-Bizen group. You can tell by the groupings of gunome and choji formations. Specifically, notice how they cluster together in series of peaks, before receding? Another sign is the relative quietness of the ha, it is fully rendered in nioi, and there is not much activity within, this is also quite typical of these Oei blades. The three most representative smiths of this group are known as the "Three Mitsu" (Yasumitsu, Morimitsu, Norimitsu). They stewarded the Osafune school into the turbulent Oei period (1394-1428). It is very difficult to distinguish between them. There exists multiple generations that extend into the beginning of the Muromachi, but on the basis of the conspicuous utsuri, I would place it with the first generation, and Yasumitsu as the most likely candidate. There are other candidates in Oei: Iesuke, Iemori, and Tsuneie. Here is a masterpiece by Chogi ranked Tokubetsu Juyo, where you can see the origins of the hamon of your blade: https://eu.zonerama.com/Nihonto/Album/11057812 The standout midare utsuri is lovely, and indicates that the blade is in good health. Once upon a time, this was likely a proud tachi with a Kamakura-inspired sugata that Yasumitsu was fond of emulating. Best, Hoshi

Hi Dee, I know this is ragebait, but it's not healthy for the community and should still be called out. It is profoundly unwise to post such a take on a forum devoted to the preservation and study of Nihonto. * edit admin * I trust you'll get back on your feet and grow a thicker skin. Get better soon, Hoshi

It depends on so many factors, there is not a "fair" formula that can be applied to all cases. It is a matter of supply and demand, and the IRR (internal rate of return on capital) that the dealer can generate on his investment on his predicted timeline to sale. A collection comprised of a single of one of the top 100 Tokuju blades will yield a profit with a cash upfront offer from a variety of large dealers and parties. Everyone will want it, and there is room for the dealer to sell it as a unicorn for top price. It will be the dealer's pride, and a story to be told. Auction houses will fight for it, prepare a tailored sale event via private treaty, and court you will reduced fees. Competition drives better offers. Paul Davidson's Mikazuki Kanemitsu is an example, and sold for 200 million yen+ in private treaty. You can be sure that the family was inundated by unsolicited offers, and could choose as it pleased. A disjointed chu-saku wakizashi collection, while worth on paper ~100'000$, will be so hard to move that the cash offer will be in the 10% to 20% range, at best. Nobody wants to deal with this. It's 100 descriptions to write, a 100 posts, a 1000 conversations - it is a multiyear pursuit to realize the profit of this invested capital. There is, of course, a vast continuum between these two examples. A Small but excellent thematic/specialized collection that is "more than the sum of its parts" and is a once in a lifetime opportunity for acquisition may also yield a good profit, but arrangement must be made prior. Creating such a collection is very difficult to pull-off. For example, a full set of Ko-Goto Menuki in dragon theme, beginning with Goto Yujo, with old origami accompanying each item, showing the specific evolution introduced by each master, and presented in a custom-fitted lacquer box will yield more together than each individual items, and will be sold as a complete set. At the end, try to put yourself into the shoes of the dealer, and simulate in your mind his IRR given his client base and market segment. For you and the dealer, 10-15% IRR is fair dealmaking territory. Best, Hoshi

Hi, It is a trait most often associated with Go Yoshihiro, as other have said. However, it extends to the broader Soshu movement, all the way to the Muromachi. Then into Edo, with smiths who were striving to emulate Go and Norishige. It is not frequently encountered, and if you see it - you can rule out traditions, schools, and makers. It's a "negative trait" in the sense that it's presence allows you to eliminate rather than pin-point. It is less discriminant than for instance, the san-saku boshi of the early Osafune school. I wish it was that easy, but it is not. For blades without Ko-Kiwame (This is very important to control for, as a Ko-Kiwame automatically removes the "Den"), the presence of the Ichimai Boshi (~25% of all Go) is spread between the "Den Go" and the "Go" rather equally. For Go, it is not the Ichimai boshi per se that is determinant (all else equal, supreme quality of nie, clarity of the Jiba, etc) - but the tendency of the Yakiba to be both high to begin with without much higher-frequency variation in height, and to rise gently over the entire course of the blade, culminating in a higher yakiba at the crossing of the yokote compared to the average height of the lower section of the blade). With this trait present, even if the boshi is not rendered fully in ichimai, the blade will tend to be placed with Go, unless contradicted by a Ko-Kiwame, rather than say, to Masamune. From a deki perspective, the quality expected from Go is on par with Masamune. Besides Go, the other maker from the Soshu-Joko line that occasionally rendered an Ichimai Boshi is Norishige, and these tend to be exquisite Tokuju. Outside the Soshu Joko, we see it also with blades attributed to Tametsugu, Naotsuna, Ujifusa, Uda Kunifusa, Sanekage, and Muramasa, and and very rarely with the Sa Ichimon. What we can tell from this pattern is that there is a rather clean lineage of praxis that begins with Norishige and Go (who, according to tradition, worked together at some point in their career), up to the Northern provinces with Tametsugu, Sanekage, and the Uda line. There is also a bit of inconsistency in the nomenclature between widely hardened boshi and Ichimai boshi - the line between both can be thin. Edo-period makers that were following into Go's footstep tend also to exhibit an ichimai boshi. Prime examples are Hankei (emulating Norishige), Inouie Shinkai, Nagasone Kotetsu, and Nanki Shigekuni (all three had phases emulating Go). Hope this helps, Hoshi Go illustration:

Hello, The answer to this question really depends on which segment you operate in. The best strategy depends on your personal circumstances: the level of your collection, the tax policies of your country, and the family dynamics between the heirs. S Tier collection: At this level, items remain locked up post-death. Purchases are most often realized through a foundation, and items are preserved in a museum. The attrition rate on top items is driven by these types of Japanese collectors with a focus on legacy and creating persistent cultural institutions. See Sano Museum, or the more recent Token Museum of Nagoya. A tier collection: Top auction houses like Sotheby's and Christies are generally tasked with disposing of the collection (e.g., Paul Davidson, Compton collection) , but not always. Often, there are pre-agreements with the owner on the post-death sale of specific items. This is one of the only ways to access truly outstanding items, and some of the most formidable collections have been formed by placing these sort of "dibs" on items that owners would otherwise never sell. Another strategy is progressive dispersion: some owners will start trimming their collection from the bottom up early on, keeping only a few but extremely exclusive pieces for which there is ample demand, and have post-death sales or consignment agreements in place for what remains. If consigned, these truly exclusive items will be sold discreetly and without fanfare through trusted relationships with the dealer to his absolute top clients. B Tier collection: Items are usually triaged between first tier auction houses as part of a general "Samurai Art" sales and second tier auction houses for lower tier items. For example, promising items go to Bonhams, other less promising items go to Zacks. Consignments of entire collection with dealers are not uncommon here. C Tier collection: Consignments with dealers becomes the norm here. There is bargaining involved, as usually the dealers are unwilling to consign items of lower value. There can be quite some wait involved for heirs to "see the money" and this is where it becomes tempting to sell it all as a large discount for cash upfront. Partial cash and partial consignment arrangements are also possible, and should be planned ahead of time. D Tier collection: Ebay listings by family or friends, listing on the board here, and so forth. There are also major cultural differences, some of which are driven by tax policies across countries, suffice to say I won't elaborate. Family circumstances also play a major role, as sometimes heirs are distrustful of each other and auction houses act as "neutral arbiters" to pre-empt potential conflicts. Hope this helps, -Hoshi

Hello, Glad I could help. Hokkoku mono is a great vibe. If you're into wild rings of jinie and chickei with bold nie activity, they're for you. What's wonderful about Hokkoku-mono is that they're about as far away as Shinto / Shinshinto / Gendai that you can be. If you're new with Koto, these swords offer a wonderful contrast with their conspicuous jihada and activity. While certainly rustic to some extant, they exude a sense of power that is unmistakable, and along with the dark steel luster, project an ancient, fearsome presence Go Yoshihiro and Norishige, who are first class grandmaster, and are both connected to these areas as well. Difficult to tell apart based on the photos. There is a certain quality gradient at play here. For Sanekage, you want to see Norishige-style "almost" Matsukawa hada. Personally, one of the first swords that really struck a cord with me was a Sanekage. I wrote about it here. Best, Hoshi

Heed my words, They were though. Real luminaries, the heights of which would never be reached again. It may sound dramatic, but it is by no means a poetic exaggeration. We have 600 years of trying up to today, continuing to this day with the Masamune prize and the new sword competitions. It has always been about recreating the lost marvels of a Golden Age that lasted a mere 150 years. In their quest, some came very close to the Soshu-den ideals (Nanki Shigekuni with Go, Hankei with Norishige, Yasutsugu with Sadamune), one has arguably exceeded his model (Kyomaro with Shizu), but most never even got to fly close the sun no matter how hard they tried. As for Bizen-den, Naotane and others did make some progress in resurfacing this lost art, but the gap remains even wider. But to realize this you must handle masterpieces of the Golden Age in-hand, and for this you must go to Japan, with open eyes and open mind. Hoshi

Dear all, A little grace and understanding goes a long way. When I first posted on NMB, years ago, I had purchased a mumei shinshinto blade, a humble beginning. I was greeted in the replies by Darcy who generously spent his time explaining attributions to me, he was graceful in his every words. He could have sneered and said it was a paperweight. After all, he was dealing in Koto masterpieces. There was nothing for him in this sword to appreciate. But he wasn’t dismissive - instead, he saw rightly that this was an entry into the world of Nihonto. Over the years, I came to the conclusion that there is truly no point in lecturing on what “ought to be collected” - the reality is set by the market participants, there is no central planning committee that sets prices. It is all supply and demand. What matters is honesty. Honest description of the items, genuine effort to depict reality as it is. Markets require information to function correctly. Whatever the level one collects at, there is always a bigger fish who - in comparison - will make one’s entire collection fit into the “paperweight” category. Tokubetsu Juyo grandmaster sword? Well, there is a Jubun one that is longer, with a more complete nakago, and a single mekugi ana that belonged to the Emperor. The Jubun collectors can look down on the Tokuju collectors. The Tokuju collectors can look down on the Juyo collectors, and the Juyo collectors can take it out on the Hozon collectors, and so on. Trivially true statement. But there is no point to it. Live and let live, learn and respect others, fight for truth, and don’t fall for delusions. Best, Hoshi

Hi Nick, Very interesting case. Were you able to read the obscured kanji? They appear discernible. It is slightly odd that one of the characters overlaps with the cutting test character. If the cutting test was done before, I could imagine it was left as is to indicate "no longer the case" while giving it a certain sabi aesthetics. Like crossing out a name. If it was done after the cutting test, I could imagine that removing it completely was impossible without damaging the precious (and expensive to inlay!) cutting test. A fine mystery. Best, Hoshi

After reflecting, I believe it is wiser to turn this into a board prize. (if you're feeling 'rugged' by this rule change, started working ardently, and you need the money, shoot me a PM). 1000$ donated to NMB. Thank you so much to everyone who has started to help so far! let's make it a community effort.

Oh my, thank you! That is wonderful to hear! I must have ended in the spam folder, I will make another attempt. If someone knows...he knows.

Unfortunately I was just made aware of Jim's obituary by a kind member. https://www.tpwhite.com/obituaries/james-jim-dawson RIP Jim, thank you for your scholarship. In my experience, collectors value discovering new information on their treasured "precious" - precisely what I bring to table. Not to mention, connecting with like-minded and knowledgeable people is always a blessing.

For information leading to the successful establishment of contact with the current owner. Is Jim Dawson still of this world? I have failed to contact him so far. Hope this helps, - Hoshi

Hello dear militaria collectors, I am looking to pin down a certain war gunto that has been eluding me to supplement my research. I have decided to try something new. The piece in question was once photographed (owned?) by Jim Dawson, I have not been able to contact him. Back in the days, it was bearing one of his tags: You can find it on Omura's website In every community, there are usually a few elders who just "know where things are" - if someone could be so kind as to ring one of these grey beards to figure this out, I would be incredibly grateful and will issue a generous reward. Here is the automated translation of Omura's relevant section: Has it been repatriated? as in, sold back in Japan - or did the (presumably US-based) owner send it in for papers back in 2011? Any information that leads to establishing successful contact with the owner, I will pay a bounty reward of 1000$. Please be mindful of privacy, and write to me in PM. Who doesn't love a good treasure hunt? Happy hunting! -Hoshi

Hello, Failure of knowledge vs Failure of money is a critically useful distinction, thank you @Tsuku for laying it out so clearly. Too often these are conflated together and it blurs the conversation. Very true. Here it is a success of both, with knowledge setting the lower bound, and money the upper bound. That thin slice in between is "your zone of operational success". It works! Wise words.

Really difficult for me to tell. 16th century complete Joseon dynasty with Japanese style curved blade for the lettered nobility, you're probably looking at six/seven figures and it will climb fast (e.g., white jade tsuba, tortoise shell koshirae, the hallmarks of royalty). They are almost completely extinct and are considered invaluable cultural artifacts. Late 19th century utilitarian infantry, Chinese-style sword with simple construction, perhaps closer to a high-end Gunto. Here is an interview of one of the whales in the field, he would be the right person to ask: https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/2008/12/16/features/Blade-Man-and-the-spirit-of-the-sword/2898663.html The good ones are so rare, when discovered, they make the news (especially if they belonged to a scholar, that is a big deal in Korea): An unlike Japanese swords, there is no NBHTK. Chinese fakes are everywhere, undisclosed repair, etc - if you think Nihonto is filled with peril, beware the waters next to it. Best, Hoshi

Hello, They are incredibly rare to begin with and appeal to collectors in Korea and China who operate in a completely different financial league. Finding one is like stumbling on a great treasure. They are rare because the Korean cultural forces that shaped the Chosen dynasty did not value their arms, private ownership was always seen as a problematic matter, and they suffered enormous devastation from wars over the centuries that led to many waves of disarmament. Many of the better Korean swords tend to have Japanese blades, these were a prime export of the time. Here is an example: https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/joseon-byeolun-geom Compare with the more usual blades found: https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/korean-ceremonial-saber Best, Hoshi

Hi, Priorities changed over the eras. Shortening during the turbulent Muromachi times were motivated by having the best, most functionally advanced sword by your side. It was life and death, no time for nonsense. It wasn’t seen as disrespect for Grandpa’s heirloom - the opposite in fact, it was given a new life to do what it was supposed to do: battlefield duty to protect grandpa’s family lineage. Oda Nobunaga was a serial O-suriage enjoyer and big collector. He wanted the option to use it. Only the curious dreams of the Uesugi Daimyo somehow led to a family-wide proscription on chopping up heirloom nakago. Later you see more refined approaches. Gakumei, Orikashi Mei, Kinzogan Mei, and so on and so forth. They are the fruits of a time where life and death battle royal wasn’t the only grand imperative. And again, it was seen as a sign of respect to the sword to be able to wear it in court. Remember that a Kinzogan Mei by the Ko-Hon’ami was seen as equivalent to a signed sword. You still have this attitude in Japan, where a Kochu Kinzogan or Origami is often said to be equivalent to a signed sword by old collectors. Gakumei were also susceptible to forgeries. You can always transplant a mei from a burned Norishige on your Ko-Uda, and make shenanigans. The alternative is the shenanigan-proof Orikashi mei. But It came later. it was also carried out outside of Hon’ami/Umetada shogunal institutions. And sometimes Mei were messed with for strategic reasons. At some point it became very risky to own a signed blade from a grandmaster for a small, or even large clan. There was always a bigger dog that would gently ask you to part way with the sword in a way you couldn’t refuse. Gakumei swords, swords with defaced mei (filed, chopped midway, half erased by the bohi extension…) - these were protected as they were considered less appropriate for gift giving. The Satake clan is noteworthy for having filed, defaced, extended bohi etc on all their family top swords. They probably got badly burned at some point and took drastic action. There are a lot of social circumstances surrounding nakago condition, and it is quite a fascinating topic. Personally I find Gakumei, Orikashi Mei, ko-Kinzogan, defaced Mei, and partial Mei swords wonderful. They tell the story of their times. Best, Hoshi

The hada doesn't quite conform with what one would expect from "The" Shizu. It has a certain Hokkoku-mono flair. The steel is dark, with standing out jinie and chickei. I suggest Sanekage or Tametsugu as more probable than Shizu, after further reflection. What's Mino Shizu? Naoe Shizu? There are wonderful Naoe Shizu, the quality variance is high.

No, not Masamune. My best idea is a Juyo-level Shizu Kaneuji. The gunome peaks, the wild hataraki and large nie deposits are textbook. The sugata also matches nicely. The kinsuji may feel borderline Satsuma Shinshinto but the boshi and overall jiba are Koto, early to middle Nambokucho.

Hello Lewis, Here is what you seek, it is 1310, I believe. However, I do not lend these Oshigata too much credence. They are imprecise, and are not faithful rubbings of the signatures. There is gimei work in there as well, although Kozan is one of the more reliable and famous ones. Here is a Norishige tanto dated 1214 for comparison. I believe you're wondering if your potential Kunimitsu Atelier tanto may have been made by Norishige, and gathering data on signed piece situated within the same time frame to test your hypothesis. This is the right approach! Norishige, out of the Soshu masters with extant zaimei work, has a certain naive calligraphy. As many smiths, he was illiterate and you can see this. Afterall, he hailed from a backwater province considered barely civilized by the military and aristocratic elites of the time. In terms of style, he uses different chisel sizes, and really enjoys accentuating the top and bottom radical of the "shige" character. Dating on the other hand, he doesn't seem to put too much pressure. Thin chisel, very well aligned on the vertical and horizontal direction. Does the date chisel stroke on your Kunihiro indicate that it may have been daimei work by Norishige? I think it's fascinating to see if one can sniff out Norishige, Yukimitsu, or even Masamune's hand out of late Shintogo daimei tanto. I believe we have no established precedent for it as well. It would be of major academic interest for the field. Now for the comparison at hand, the chisel size appear different, broader chisel face. And there is some leftward drift. Norishige on the other hand, seems to quite attached to straight lines. He's very much into his vertical and horizontal strokes. Given that, I would expect his "Kuni" character - if he was ever making Shintogo style tantos - to have a straight and perhaps thick transversal radical. Now, remember that Shintogo had more atelier students than just his son Kunihiro and the three Soshu virtuoso. He had two others sons: - Kunishige (國重)—Son of Kunimitsu, Shintōgo Tarō (太郎), born in the 8th year of Bun’ei (文永, 1271) and died in his 32nd year in the 1st year of Kengen (乾元, 1302) - Kuniyasu (國泰)—Son of Kunimitsu, Shintōgo Saburō (三郎), born in the 1st year of Kenji (建治, 1275) and died in his 64th year in the 4th year of Kenmu (建武, 1338). You can read more about what the old sources say on Dmitry's excellent site. Now this is according to an old primary sources. And if the dates are to be believed, Kunishige is out since he died in 1302. This leaves Kuniyasu as as a possibility beyond Kunihiro! We do not have any extant work by Kuniyasu left, alas. Hope this helps, the quest is noble. Hoshi