Vermithrax16

Trade has been arranged, thanks for the interest! Can be moved to archive.

I am asking trade as value to me of a great fittings book is more than an item I am moving from collection. With Hozon, a great condition Shonai, and given time to really look at it it's a serene motif, this tsuba would be valued around $500-$600 IMO. I know of few books in that range.

Hey all, I still stop by daily, just things have been slow. Looking to move some things in my collection along as I focus on certain makers, styles etc. So I thought this would be a good trade idea. My offer: Shonai school tsuba. NBTHK Hozon. Paper reads (PDF will be provided, translated by Markus Sesko): mangetsu matsugae no zu tsuba (満⽉松ヶ枝図鐔) ‒ Tsuba depicting full moon and pine branch Unsigned: Shōnai (庄内) aorigata, iron, tsuchime finish, kōsuki and kebori, sukidashibori, uchikaeshi-mimi According to the result of the shinsa committee of our society, we judge this work as authentic and rank it as Hozon Tōsōgu. January 17, 2014 It's very nice in hand. Katana size, I can grab measurements if requested. My ask: A fittings book as trade. Can be all fittings, tsuba specific, kozuka specific, Museum collections, etc anything I don't have. I can't list my library but think along the lines of not common would be considered. Please respond by PM, so thread does not get complicated.

Kozuka by Naoyuki, of the Hamano Shozui line. Something just another level to this piece:

If you stop back Ford, I just came into possession of a kozuka and the paper remarks the metal is "oborogin" which from what I can understand is shibuichi. Never seen a paper call it that though.

David is a great person and very knowledgeable. I too have searched for him for the last 2 years. Not a one to be found.

All of mine are red, but have seen a bunch of colors. You are all set. Great choice.

@BIG has Naotane blades, let him chime in.

Excited about this piece. Kozuka depicting Fukurokuju, the Japanese God of longevity. Often depicted with a long scroll (here rolled up) this scroll is suggested to have magical writings of scripture, other times suggested it is a book of fate that lists the lifespan of every person who will ever live. Done in shibuichi with gold accents, the execution on this piece stuns me with it's detail. See the scroll itself and the mottled appearance, just splendid. The facial expressions are excellent and the eyes are done in a clever way. Made by Hamano Naoyuki, of the Hamano Shozui line (student of 1st gen Noriyuki), the blues and purples of the shibuichi are stunning in hand, I have done the best I can to photograph.

Good to see you post again!

I do not. Echizen Kanemasa, nice sword, but was time to move on. An NMB member now has it, or did a while ago.

Biased clearly, but one of my favorite tsuba is one I am lucky to have: Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvnRoOgsOaM&ab_channel=FordHallam%27sJapaneseMetalworkChannel Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nRMl8sKZHg&ab_channel=FordHallam%27sJapaneseMetalworkChannel

I came across this one in a book, it just strikes me as powerful with the imagery and motion depicted:

JT, Ishido Korekazu has quite a few Juyo. A few others. Here is a Tokubetsu Juyo by Ishido Nagayuki: http://www.sword-auction.jp/en/content/as17202-刀：長幸於摂津国作之第24回特別重要刀剣-katana-nagayuki-oite-settsu-koku-saku-korenbthk-24th-tokubetsu

Love Ishido works and Yasuhiro comes from a great line. I still search for a shodai Tameyasu to this day. This one is nice, congrats!