Chris Colman

A caligraphy given to me by a Kyudo sensei i usd to see every year, translation by him - "clouds and water move with great energy but no power" We had visited Osu Kannon in Nagoya, he bought a Shodo caligraphy there, when we returned to the dojo, he asked me to wait while he went home, a while later his assistant returned and presented a copy to me, it now hangs in my dojo in New Zealand. Sensei was always telling me "no power", when i was shooting.

Funny, i was going to post the staff by Torei Enji yesterday. i really like the Tetsugyu. I can read some kanji, but the shodo i have seen are usually opaque to me, i appreciate them as an artwork..

Better overall shape and look to it. Torei Enji (1721-1792) Enso Nakagawa Soen (1907-1984) Mu Both dynamic flying white examples

That appear to be moving, another wonderful piece.

Wonderful.

I know this technique as "flying white", my example of it:

Hi Curran, how much to ship to Auckland NZ? regards chris colman

Kamakura tsuba, early Muromachi according to the Christies auction tag.

Before and after - Ishiguro Masatsune kozuka, purchased in 2010, kept in a standard kozuka box from Namikawa Heibei, in a gun safe that was opened about a dozen times each year. After photo is from last year, repatiantion could be seen after a couple of years, it took another six or seven to look almost complete.

Hi Piers, How is this one? I had it as Kageyama Tomohide regards chris

My offering, Sandai Jingo, i can't find the tsubashi listed in Haynes or the Seiko books i have. Mumei Kashira. 新年快乐 chris

Hi Malcolm, Nakago of a niji mei Muntesugu katana, the hamon and sugata are very similar to an Ietsugu katana that was for sale on Sanmei Trading some time ago, i had thought he might have been a student of Ietsugu.

Read the article and then look at the inlay through a good magnifying glass you will then see how good the artisans were. regards chris

Hi Roger, it looks like Kaga Yoshiro inlay, not all Yoshiro tsuba have the inset mon. Your tsuba looks like a Momoyama period as you say, it is also better quality than some i have seen. There is a good article on Yoshiro tsuba in NMB downlaod section. regards chris colman

Translated from a Kamakura Bori tsuba for sale: The origin of the name of Kamakura Tsuba is neither the name of the place nor the name of the era. It is said to have originated from a technique that imitated the safflower and green leaves method used by the grandson of Buddhist sculptor Unkei when he made Buddhist altar fittings for Hokke-do in Kamakura. With the addition of Zen Buddhism's era, the two were mixed together and unified into Japanese sensibilities to give birth to what is called 'Kamakura tsuba'. It is said that it flourished from the end of the Muromachi period to the Momoyama period and disappeared in the early Edo period.

Eric, Nihonto.com has an article on early generation Yasatsugu mei. regards chris colman

Not a match, but these two old yumi were made by Shibata, the plain lacquer yumi is, i believe, dated 1937, the last kanji on my yumi makes me wonder if there may be a tie in for yours. the 21st generation Shibata Kanjuro and his son are making yumi in Kyoto. He is well known in Kyudo circles and holds workshops for those interested in making yumi. regards chris colman

Have a look at "Begin Japanpology -Armour" on Youtube. I saw a modern O Yoroi in the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park a few years ago, if it was good enough to display there i imagine it was of suitable quality. i dont remember who made it, there are a few people specialising in traditionally made armour. regards chris colman

Hi Brian, The last two look like Kogyo prints, he specialised in scenes from Noh plays. regards chris

Hi John, they were made to order for me, i practice Kyudo and have been re-fletching arrows for a few years now. I kept an eye out for some during my various trips to Japan without any luck, searching websites earlier this year resulted in a company that makes them. chris

Yahanekiri, shears used for trimming arrows feathers to shape, they arived yesterday and i was surpised to see a hamon, gnome-midare. regards chris colman

Better? photos added regards chris colman

Sometime ago i posted photos of an F/K that was signed Takase Eiju + Kao, the work was not typical of the artist. Looking at the F/K again today i started to look more into the signature and found this link. To my eye the mei on my F/K is well cut and does not appear to be a copy of any of the samples shown above. Comments above indicate that the artist signed different versions of his name using either Kao and Kakihan as well. Could this be a Shoshin mei, why make something atypical of the artist and fake the mei? Musings of an old man with nothing better to do on a wet and chilly Sunday afternoon! regards Chris Colman

Hi Curran, Try Token Bijutsu Kogeisha in the links restoration list, they list them but out of stock for tsuba. The craftsman left Namikawa a few months ago so they no longer produce them. regards chris colman

Some tosogu came up at a recent auction, i was lucky enopugh to pick up these pieces. I am not sure what the finish is on the tsuba, too light for , it looks like shibuichi but i dont remember seeing this on a copper base before. chris colman