Martin

Hi all, I was wondering, if there is somekind of symbolic meaning for the Matskukawabishi (-Mon) or if it (simply) was a family crest (Kamon). It is often seen on Tsuba and I intend to do a little research on this design element. I tried to find a Mon related website to get some pictures and examples or some information on the families using this crest but did not find very much on this. If anybody (or Nobody :D ) could offer some information I would be very thankful. best, Martin

thanks Rich

Thanks Rich, but one cannot access an online catalogue yet, correct? cheers,

Hi Syd, not quite I think you mean the NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai = The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords). There is also another Organisation with similar abbreviation (NTHK: Nihon Token Hozon Kai) that issues papers (and hold Shinsa even outside of Japan). Check this link for further information: http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/tosogu_kanteisho.html best,

Andreas, how do you think it is possible to dermine the value of a piece? Apart from evidently very rare and well known pieces this is a very subjective decision IMHO. So for you this piece should have a value of 787 USD :D For others maybe less, maybe more The most important thing should be that you can enjoy it !! best, Martin

the geometry of this blade is indeed a bit strange - either over-polished (due to chips maybe) or the blade was something else when it was "born"... There is also a slight Sori within the Nakago. Did Ken actually have a (Nakago-) Sori cheers,

Hi Andreas, I rotated & twisted the Ura side of the Kissaki and placed it on top of the Omote side. Then I lowered the opactity of the upper picture. I cannot really make out a big difference in the placement of the Yokote...

It might be helpful to place a link to the sword you are talking about http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-SWORD-RAI- ... dZViewItem

many thanks for your kind and always reliable help from me too

more, more please !! :D

Hi Jean, I also thought about a mounting project for a long Tanto. Do you have a good address to get a Saya made? I heard Zenon van Damme has a quite good reputation. P.S. We can also PM on this in order not to bother this thread. cheers, Martin

Thanks for the information John. But were Nanako Ji not already created in earlier times (before Japanese Art & Culture being influenced by the Europeans) ? It would be interesting to discover if artisans used optical enhancements (since they had access to them) or if they had too much pride to do so :D cheers,

Hi Mariusz, what makes you think these are fakes? cheers,

Hi Markus, great pictures, thank you. What a great deal of work it must be to cover a whole Tsuba with those marks... I could imagine it might be easier to use a chisel with 3 notches like the upper right of Markus´ pictures. Maybe one could then start with the last mark and only create 2 new ones at a time. But still... absolutely astonishing. What I wonder sometimes - the possibility of making an error must have been quite high. Especially when using the first chisel with only one notch... and not having any optical auxiliaries. cheers,

Hi Andi, It is very easy to see why :D As many Nanako surfaces show concentric circles I guess it was nearly impossible to use a chisel with multiple notches. From http://www.nikko-jp.org/english/shigai/meijin.html best,

Hi, I modified Jason´s picture a bit to show the possible symmetry/asymmetry of the Seppa-Dai Reinhard is referring to. It does not seem that striking to me though... cheers,

Hi Pete, this piece shows a flat mimi with a squared edge. http://www.nihonto.com/fwf27.html cheers,

for better comparison...

I´d say these are Chikei.

Sorry Mariusz, I opened the auction link via megaproxy.com and only one picture was shown... (the sword in whole without details). So I thought that was the only picture you saw to make you decision - and therefore asked the question above Obviously there were other high resolution pictures then Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. best of luck,

Hi Mariusz, have you been able to see more (high resolution) pictures before you placed your bid? cheers,

Hi all, there also was a thread on Shinobi-Ana not too long ago. http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... highlight= cheers,

Hi all, many thanks for your answers and thoughts. Taking all the possibilities written into consideration I would assume, that my Tsuba has an epoxy clear coat. :D just kidding :D I think that it indeed has an Ibota Wax finish as mentioned by Steve. I already read about this kind of finish used on soft metal Tsuba and this makes the most sense for my piece in question too. The reason why the outer surface of the Mimi is left out is probably due to the fact that there was a Fukurin that covered it. best regards,

Hi Rich, maybe a stupid question - but was it always black lacquer that was applied? If this is the case my Tsuba may not show lacquer but indeed has a "polished up" surface (Mikagi-Ji). What made me think of lacquer was the glossy, shiny wet looking appearance - like it shows on objects that have a clear lacquer finish. cheers,

Hi Rich, many thanks for your response. Was it also common for other schools to put a coat of lacquer on their Tsubas? Or was it rather an aesthetical point not connected to any school and added or refreshed by the owner from time to time? I have a Kyo Sukashi guard that I think has a quite large area of lacquer remaining. The only place free from lacquer seems to be outside surface of the Mimi. The guard in question was already discussed on the forum ( http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... highlight= ). Don´t hope to bore others with multiple threads on the same piece... cheers,