Curran

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Like the Yagyu display so many years ago or seeing all those Kaneiye in person at the DTI in 2014, this sounds such a rare opportunity that I looked into plane flights same day in and out just to attend. Prices, times, and layovers proved a bridge too far, but I am still looking into any last minute deals that can remotely line up with my work schedule. The AB-NBTHK Yagyu publication doesn't convey half the value of seeing the Yagyu display in person. I've seen a few of the Nagatsune belonging to one of the exhibitors and really encourage people to attend. For my own sake, I hope this display can come to an East Coast function some day or recur. I regret it wasn't announced earlier, as missing it is certainly my educational loss in the shadow of some great pieces being displayed. Three of the best fittings collectors in the USA trotting out some of the best stuff.... bite my tongue if I miss it. Edit: I just saw Barry's post below. Another reason to attend. One of the most beautiful swords I've ever seen was a TokuJuyo (Yamato) Hosho on display at SF about 18 or 19 years ago. Knock your socks off Instant KO. I've long hoped to see that one again some day.

Very famous sword. Nice copy by Ono-san.

The nanako are later edo using one of the macro punches developed by then. The beads will probably be larger, full rounded, and consistently placed. As to an attribution: I would be looking closely at every chisel stroke of the cranes and form my opinion from that. That require some level of magnification beyond your Iphone is currently producing. By late Edo, that could be quite a number of schools- but I am getting a lot better at distinguishing them these days. Like getting to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. Curran

+1 to Michael's write-up. Even if you are in the /ultra-wealthy/ or on up to the billionaire's club, it is hard to recommend something to someone we don't know. This is not to say "we don't know you", as much as we don't know whether you'd prefer a 1930s Rolls Royce over a modern Mercedes-Maybach. The previous thread that Michael linked covered some of the errors and whatnot of the Aoi Art listing. Nice sword, if you like ko-Bizen. Extremely rare. Is it your cup of tea, or does one of the pristine shinshinto Juyo deliver more pleasure per (Great British) Pound.

Speak of the devil, another Nara-saku: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n523706212 The book in the pictures attributes it to first Edo period. ie. circa 1600s.

a good laugh on a slow day.

"Ko-Nara" is a bit who you ask. From Markus' nigh divine translations, they are classified as being from (roughly) Temple Ornamentation Makers. Markus, feel free to correct my hackneed translation. Thus, the geometry to it feels a bit different than other carvings. To me, it is a bit more 3-D, as they are accustomed to working more at making objects viewed more 360degrees. In some books, the writer will depict tsuba more like yours. Others, more like the one I have attached. Signed "Nara saku" on the back. It is the only one I have handled to date that I would definitely call "Ko-Nara". While "Ko-" usually signifies circa pre1600, it seems to equate to about pre1700 (edited) for the iron works of Akasaka and Nara. Curran

We had a client from St. Louis that sounded exactly like Foghorn Leghorn. Pitch perfect. A Korean War veteran, he'd say things to my wife like "I probably shot at your grand-dad". He had a voice that would carry from South Korea to North Korea. He preferred the phone to email. As soon as caller ID showed it to be him... the wife ran to give me the phone, "Its Foghorn." He would leave her deaf in one ear, so he was totally my responsibility. -- I liked talking to him, but his voice would leave my hair blown to one side of my head. Ps. The tsuba is a copy of Jinbei / Jingo design, done by Issei Naruki (rough spelling). He is a good copyist and modernly accepted, though a bit over prolific in recent years. I owned one of his Nobuiye copies, but traded it to Arnold Frenzel one year in Tampa.

Yeah, no kidding. It commands a high price point, and clears out. It is one of the few schools where I have never owned a piece, not even a kozuka.

@Valric Chris will lead the sermon today. I couldn't have said it better. PS. Question to Chris: Do locals get a discount on Rolex? I'll trade you 2 good Hayashi for one of the Olive Green Perpetual.

I think I would sooner trust the government... Yet Christies supposedly found someone to pony up the money. Interesting either way. Shigemasa was a good smith.

Shigemasa. Perhaps my personal favorite WW2 smith. I regret selling my tanto by him, but the former owner really wanted it back. When he left the hobby, I suspect it went to Europe. I think there are at least 10 of these Yamamoto daggers. [AH, edit... reading Christies... at least 20 of them. Not like I would rely upon Christies too much] Hard to believe the Christie's price. That is about 5x to 6x the price of a full polish Shigemasa on the market.

Not all Choshu are created equal. An incredibly superb one fell into my lap about 8 years ago. I sold it for $1000, and have since realized I gave it away. It was such an exceptional work of art that I curse myself for getting hung up the maker signed "Choshu.... He'd trained with the Yokoya school and several prominent artists. There are some that are in the next league. I held one as Escrow for an international transaction. The theme wasn't to my liking, but the workmanship was rockstar. That and the one I sold both drove it home to take Choshu on a case by case basis.