Curran

Ease up guys.

It is a very traditional bonji. It is one of the first carved, and probably will be one of the last carved when the last Japanese sword is made some day in the distant future.

Read Paul's reply first. He has much more tact and elegance than that of which I am normally capable. ~At 6am with no coffee, I wrote the most restrained reply I could.~

At your current level of study, advice is to buy something papered. If you live in the North America, advice also is to do it from an American source. Wait for the right item, and then haggle until you are happy with the deal. Otherwise, you are really pissing forward into a strong wind. Customs issues, brutal currency rate, and ebay pillow promises of what something is/isn't? I think the previous thread was correct, but see it is gone now. A ware or two in a koto blade is fairly common, but that is irrelevant here. If you are determined to piss into the wind, please let us stand way back now. If you persist in this, I don't think you will be around very long.

Welcome Alton, There seems to be quite an active group in Hawaii, or at least a few members on the NMB from Hawaii plus Bob Benson and his student Woody H.

Ford is very right about the tsuba being different. Most notable is positive waves on one being raised, while on the other they carve into the plate. The yamagane sanmai construction is a bit of a logic mystery. _____________________________________________________________ To return to the original thread, I too see a sanmai style tsuba.

Tre ja vu?? http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e126994319 My experience with such things is the cosmos shows us two or three within 6 months, then we never see another. There are two Ono and one Ko-Akasaka designs that I have had this experience and am still waiting several years for the next one, having let the previous two or three go...

Mariusz, One of these tsuba came up for sale recently in Japan. I was trying to remember where I'd seen it before. I don't think it was as clean as your example, but still a ringer.

BaZZa, I believe I've seen this a few times. The sets I've seen are bound in red. They really don't come up that often, and I didn't remember it was a 5 vol set. I thought it was more like 3 vol? A Reverend in the Philadelphia area showed me his copy along with a bunch of arrowheads he had polished by a (semi-) amateur friend.

Ed and Morita-san, thank you for posting the images. At best, I have an old old old version of Adobe Photoshop and have a slow time of even the most minor photowork. Ed, I agree I instinctively like the Jingo most. I'd love to have a kinko example. I have 2 iron examples from this school. Good Jingo often look and feel phenomenally better in person, but Ginza Choshuya's pictures do this one justice. I was trying to decide if I think this is 3rd or 4th Gen work. I have this 4th gen monster (photos). The iron feels like depleted unranium, and is extremely distinct feel (texture) like ferrous velvet. ***Kantei point would be the unusual shape of nakago ana both at the top and bottom.

Ginza Choshuya hasn't sent me anything. The spirit is willing; but the yen rate and the fact that my paycheck is tied to the stock market are against it. Paul, The image sent to me is very large. I will try to edit it down for here later. If I loose too much resolution, I may just send it to you privately or post in another forum where I have less size constraints.

James, Thank you, but not necessary now. I just opened my email 9pm tonight to see another collector emailed it to me. The Kaga Goto is very nice. Not sure it is so nice that it is worth selling something to buy it. I do like the Jingo piece, though it is probably too plain Jane for most people.

Morita-san, Arigato gozaimasu. Ginza Choshuya usually responds, but it takes a few days.

/Martin That is the old dragon one they had up on their website. One of the rare Kaga Goto examples I didn't like. They posted here: http://world.choshuya.co.jp/gj_index/20 ... 201206.htm <> I'm curious to see it and wrote them an email, but figured the NMB might be faster be 1 or 2 days.

Does anyone have a copy and willing to scan in an image for me? I would like to see the Kaga Goto tsuba they have up for sale. PM me or post here. I'm also curious to see the Jingo and Mino they have posted at those pricepoints. The Mino is pushing on Ko-Mino prices. Wondering how nice it must be, but primarily interested in the Kaga Goto piece.

Ron, ~Post or PM pictures? I regret selling mine, but have gotten a bit superstitious about owning them. Safer for me to stick to kodogu and koshirae. I was very much into competitive archery when younger, and think it influenced the judges who gave me a scholarship to Japan in 1989. It was very fun to practice with a high school Kyudo team.

Martin, Thank you for the link. That was a decently written article. Much better than I would expect of most journalist these days. I had not known part of Ford's history, and something in it jumped out at me as a common thread or element in the best artists and art collectors.

Formerly owned by me. Sold to an NMB member during tougher times.

I think it has to do more with the auction house staff. TO BE VERY POLITE in trying to express it, the shift on Asian Art has long since passed to the Nouveau rich of China. (Really screwed up the french and italian wine prices on the traditional big names). Staffing those auction house departments has had a headcount and payroll reduction elsewhere (Japan/Korea). Expertise has suffered from financial and other attrition.

Congratulations Ford! That certainly explains the trip to Japan you mentioned last time we talked. Bring back many o-miyage! Having quietly watched the forum http://followingtheironbrush.org/ I think this was overdue a bit. I'm glad the Japanese can acknowledge it. Very well done! Return safely.

Just a whim here to share and comment on some of the tsuba up for auction in Japan at present: http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g109233860 Nice tsuba where the workmanship ~looks~ right, but the signature is so off. My guess is someone had an example or rubbing of an example and gimei'd it at a later date. For those who like em REALLY BIG: http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d131088439 A papered Namban at 13 to 14 cm. Also serves as a dinner plate or a lamp stand. And winner for unusual design this week: http://page10.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m96443790 Flaming Imperial Jewels?

Consider (cigar humidor) Humidity Crystals. Also be careful of the container, as Veli discusses. I spent almost half the year in New York City, and the rest of the year in Florida. Veli spoke of Tampa at the most dry part of the year. It gets much much much more humid during high summer. My small collection travels with me, so I am careful about the humidity levels and shifts. Collecting wine for a decade was an initiation into this, but antique wood and lacquer are a more serious game. Basically below the 25% and above the 70% level, be very careful. I find even the larger paulownia boxes struggle a bit in the shifts.

Thank you Chris and Morita-san. That makes much more sense. AKIO (Haynes 00058.0) ~ Worked in Nagoya. Also later worked in Tokyo. b1824 and d1887 The iron very closely resembles that of the Nidai Norisuke and some of his students. I'd expected a more direct link than just Nagoya. The buddhist tsuba is in the style of a Nidai Norisuke owned by another collector here in New York, but not nearly as intricate.

Relatively sure the fuchi would get attributed to "Kyo-Kinko" (basically Kyoto style soft metal work) Not sure about the menuki. Menuki are generally much harder to attribute.

Help, onegaishimasu.... I'm failing to read this signature correctly. It is: 玉成堂明雄彫之 As simple as the third character should be, I'm not making sense of the signature. Total block.... It is definitely Owari area, and probably related to the Norisuke school of tsubako.... hence my interest.