Curran

Looks more like a Japanese rendering of a tiger in the fuzzy photo. More interesting than an Oni. Softer metal, looks carved instead of cut.

Many dealers can handle it for you. Just be prepared for a long wait time. I haven't sent anything since Juyo shinsa a few years ago and can't recommend anyone in particular at this moment. Stateside maybe Andy Quirt or Bob Benson still handle it. Since the costs can add up, in earlier times I would send a sleeve (6 tsuba in each) and only bothered with expense of Hozon when verifying signatures. Tokubetsu Hozon can be much more expensive, so Hozon is usually makes common sense. Only problem with Hozon is that on unsigned pieces the NBTHk can sometimes be painfully minimalist in their answer, or (rarely) even wrong. Just FYI: A gent with a bit of mischief in him sent unsigned pieces from matching sets were one was signed and the other was not. Kind of a mean thing to do, since both unsigned examples from the two sets came back attributed to wrong schools. Nobody is perfect, and even the NBTHK can make mistakes on unsigned pieces. Remember it is only an opinion- but their positive opinion on signatures is the gold standard.

Name says it: Bushu school. Beyond me to attribute it to a sub Bushu line, but then Haynes Index may or probably has the answer.

Wow. Wish i could take photos like that of the Morokage and tsuba. I never could capture the flame quality of the sashikomi polish. Morokage has it too, but way beyond me to capture it. *sigh*. Thank you for sharing. I'm glad this went to someone who appreciates it and can share it better with the forum. Good luck Gabriel.

Dear Jinsoo, Thank you. It has been a long time that you have been gone. Chal danyuh oh shusup nika. Welcome back.

Would one of our resident language experts be kind enough to give me a correct reading of this title? Very high quality book, and I didn't even know I had it until yesterday.

Dear Ludolph, Thank you for the reply. My own conclusion was this would be a fair one for NBTHK shinsa, though the owner must decide if worth it to spend the money and a long wait time. I think a non Japan shinsa Yoshikawa NTHK team would error on the side of caution and not paper it. Perhaps because of experience with members in my family working as jewelers, I have an easier time with mei signatures than sword signatures. In the past, I have followed some of your illustrated dissection of gimei sword signatures with interest. I feel much more comfortable with softmetal signatures saying Yes / No. On this kozuka.... I don't know idea. I see several reasons to say 'no', but also some that make consider it *possibly* legit. Thank you for posting the reference mei.

Ludolph, You have the reference signature and have (aside) proven to me that you are better at identifying authentic/gimei sword signatures. Call I call you out to voice an opinion on authenticity? I'm just a student on this one. Curran

Markus: Thank you for making that link. I doubt I would have gotten the link to Ichijo. Also thank you for all your translation work. Just yesterday, I was reading some of your translations for NBTHK on kodogu. Peter D: It seems you posted a photo while I was posting (now editing my post...) In Wakayama I have two reference mei for Ichijo signing his early signature of 'Mitsuyuki'. There is a good deal of variation between even the two reference mei, and Markus says he used this mei from 21 to 33. I have another document saying 21 to 30. Either way: definitely a time for evolving as an artist, and your kozuka signature is much closer to the second reference signature I have for him. Still, I wouldn't call it a match. But I don't feel comfortable saying 'gimei' . I'm not holding back- I just don't know. When it comes to someone like Ichijo with such a lifespan and such an evolution of his workmanship, I am "out of my league" to provide meaningful response. I don't know where more Mitsuyuki reference mei for Ichijo can be found, and I am not familiar enough with his early workmanship. What little I have seen of his early work was very typical goto. Not very helpful, is it! Maybe Markus or someone else more qualified can step in.

I agree with Dr. John L.- Masatoshi w/ kao. I cannot see the kao very well. I see 4 listed with this Masa version. Process of elimination: Haynes H04672.0 Signature example in Wakayama V.1 pg 328 ***Not a match to ref. sign.*** Haynes H04673.0 Student of Kikouoka Mitsumasa "Kao unrecorded" Haynes H04674.0 Second son of 4th gen Yasuchika (Baur Catalog) *** Will look up, but Doc J. says not a match*** Haynes H04675.0 Haynes Auction (March 1983)- Presumably Book #5 a nananko f/k w/ gold inlay Well, I just found that Catalog #5 of my Haynes Catalogs is missing. Someone is going to die. *Ahem*. So #72 and presumably #74 are presumably out. Notes: #72 Signed Masa Toshi with the more complex toshi. On NBTHK papers and Haynes, seems listed as simpler form. #74 Seems this would most likely be our guy, but no reference signatures for him in Wakayama. Strange. Will check Baur Book, but that is no gurantee of authenticity. Baur is great resource, but not unquestionable. #73 Best you can do is look up Mitsumasa work and compare- not very accurate. #75 Well, maybe someone with Haynes Catalog #5 can try and find and post the right image. I'm off to find what the Hells happened to my copy and maybe will look up Mitsumasa work later. Nice fuchi/kashira, but as John L implied: seems a talented unknown for now.

Peter D, Surprised no one has gotten back to you further. As Morita-san said. "Goto Mitsuyuki w/ Kao". I haven't got my black belt in the Goto school and 16 sub schools.... Always got to hit the books on them. Goto Mitsuyuki doesn't appear mainline and I didn't have an obvious match with a sub-line. Problem with the Goto is often something as easy as 'Mitsuyuki' must be looked up under an alternate reading. Easier if it is mainline. Harder if I must go trailing down centuries of sub schools. ie. No promises for a match from me. signature is cleaner than most, so maybe not? gimei. Just for Sh*ts and giggles, give me an image of the frontside that I can judge the workmanship for my own sake (privately). Post here or PM me.

Ken- Good to hear from you / see you post. Peter D- I don't think it generic. I rather like Mino work, sometimes more so than the ko-mino which is often given higher financial value. To me: much of the appeal of any Mino piece is in the quality of the workmanship and materials than the design. In particular, I enjoy some of the very deeply angled undercut pieces. I don't collect kogai and they don't often turn my head, but there was a ko-mino one a while back that had age, depth, and high grade material. All shakudo... it certainly made me stop and stare a bit like a love wrought teenager. My opinion is that this is a much much nicer tsuba than the usual "What is it?" tsuba posted to this forum on a regular basis.

The Mini tsuba I posted had similar work on the sides. I believe it was all the actual design work on the sides was covered in gold, though not 100% sure. You can see the edges of the gold on the mimi in the photo. I feel it was early Edo work (1600s), hence the Mino vs. Ko-Mino attribution. I'll like these tsuba very much, though some friends disagree with me in their appeal. Papering: opinions will vary. I think yours is a nicer tsuba maybe worth the expense of papering (documenting), but not sure if it adds monetary value. When something is clearly what it is and unsigned- such as Hazama or Kamakura tsuba I have with old green papers, I don't see much sense in new papers. But some people like the comfort of a confirmation on it if/when it comes time to sell it.

Nice. I would say it is straight up Edo Mino work, but leave it to Peter or Ford to know better whether to call it Mino Goto or not. Attached is an image of a tsuba that was in Hawaii for a while and then eventually Fred Weissberg sold it via Nihonto.com. I think the image was from his site. It was papered Toku Hozon to Mino and the undercutting on it was deep. I enjoyed it and would have liked to own it at some point.

Mark, Great photos of the nakago you posted today. --Camera work and I mix worse than oil and water-- I expected Tom or Ted T. to come along and hit the nail on the head, but I think I will try and take a break from my gawd awful work to crack open the mini library and see if I cannot make sense of what I see. I still don't understand the hamon. Any Nie at all? If so, where and what sort of distribution?

Thank you to the 3 gents who were quick with the reply.

I haven't corresponded with Aoi Arts or Tsuruta-san in ages. I noticed they've taken down their general email address off the site. What is the best way to correspond with them / ask them a question, when not buying an item? Anyone who knows, please PM the best email address to me.

Thought I claim to have gone entirely over to the dark side (just fittings collection), I can be lured out now and then to look an an interesting one. The geometry has been softened, but the jigane looks nice. Had a good polish at one point. The nakago was canted a bit? or it it just the horimono a bit strange there. Could be? My first impression from the jigane and general shape (pre/post shortening).... I was surprised to see you describe the hamon as o-notare ba, yet with chu-kissaki and ko-itame. But interesting looking jigane. Hope more is revealed as you study it.

why so wry? a scottish whit in Switzerland.

As Brian said- very strange geometry. Dulled and rounded yokote, but mirror like finish. Very abrupt and small kissaki relative to the cross section further down. Dramatic taper. Someone like Stephen would need to look at the kissaki in person to determine what is going on there to try and reverse engineer what gave this wak such geometry.

I wouldn't say she indulges so much. She wonders why I ask her opinion sometimes. My reason is that she has a great aesthetic sense and can cut to the core of the appeal or lack there of with lightning speed. We don't always agree, but sometimes her deconstruction of a tsuba design is insightful to me in a way that borders on Ford's ability as an artisan to view certain tsuba. Signatures mean nothing to her. Workmanship does. She's particularly harsh on Higo "button" tsuba and certain "caveman" tsuba. Never the less, I remain on the lookout for certain ko-katchushi or ko-tosho designs. She likes the Otsuki you have, though not fond of deer. I've passed some by because of her opinion, but also only noticed 2 or 3 gems because she stopped me and made me look closer at them (online images). The Kozenji is one of them. _________________________________________________ I think it was either Tom Helm or Ted Tenold that near dies of a laughing fit one day when I shared that she described a well known brown Hazama tsuba of Rice Bales as "looking like Serena William's butt checks". Women....

Yep. Saw that. Hopefully the traffic can be increased. Good to see advert already. Only regret is that it still lands on Valentine's Day & (also wife's B-Day). Makes me choose between my loves.

Wow. The Ono-Norisuke looks better in your photo than it did in theirs. Came with a better quality box too? It is more balanced in perspective and imagined on a sword at the waist rather then 8 inches wide and 10 inches tall on my workstation monitor. Not much one for cranes, but wish I owned it I am still 1 over my limit currently. I am very obliged to you for Kozenji tsuba information. I know next to nothing about the group. When I found mine, it was via poor photos that made it look brown iron and both wife and I thought the keyfrett pattern was painted on. When it showed up and we realized the gold was wire inlay, it made me pause. I had no idea what it was. The only drawback is small catalog collection number painted on the seppa dai. I do not know how to remove it without risking damage to the shakudo, so I'll live with it. When the NBTHK papers came back to me years ago.... I wondered "what the hell school is this?" Curran

Thanks George, Ford, and Keith. As for 'San'.... I am just Curran. Certainly not Sama. Sometimes San. Mostly just.

Green papers. The blue papers are a nice light blue. Koshirae looks like it could be nice. If you want my 2cent opinion, send pictures via PM.