Curran

Definitely not Shimizu-Jingo.

NBTHK attribution would probably be "Kodai-Higo" (later period Higo). The little tagane marks at the bottom imply Kamiyoshi work, which is a late Edo Period subschool of the Higo school. Take this to mean Kodai Higo, with an outside chance at a more specific sub school attribution to Kamiyoshi. My own opinion is just Kodai Higo.

ditto

Ladders for picking olives? The rickety things we would use in Italy before automation. In Japan, maybe for some other sort of fruit? Just a guess.

I'm pretty sure I donated it to Goodwill or a well known church thriftshop in NYC. It bothered me too much to keep around, so I've let at least 2 tsuba go that way.

Perhaps. That one looks baked. Some of his tsuba look quite authentic, but jacked with or "juiced". We have someone in the USA who enjoys a reputation for similar work, even on NBTHK papered tsuba. Or at least Hozon level one. Supposedly he feels he is improving them. I've never asked his rationale.

The Concentric Rings one looks like the work of the Yahoo!Japan seller who surfaces many tsuba having similar siblings in famous books. Yet many of his tsuba are some sort of chemical frankensteins when you finally get them in hand. The excessive and slightly odd "natural" age diveting, and the stomped in dirt appearance. Everyone who has been buying off of Yahoo!Japan falls for one of his works sooner or later. Myself included, many many years ago.

Better attempt at Hikozo. The seppa dai is closer, but the feeling is otherwise off. Geometry is a bit out of whack. There was a papered den Hikozo up recently. Hikozo liked to experiment, especially with silver on his kinko works. It was one of the ugliest 'failed experiment' ones I had seen, -complete with some forging issues- and it was interesting because it went for a relatively cheap price. Genuine, but it defined the lowest end of what prices Hikozo gets. I'd say there is a $40,000 range from his Juyo to his barely papered examples. -Respect to Hikozo for experimenting with various metals and mixes like he did. A list member owns a suaka+silver Hikozo that was clearly an experiment and has a lot of tea house aesthetic appeal. I like it very much. The Hikozo with silver experimentation are often the most interesting, won't make Juyo, and therefore affordable.

I know. I have the Baur Collection book. If you are going to own a Nobuiye, that is one to own.

Indeed, Bravo. I'd pay a lot for that first Nobuiye of skulls.

Correct. Fairly classical later one. I'd go with the bronze one. I confess I am surprised it is going for $100. Usually they grab a small multiple of that.

I strongly doubt that. --Half a lifetime ago... maybe. But that was a long time ago. When it comes to these NMB kantei: Mauro often posts exactly what I am thinking. I've gotten in the habit of seeing if he has already answered it before I do.

Well, Italian isn't my mother-tongue, but I would reply, "cio non e' che cosa vouleva dire..." I learned by ear, and it has been a long time. Probably I butchered the conditional conjugation of the verb. Still, when I think on it- it is true that other organizations might go with some slightly different calls. The team members shift, and it is hard to know what the two sides of the NTHK might say these days. I do think Mauro is correct in his statistical approach to this. His records of NBTHK attributions are a great database I wish I had the time and brains to build myself.

I second Mauro's opinion that it would get Kyo-kanagushi from an organization like the NBTHK.

At least as early as Goto Yujo, considered the founder of the Goto school. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goto_Yujo Probably earlier, but I don't know how much earlier.

@AlphaRaider yall back at you, from Atlanta. Your images are quite good, and the initial impression is of a Koto blade probably from one of the Bizen schools. Given that we are dealing with 800-900 years of works, the checklist of things to review can be quite long. Example: Things like the kissaki (angular area at the tip of the blade) can reveal a fair amount from very little data, and rule for/against certain schools. Just be patient and post photos. There is also a shinsa (knowledgeable panel of Japanese coming over for an evaluation process) in Chicago soon. My focus is far more on fittings, but it does look like you probably got yourself a very nice blade in trade.

Aizu Shoami

Umetada Myoju tsuba. 1.68 M yen An artist of significant skill, but also great cultural relevance and influence. To put it one way, he was a great experimenter with artwork at a pivotal time in Japanese history. Given that this one is only TH and 1.68M, imagine what price his many Juyo tsuba fetch. I wouldn't call this one a masterpiece, but that authentic signature is worth a large amount. Tea aesthetic, but not my cup of tea. It seems relative to this thread. If unsigned and mistaken for a ko-kinko, it would fetch significantly less.

Some nice comments so far. A recent example: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m1080865027 Very important name and signature. The aesthetics of this particular tsuba don't do much for me, though some of his other works do. That signature is a big part of the context of the value.

About 48 hours ago, I was just cleaning a counter and thought of Keith. He, Ted Tenold, and I just talking at great length at the Tampa Show that one year. I never again got to talk with him like that, and he passed right before everything went to hell in 2020. It does me some good to know others remember him three years later. I wish the best for his family.

Very happy with the two I wanted. I had a hard time not picking up that Akasaka too.

Yes. And not all works by a smith are created equal. Some of the most valuable shodai Shimizu (Jingo line) clock in above $100,000 - yet most of his non Juyo are in the $15`,000 or less category. The supply of these > $100,000 tsuba tends to be so limited that they almost always change hands privately. I never liked the idea that you needed connections and introductions to get access to such things, but that is how it works. Supply of Juyo level fittings is so much lower than Juyo level swords.

These are the two that I keep. -Old photo.

The one on Yahoo!Japan is not a Hikozo. Seppa dai is wrong. I didn't check the mimi, but it looks wrong too. The Den Hikozo is more interesting. I understand the reason for 'Den' on it. I like it, but don't love it. I won't be bidding.