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Curran

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Everything posted by Curran

  1. I am so happy to see this tread up and live again. Archery theme too! Just a great balance of exhibition. As an archery aside: A favorite of my small collection are Goto Tokujo father and Goto Kenjo son pair of goto kozuka of arrow design. Poem is Taira no Tadanori's death waka.
  2. Ah, yes. Well done Dale. I forgot to mention that this design is often associated with the Yagyu school as one of its designs. Of course, it would go on to be copied by other schools. Yours is not Yagyu. I don't claim to know what it is.
  3. This theme has been debated as long as I can remember. From one rendering to another: ricecakes, dried persimmons, etc.
  4. I resemble that remark. Incredible kozuka. As G. said, that is a GOAT.
  5. Nihonto.com, Nihonto.us, Nihontocraft.com, and see Dealer section.
  6. It was just a mention. I'm not 100% certain I will list it, but it will probably go up at the end of the month. ...if I can take decent pictures.
  7. Curran

    Hirazogan

    My one example. Had this for near 20 years now.
  8. It is nice to see others appreciate Futagoya / Norisuke tsuba. Next year I plan to visit family south of Nagoya. I will make a sidetrip to visit the area - graves shown in the Nagoya NBTHK Futagoya book. I haven't gotten around to listing it, but some time this month I will be selling this very large Yamakichibei style Futagoya ippa tsuba. Just letting it go at my purchase price, as I raise funds. At 9cm, it is by far the largest one I have owned.
  9. Curran

    What do you see?

    Repatinated or questionable tsuba. Theme: axe-lightening or chopping of matsukawa (pine bark?)
  10. [SOLD] Tsuba sold on another venue, shortly after listing it. For educational purposes, this listing can stay up- but probably should be moved to the SOLD section.
  11. And the founder of the school Ichijosai Hirotoshi (Hozon) ref tsuba. [sold back in 2013 or 2014]
  12. More pics in strong sunlight, and some background info on the school.
  13. See pics. Ask questions. I strongly believe this one is from the Uchikoshi school of later Edo. I had a signed Uchikoshi (Ichijosai Hirotoshi) that I sold in Bonhams many years ago. $500
  14. Nice one. I hadn't seen this auction.
  15. Curran

    Nara (Ko?) tsuba

    Ko-Nara tends to be finely worked iron sukashi. Mito would be a better bet.
  16. The video is famous. I would think more than 750,000 views, because I remember seeing it on a flight to Japan. These last few tsuba and the Sekibun f/k stir a lot of old memories.
  17. Curran

    Den Yagyu

    @BIG A longtime friend sold me this one when I had a bit more in my pockets one month. It is a very unusual/atypical Yagyu design. Ie. Not one you look at and go "Oh, Yagyu!" In hand, especially the mimi-sideview give it to Yagyu. It represents the 4 classes of Japanese Society: Farmer, Samurai, Merchant, Artisans
  18. Curran

    Den Yagyu

    My personal opinion is that Den- matters a lot less with fittings than with swords. In usage, it is equivalent to "More or less". With a few schools like Kaneyama tsuba, the NBTHK seems to use it as a short change. With other schools, it is more of a positive away from kodai or other vague descriptions. With Higo schools, I would say the Den- is almost always a positive. With Yagyu, it is hell of a lot better than Kodai Yagyu. So basically Yagyu "More or less". ie. Very much Yagyu = NOT kodai-Yagyu. This one was with Touken Koumachi and looked a relative bargain. If I did not already have my "One-n-Done" TH Yagyu of a design with significant meaning to me, I would have picked up this one. I will admit I thought about it a bunch of times. There aren't many good tsuba out there at a decent price. This was one of a small group waiting to get picked off. Peter pulled the trigger. Good to him.
  19. Best reply. Jussi's reply also very fierce. Jussi, you can be my statistics quant any time.
  20. I've reached about as far as I can go with Higo fittings short of getting into Juyo. My other love is Owari area, where I was a student. I'm looking to focus more on Owari area works, and seeking Owari, Hoan, or (nidai/sandai) Yamakichibei tsuba at the NBTHK TH level. Willing to trade and/or buy.
  21. Curran

    Den Yagyu

    Germans always have the best sayings.
  22. Bingo. This time around, [with exception of one big name piece] most of the Horyu were on mumei iron pieces. They were difficult for me to decide which school they properly belonged in: ex: geez is this Kyo-sukashi or Akasaka.... they said "Horyu". C'mon guys, it is a sub $1000 mumei tsuba.... just toss a coin. If it falls one way, I will keep it. If the other way, I will sell it. Nope.... coin landed on its edge. 1,2,3,4,..... how many times? My statistics prof would scoff.
  23. 'Horyu' is more and more common from the NBTHK. I got two 'Horyu' the other year, and I just told the agent to hold onto them in Japan. Resubmit in 1 year, and both came back with Tokubetsu Hozon papers. One was a big name, and the other was sort of middleweight. This last shinsa, I submitted 12 items plus the 2 previous 'Horyu'. The two Horyu passed TH, but I got 5 new Horyu back, which is fairly idiotic. 5 out of 12? One of the 5 was a big name with a lot of evidence to support it..... but still Horyu. Chickenshits. You still pay agent fees, shipping, and considerable time wait.
  24. Mid Edo Akasaka. Probably later half of the 1700s. Tsuba is probably about 4mm thick. I am not sure how they produced it, but those grainy waves in the mimi are a kantei point I have seen many times. Akasaka location and designs of the school became popular purchase for samurai on the processions to Edo and then back to their home province. Somewhat = proof you'd been to the big city.
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