Curran

Post a larger picture of the papers in the translation section and some of us will take a hack at it. There are others who read faster and more precisely than I do.

#2 SOLD #1 -HOLD-

I wouldn't bother. A Hozon paper will catalog and describe the parts physically, but give you very little useful data that is new. While green papers are often frowned on or dismissed for verifying signatures on fittings, green papers that prove your koshirae was around 40+ years ago are actually good enough proof for me that it isn't a modern construct or replica. It is one of those rare instances where I think keeping the green papers actually makes sense and might be even slightly advantageous. All that mailing to Japan, agent fees, time, costs, etc... Lot of hassle for little gain on most koshirae. Grey's advice was spot on.

#2 On HOLD.

#3 and #4 SOLD. #1 and #2 still up for grabs at the moment.

Agreed. Usually koshirae papers don't add much value unless Tokubetsu Hozon or some special insight on the, if a special type of koshirae.

It has been a long while since I listed anything, but something that is going to be with me for a long time just came in yesterday. Time to let some things go to balance the scales. #1: Nishigaki tsuba (Higo), -Waves, River, Moon, etc. I think very likely unsigned Nishigaki Kanpei work $SOLD #2: Kamiyoshi tsuba (Higo) -Fernracken type design. Good tsuba. Some marks on the shim seppa dai are, but patina is fine $SOLD #3: Yagyu-den tsuba (Owari) - I've seen similar papered Den Yagyu, https://www.kusanaginosya.com/SHOP/28.html but safer to say kodai Yagyu (Owari-seki iron sand grain, but not what I think of as Yagyu) $SOLD #4: Harder wood vintage tsuba boxes w/silk pad , pillow, and cotton shifuku covers 3x $SOLD (these are the last 3 I think I will sell. I keep some personal favorites in these, but had a few extra) Initial pics now. Add appropriate shipping cost to however you'd want them shipped I will post measurements later.

Oh wow. I haven't found #173 yet, but I will. They have The Yasuchika (Highly ranked National Treasure) on their Facebook feed: https://www.facebook.com/263948137029136/photos/a.264017607022189/2996228090467780/?type=3&theater I've never seen a better image of it. Saving that down to my little research files now. I think I would trade off all but 2 of my collection for it. A collection of 3 tsuba.... to dream.

I need a break from work. Off to watch Foghorn cartoons. Issei Naruki's tsuba tend to be copyist versions of real ones. I was not aware there existed a Big Rooster Shimizu/Jingo tsuba. If anyone has an image of the original, please post or advise where the heck I can find it.

138: "Akasaka" Nobuyie. Don't even need to hit the books to recognize that one. Distinct style. See Kinko Meikan for these /other/ Nobuiye. 140: Very collectible. What Dirk_O said. These show up now and then and always sell quickly. I've never owned one. I remember one of the books has an illustrated version of this tsuba.

Heavy little noggin knocker, isn't it? Hard to see the silver work on the mimi, but my best guess is associate with one of the Kyushu schools or groups. Hizen, Nagasaki, or Namban related (Namban come in a variety of types).

Ray and J. got to it first.

Nice timing. I just learned this kanji earlier today when reading this gimei signature: https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/p1014798067 I initially read it as 'atsu', but found the forged artists name under _Toku_ reading

Tombo on a tenpo. Say that 3 times quickly.

Many years ago, it went from an old farm or ranch term to one used to describe people. A former president used it very correctly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turd_Blossom

Thank you. I appreciate the link and intend to use is soon. I've navigated so many turdblossoms the last 6 years that usually I just save my strength for the more important stuff, but this guy was a twisting weasel the entire time. I think I have the energy to try and delete him, or hamstring him, as a side hobby.

HI Ron, PM sent.

It's alright Mr. Dangerfield. [aside: I wish he had lived long enough to legally light up with Snoop Dog in Rockefeller Center. Hard to believe the SNL staffers would complain about his smoking habit.]

Rather common. Somewhere I have a photo of all the tsuba that one of the Tiffany family nailed all willy nilly around his big hearth. Since this is a soft-metal tsuba, the holes can be made whole rather easy by many a bench smith. The end result could be quite pleasant. These holes don't bother me that much, but some of the WWII era cuts in iron tsuba for mounting on gunto koshirae- some of those kill me. Ex. Clip cut on an otherwise great 1500s Kanayama tsuba.

I think he knew the jig was up. I woke up this morning to find he had cancelled and refunded the money. He put in the Note that "Buyer asked to Cancel". That is not right. In our correspondence via -ebay-, I did not. I will try and buy the item in Japan. After that auction ends, I will return to defenestration of him. Eye for an Eye, Tooth for a Tooth- I will pursue him for a while and invite others to report him with me. I will make it easy by providing any necessary links. His listings are all pretty much lifted photos from Japan, and it is easy to image search track many of them down.

That is what I had read in public published answers. 'Reporting' is useless these days, unless it is something where eBay is financially the direct victim. If anyone has better ideas than Canceling and Reporting him, I welcome the insights either in public here or in PM. The auction ends in some time next week, and I think the shite_wit believes he can string me along until then. Unless I become aware of other appropriate tactics, I will give it 48 hours and then just Cancel.

Well, I've largely managed to avoid these guys for years- but I ended up purchasing from one. Later, I realized the item is at auction elsewhere and a fair chance it sells there. In the vain hope that it was listed by the same person, I asked him to pull the other auction. After several evasive responses to questions such: (1) do you have the item? (2) when can you ship it? It has become very clear that he doesn't own the item. He keeps asking me if I want to Cancel the Transaction? I assume this is to avoid fees, and avoid negative feedback when he later says he doesn't have the item. Any eBay veterans have advice?

Great list of analysis by Fred. Listen to him and Mark in Orlando for Akasaka. I sometimes regret that I only own one. I am trying to rectify that by having bought another last night. Love #4 on the list. I sometimes forget about the cant of the nakago ana and the kogai ana.

NBTHK would probably say Akasaka. To me. the carving of the ume reminds me of Hayashi work. See attached detail photo and compare/contrast. So it comes down to a coin toss between the two won by study of the iron. But the NBTHK would probably go to Akasaka.

The attribution is on the other side of the papers, but I can see from the ink through the paper that it does say Kodai Hoan. Given that there were many many generations, I personally interpret kodai Hoan to mean anything after the 3rd gen. That Kodai thing varies from school to school, and one way of interpreting it is to say "we don't know, but not the early guys". One of the generations was a bit of a troublemaker and got the family demoted from making tsuba. They had a long history as ironworkers, I think for boats and such? Probably the only bit of help I can give is that the fill in of the sukashi with gold was probably done later. With this design of tsuba, it seems to have been a popular thing. I have seen them filled in with gold, silver, yamagane, shakudo. This is one of the cleaner examples that I remember. That many fillings, and one or two tend to get knocked out. Whatever f/k you chose, I would recommend iron. Whether or not any gold on the f/k is up to you. Ones like Fords being iron with gold shitodome is probably the direction I would personally go, though it might be a bit too symetric for the Japanese asmyetric mindset. Curran