Curran

Atari 2600 ? Sort of gives me an Arcade flashback.

Chris: I don't at all discount the impact of a shinsa. However, the USA cannot handle 5 shows. Bill might kill Tampa if he keeps that up. As is, I would say either Chicago or Tampa would tap out someday. Personal vested interest is Tampa, but Mark seems to be getting Chicago in fighting shape to take the crown. [i'd also rather the shows 6 months apart]. Must agree with Jon and give my thanks to the individual who brought his Juyo Norishige. That was exceptional of him given how much travel time he had to put in. Wish we got to see more of him. I accidentally came away from the show with his Microdear for the Norishige and need to mail it to him.

kodai = late in the school Edo Higo = associated with manufacture in Edo, far from home. Higo *style* that got a bit more flamboyant at times. Jingo refers just to the Jingo school. A subschool of the Higo classification. Roughtly: Hirata, Nishigaki, Shimizu (Jingo), and Hayashi. Then the Kamiyoshi school largely taking over the Hayashi line. What Grey guided to would be a most economical primer. There are also several extremely knowledgeable Higo collectors in the UK, though some are very private.

Personal opinion is the show was a stark contrast to the strong Tampa show 2014. Perhaps on the back of that strong show, Bill Green decided to run two other shows along the East Coast in the last 6 months. Diluting the East Coast across 3 shows and with Mark having done such a praised job of reviving the Chicago show with its shinsa just around the corner, the 2015 Tampa show was as dilute as the Miso soup Grey described. Bad weather in the NorthEast kept further participants away. I felt the volume of activity and people was less than 1/2 of the prior year. There was a fair bit of commercial activity at the lower end, but a dead ceiling above a certain pricepoint. I had a NBTHK Hozon tsuba on my table at about 60% of the price of the ones at the DTI in Japan this year: result was several inquiries as to "what is this" and to why it was so expensive? Another veteran collector had one of the same school, with no takers. At the DTI all but one of the ones on the floor below $10,000 sold during the 3 days I was there. Cyrus-Mike had something that greatly interested me, but with my conservative 1 in 1 out mentality and them leaving red-eye early Sunday- didn't make it happen. __Just so different from last year and the rapid fittings buying/selling activity at the DTI__ James Lawson's Choshu lecture was a highpoint. The social time and information after hours was very good. Just think the show greatly suffered due to East Coast dilution and bad weather this year.

Higo design and Hosokawa mon additions point that way. In your photos, hard to tell if mid Edo period (Higo) or late Edo (Kodai Higo). Flashy design could indicate "Edo Higo", which is derivative of Higo- Most ways you look at it, appears to be Higo or close to it.

You know me. I mostly stick to fittings now and have a profession where paycheck can swing drastically from month to month. An exceptional Yamato piece is on the Top 10 wishlist. Had to really think on this one.

Stephen, Received your cold weather last night. Temps here on the Sarasota Bay hit about 31. Inland in the 20s. Lit up the big fireplace and had a nice night of it burning some of one of the oaktrees we had cut down a few years ago. For the visitors, weather is returning to the low 70s by day and 50s by night with low humidity. Should be great weather for boating or hanging out by the pool when not inside at the sword show.

Congrats. For a Yamato den sword at this level of quality and age, a bargain. Considered it. The koshirae has no appeal for me. I would have been torn about whether to sell it and reduce cost basis to own the sword at around $8000-$8500. Statement of personal opinion: Difference between this blade and a 'low level' Juyo would *mostly* have been the papers. Was studying a similar one at the DTI with Juyo papers. 4 mune ware and a coarser polish: $24000. Perhaps bargain down to $21000 I passed, but it sold soon thereafter.

Stephen- enjoyed that. Impressive to find it archived, and a Superman cartoon underneath to Boot.

I found the Hawaiian to be a bit on the Far Side. He had 0 feedback and insisted he knew me from some 1970s Chicago sword show... that I was a pianist and etc. etc. Erh... no, that wasn't me. I guess I jinxed myself with even writing here. The auction I had up today drew some individual from the UK who made a high bid then canceled it. Then one of the other bidders canceled his bid because he didn't know why the other person had canceled their bid. Both were in the UK. All this over a $75 antique signed kogatana. I'd rather just take it to Tampa and sell it for $100

Juyo and Tokubetsu Juyo. Just usually a bigger name, signed, and ubu. Try finding a mumei Juyo ShinShinto....

Chris, Lots of odd things w/ ebay. Last time, got someone who claimed to know me and kept messaging me long compositions. It seemed to be an oldtimer from Hawaii, as he wasn't ignorant. Just bored? Today it was someone placing and cancelling bids. I don't know whether they were trying to sound out the current high bidder's bid, or what? Ebay can be a very weird place.

I find this too unexpected. I cannot find the right words- a feeling of unjust loss. I enjoyed corresponding with him and meeting him once in Tampa. We've naturally lost some of our senior members the past few years, Yet I can count an equal number of members in my own age group that we have lost. I will miss Veli and wish the best possible future for those he cared about.

Always liked this guard. Glad it found a good home.

Thought it was practically the same. Long been said that the Japanese own most of the southern magnolia stockpiles. Has that changed? Only thing the Japanese wanted out of Georgia while I was growing up there. If dabbling at sayashi work, common sense says start with a beater blade and stick to that for at least your first 15 or 20 tries. Definitely its own artform. I have an Omiya Morokage where the saya is as much a bit of art as the sword, and better workmanship than the various saya on the juyo swords I have owned.

Brian, Actually I would stress that the tiger works are his baseline stuff to pay the bills. Choshuya just posted one of the iron tiger tsuba in their newest magazine: http://www.choshuya.co.jp/sale/gj/index.htm See #6. He's capable of a LOT more. If I had to do a Top 10 kodogu artsists of the 1800s list, I'd try and place him somewhere in the bottom half of the list. When you see that crazy signature of his, look at the work. If it is any creature or object other than a tiger, study it for a while. Tomei must have gotten tired of making millet designs (looking forward to seeing the non millet ones Darcy might post) and I suspect Sekibun got a bit tired of pop-eyed tigers. I sometimes wonder how many of them are mostly done by his son, with dad signing off.

An example of his work just popped up for sale: http://ginzaseikodo.com/sekibuntoraE.html This would be one of his tigers that I talked about him McFranchising a bit. He was capable of a lot more. Still, this one shows his typical "I'm watching you" rendering of an animal.

It is by Sekibun, the very gifted multi-multi-talented kodogu artists. His themes are often naturalistic. Whether turtles, crabs, tigers, or whatever- the perspectice is you often feel they are looking at you and that if you watch them long enough they will suddenly move. Not quite Natsuo, but up there. He and his son did 'sell out' a bit by making a sort of lower grade iron tiger tsuba that seemed extremely popular, but his pure kinko works are top drawer mixes of his own style and whomever he appreciated or respected at the time. Like I said, quite the range on them- with the most common element being that 'looking at you' quality. Still, agree with Darcy that a piece shouldn't be getting NBTHK Juyo papers just because it is by a famous kodogu artist. Natsuo made some great vases. Any of them Juyo? If so, I'd enjoy seeing them but don't think the NBTHK should be giving them Juyo papers.

Depends on if you are a buyer or a seller. Personally I love the misconception that greens are worthless. The NBTHK no longer gives you a discount off your Hozon papers when you turn them in... and you can no longer submit directly to Tokubetsu Hozon with them (I hadn't known that was possible- too late now), but I've picked up a few nice pieces of kodogu and very nearly a nice Rai tanto based upon that belief some green papers are bad therefore all green papers are bad. Sure the 'sukanderu' (scandal) cheapened their value, but a lot of them are on the archery target. They may paper differently, but the old paper opinions are usually within a few rings of the modern bullseye opinion. You do need have some care. I've seen one or two green papered 'Shozui' (Hamano school founder) fittings that I don't think the current NBTHK would pass. However, that has more to do with the tightening of the opinions on the authenticity of certain variations of a signature of a guy who lived a long life.

Says 'Aizu Shoami'. Old green papers for kodogu are generally fine, but of the kantei knowledge, opinions, and willingness to make a call at the time. A submit for modern papers can bring same result or different results. A "Goto" piece may be bumped up to a specific maker, whereas a Hayashi Shigemitsu might come back 'Hayashi'. I have seen both.

I paused a bit in surprise at the variations in his signature. At first I wasn't so sure. I wanted to make up my mind before seeing if Pete had ventured his opinion. After some hesitation, I felt it authentic. Feel is just too similar with things like that right hand vertical stroke upwards overly high in the 'Moto' character. Regardless of how his signature changed, that seemed consistent and is in Brian's too. Flow also feels natural with nothing leaping out at me as too far a deviation from the reference examples. Long saku with similar feel to it as to the lower reference examples. I would say authentic, but wonder how cautious of a shinsa team might approach it. I wasn't sure and am still not >90% sure, but was glad to see I'd come to the same conclusion as Pete. Besides- looks Kyo Goto

Love a Futurama reference. What James said. Time to figure out what I don't already own from Markus.

Purely reflex based largely on the nanako: Momoyama or Early Edo Goto to me. Initial interpretation is Buddhist Wheel of Law, as others have gotten to before me. Etruscan gold wire feel to it is something we see in the 'other' Hirata school and then done later by several sources in late Edo. Not sure what to make of that, but still feels Earliest to Early Edo to me in the photograph. I like them.

Me too. Would his son be "Luke" and daughter "Leia"? Joking... Learned the saran wrap from Condell & Tenold-san. Learned the Harmonized Trariff and a host of other things from Darcy. Having received some items from Tenold-san in the last year, must say he's taken packing to an artform. Few people will move Heaven and Earth for you as these two do. Taking cues from their dedication and effort, I've tried to 'pay it forward' as they do. Inevitably someone bites you anyway, but still these two gentlemen lead with their efforts. Learning from them, I care about the hobby and try to emulate. Tough act to follow.

That nidai Kanshiro went fast. Not fond of cranes, but expect that shodai won't last long. Somewhat atypical nidai Norisuke tsuba.