Curran

Shimosaka was a name used by famous Yasutsugu at a point early in his career. However, Shimosaka is also a general two character school name signature used on many tanto and yari mostly from the 1800s. If a piece simply signed "Shimosaka" then it is probably one of the 1800s works. I only own 2 tanto, but one of them is a Shimosaka in koshirae from around 1865 seen here: http://www.juyo-bi.com/toppei-koshirae.html A Shimosaka yari: http://www.aoijapan.com/yari-shimosaka Copy and pasted dealer notes on Echizen Shimosaka that you originally asked about: Special feature : Yasutsugu school continued to 8th generation. This piece is from 3rd generation piece. The first generation Yasutsugu is from Mino province. At his early carrier, he named himself Echizen Shimosaka. While then, he has become a personal sword smith of Shogun　family. While his presence, he has engraved the letter “康-Yasu-” from Tokugawa Ieyasu and Aoi family crest on the top.

John, As others have said, please do not clean the tsuba. Even after 25 years appreciating tsuba, I am still cautious dealing with the kinko ones. During the 16th Century Warring States period http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period tsuba were very utilitarian with less decoration that would follow in the calmer periods thereafter. Many tsuba were made, used, and lost. However, the Japanese appreciation for "Keep It Simple" would often look back to these tsuba. Also, with time, some of them developed deep patina or character that could be appreciated much like an old tea bowl. Yours is imperfect, like a chipped old tea bowl, but has some of that aesthetic that a number of collectors like me appreciate. A 17th Century master of making these Keep It Simple tsuba was Hirata Hikozo. The tsuba in the link is "Den Hikozo" with the Den largely implying it is probably his work. 'Den' is an uncertain term and can mean 'almost like' in both the positive sense [has more positive traits than X, but X is our best match], though usually it means [has almost all the traits we feel necessary to say X, but not quite X]. It is a term that gives us fits. The "Den Hikozo" with the link is lacking in some ways and not worth the $12,000 asking price- thus sat on that site for a few years. A ko-kinko like yours is probably worth a few hundred USD to the right person. I only keep one ko-kinko in my collection, and it is a nice huge example from which I can see the influences Hikozo studied in his works. If I were so bold as to attempt an American NBTHK lecture on Hikozo and the Hirata school of work, yours would be a good ko-kinko piece to compare and contrast with some of his simpler works. The metal "fukurin" on yours has a worn off or broken point that shows the metal underneath, and that alone would be a great example of showing how it was done in ko-kinko works and how Hikozo intentionally did his differently. In conclusion, it is a very nice find for coming out of an old house. It is not super duper rare, but an interesting piece that either will become a good starting study point for you or something that you will eventually sell off to a person who will care for it.

John K. welcome, As Barry H. said "ko-kinko" with "ko" meaning old and "kinko" meaning soft metalwork in this instance. Dates probably mid to later half of 1500s. A utilitarian piece probably used on a smaller sword during the Warring times of that era. Such simple pieces would go on to influence the Cha or Teahouse Aesthetic of peacetime that would develop most well known in the Higo schools of the early 1600s. For a pricey example of that desired school, see here and compare to your own: http://ginzaseikodo.com/hikozoE.html Any typos or error by me, others please feel free to correct. It is late here and off to bed. I'll revisit this tomorrow and make corrections or expand on other comments or questions.

Mr. Stuart is an Admin here and one of the most fair handed people ever to help hold the reins on this place: for many years, nations, languages, and thousands of members that it has encompassed. To my surprise, your tsuba turns out to be an interesting old one and predecessor to more valuable ones. It would be very easy to teach/explain too. Good that you got the photos up. Please re-read your thread and the forum rules and honestly ask yourself if you've been fair. I encourage you to try again anew. Clean the slate and start over again. You can burn the bridges another day. Put another way: It is worth your time, but why is it worth our time? Or you can submit it to shinsa for a few hundred dollars and get an answer that way. We're almost free, but do ask courtesy- especially toward the Admins.

Previous year location. Would this be the 2014 location? http://orlandojapaneseswordshow.com/us/location/ Staybridge Suites 7450 Augusta Drive Orlando, FL 32822

For the Japanese proficient, I have a question about how to interpret, " ko-saku" Why the use of 'ko' here?

Umetada: +1 Later in the school.

Oh sure... go ahead and take away our 'oldtimer' competitive advantages! Some of us have worked for a decade putting together a suitcase light version for taking sword shows. .....What , you think Ludoph has all those signature photos just because it beats collecting stamps? Now you've gone to arm everyone with tablets and character recognition software..... gah! *If anyone cannot tell, I am joking*. Markus has done Herculean things in the 21st century to open up fittings collecting. Very grateful to him, though he just partially obsoleted the existence of my own mini database on such signatures.

I just see 4 chicken or rooster heads. Looks like Stephen beat me to it. +1 to what he said.

Christian- I thought the same thing, though it is partially my own fault for not leaving more of a verbal marker on the one. I didn't think it would come up for sale. However, it is neither here nor there... I will have a go now rather than speculate on whether I could have gotten it cheaper privately. I've had a lot of years to look for better ones of this particular school in Japan. Recently came close, ....but 'no cigar', we say. Also, I know and have had in person some of these. ie. No Japan dealer surprises. The Japanese dealer use of spray wax seems on the rise.

This seems to come up 2 or 3 times a year. Basically it is the four 'Commercial Links' list. There have been various iterations: North American, Japanese, European There was one done in this same sub-section within the past few months.

Yes, as Pete said. It is one of the 'other' Nobuiye listed in the Nobuiye book, and this particular example it the one shown for the artist in the book. Not a very prolific fellow. I've seen that particular one in person and like it better than a few of the mainline Nobuiye I have seen, but not one of the major league Nobuiye. Still, wouldn't mind owning it for a while. Just one of the others is my first pick.

Brian, NMB and David, I've spoken with them and do not think the prices are intended as low bait to encourage bidding. I know Christies would do that at one point (Fittings Museum Auction in 2004?), but my strong impression is a sell intending to have a high rate of moving the items. I definitely enjoy dealing with the Bonhams people much more than Christies. I'm strict about limiting myself and usually force myself to sell 1 for any that I buy in. This usually generates quite the internal pathos and evaluation of 'is it better than what I have'. My Higo collection is pretty strong, but there are some very good papered and unpapered examples in the sale. Yet.... I will be going for one of the non Higo. I saw it in person years ago. Couldn't afford it. It is better than what I have from the school, even now. [i]Going to take a swing at it.[/i] Would love to own that Nobuiye from the book for a while, but targeting elsewhere. Curran

gimei da. Gomen... Extremely popular signature for gimei. I've intentionally owned a gimei Shozui f/k at one point because the workmanship was so good. Considered having the copper knocked out and replaced, turning it simply into a mumei- but did not. Also owned some NBTHK papered f/k and kozuka by him. Sold it all to one of the big dealers in Japan. Very distinct 3-D aesthetic.

Later Muromachi Heianjo. Might have been trimmed and a fukurin added. Design seems atypical (in a good way), but a headache to ponder the active design with the tsuba upside-down.

Juyo-Bi posts 1 new item at the beginning of each month. For May is an extremely rare papered and boxed Kozenji (Owari Kinko) fuchi-kashira: http://www.juyo-bi.com/sales.html Though several inquiries came in, the Juyo Futokoromono did not sell. The owner says he will throw in a Tokubetsu Juyo Sadamune for the buyer.... No, just joking. However, he will be going high level sword shopping in Japan this summer. If you have a serious offer, please make it and I will forward it to him for consideration.

Hi Barry, I hope it will right itself easy enough without getting you involved. Given how fine the contents are, I think if you took them home- you'd keep them. I was merely agent on the sale of these excellent items. I just didn't need the headache on a week like this. I was not making up the part about Robert the Stoner. Totally nice fellow, but so high that he could touch the Moon. USPS has gotten to be a very bad joke, and this is the goofiest experience I've had with them in 15 years of mailing things internationally.

Peter, Thanks. The reassurance helps. This is a new one, as I've had things stuck, held, or disappear into customs for up to 30 days.... but never slip into the wrong country going the wrong direction.

Peter: Thanks for that. Parcelforce simply says "Accepted". No idea what to take from that. Sebastien: Yes. Quite sure. So is the post master and everyone else locally + the stoner and the nice woman at USPS International. They all seemed speechless that this package got past Canada Customs.

Had a very important package going Global Express to England. Package is clearly labeled 'United Kingdom' and postal coded GB for Great Britain. Was notified it cleared Customs in Canada and processed for delivery 2 days ago. 2 hours of phonecalls to USPS international= 1) Nice woman with Michigan accent that said the system won't let her enter an inquiry yet, call back tomorrow. So I did... Day 2: 2) Total tool named 'Hero' that asks "have you tried tracking it online" and then says, "let me put you on hold" and hangs up. 3) Kid you not....one of the most stoned people I have ever talked to..... Named "Robert". High as a kite, yet totally nice, and with a LOTof help and repeating by me and checking his spelling...opened up a case.... Only he'd never opened up a case on a package going to one country ending up past customs in another. He wasn't sure whether it should be a Canadian 'Inquiry' or a Great Britain 'Inquiry' These are some very important items. Anyone here have some wisdom to share how I can do more than just sit back and wait? Bound for London. Ended up in Toronto. If I didn't know better, I'd say Barry H. hijacked them. Curran

I hadn't caught that goofy bastaard. Many of the tsuba are good. I recognize one from the Nobuiye book and at least two were with an American dealer many years ago. I was going to look at the tanto koshirae in more detail today, and see if there was anything worth bids. Bonhams has been increasingly been the place for the better Japanese auctions. The past two New York ones were good, but it looks like this London one is better.

Last week I helped place an estate of mostly muromachi period tsuba. Many very fine pieces. I held back two for study. One or both will be for sale on juyo-bi.com next month. The one I find most challenging is a Heianjo - Onin style tsuba. The only 2 similar examples I've located are in Wakayama Encyclopedia and the Compton Collection Vol #2. See photos. Has anyone similar examples of this high orange brass? Is it copper or another impurity? If you have anything similar, please post photos.

Quite a bit of nice items and some koshirae: http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21861/# ... =grid&m0=0

Some nice pieces. I think I like several of the kozuka best. ? Is this one signed or marked on the back: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8dr4f7s7gq03 ... CN9224.JPG

Gimei Shozui (Masayuki). Gomen..., but it is one of those signatures so often seen that I've committed the Wakayama variations to memory. Have done this with about 10 of the big names that are often gimei'd. It saves time. Doesn't mean I can tell an authentic signature just from a look, but means I can out 80% of the gimei. Then hit the books. I've owned two NBTHK Hozon papered 'Shozui' sets, and his workmanship gets easier to know since he seemed to be hyper aware of 3-D perspective (depth). Rule of approach: Look at the work first, signature second, then the work again. Shozui lived a long time and had corresponding evolution in his work and signature. There are some that are very true to his workmanship and the signature is close to the Wakayama ones, but has a particular omission that differ them from all the Wakayama ones. Given how the Wakayama text opinion was assembled and done in the late 1960s through 1970s, I've wondered if the evolved knowledge base of the NBTHK would permit some of these not quite Wakayama dead-on ones, but never been willing to take the chance yet.