Curran

I'm not convinced either. The Jingo boys did love em their rain dragons... Even seeing it in person in Tampa, I don't know that I could make a call on one like this.

Michael, I know what you're getting at, as this one didn't strike me as Kamakura. I also see the Jingo hints in the mimi- but am not sure I agree. This tsuba could use a mild clean-up. Far be it from me to challenge you on the Shimizu-Jingo guys. I haven't got any Higo books here other than the Hayashi one, so I look forward to your follow-up. David, can you provide any angled photos of it? __________________________________________> Edit: cripes.... the more I look at it, the more I think Michael is eagle eyed. I wouldn't have picked up on it. Dave, as the main body of the plate moves into the mimi, it the slight curve very convex domed? Wish I could draw what I mean here on the screen.... I'm gonna feel stupid if this is actually a Jingo experimentation piece.

David, Always enjoy watching your work. Very glad you are attending. I purchased the (Buck?) book and read it this summer. I also was slowly translating the tsukamaki section in the new Owari-Yagyu Koshirae book. The book is really 40% about tsukamaki and there are quite a few things I cannot translate, though the deconstruction in reverse order of some of the wraps is fascinating photojournal work. I will have an original Owari-Yagyu koshirae with me, with nice old wrap and am hoping to have a nice Higo koshirae returned to me after nearly 10 years on loan.

Morita-san, ~domo arigato gozaimashita~. Jack- definitely *not* Uchikoshi school work, but Morita-san's translation makes that moot. So I was very wrong. I suspected it was not, since it looked like a shibuichi or similar silver like back. To date, I have never seen Uchikoshi work in shibuichi or silver.

If you have an image of the front, I can confirm or strike Uchikoshi school (branch Mito school). My feeling is the character is the one character is 'Hiro' and Hirotoshi (aka. Hironaga) and the ten or more students of the school all used that 'Hiro' character. If not Uchikoshi school, then maybe one of the more fluent readers will save us from our stumbling.

You sure that isn't an: Ichijosai Hiro____ ? One of the Uchikoshi school? Can't tell myself, as not very skilled at reading handwriting of this sort.

Yep: thinking the thin and uber hard variety. Sort of halfway between Saotome and the later Tempo stuff.

38 C ? Crikey. $80. Double Crikey. Tempo can range from the uber hard Saotome type iron that does have almost a shiny mineral luster to it, to the softer greyer carbon clay multiple stamped variety. First look at yours, I thought it was of the more Saotome variety- but realize it might be flash. If not of the flash, but rather of the more Saotome uber hard iron... really a good deal. Like those more. Hope the patina works out. Sounds like you have some Florida summer weather at present. My *most sincere* sympathy.

Concur. Iron even looks a bit more towards the Saotome end of the spectrum. Bet it is hard as tank armor when it shows up. No long knives here, unless you have steak on the grill. You have steak on the grill, don't you.....

I cringe a bit every time people refer to that old Hahn Bin Song chart.

Mike, Maybe I have something up my sleeve too, besides a 5th Ace. Pretty sure I'd loose a game of tsuba Po-ke-mon with you, but do have one or two that might surprise you. Must confess I like the first tsuba a lot. I sold my one good Tanaka example years ago, but this one certainly beats it.

Tanaka-ke (or shi, or ippa?) So going to be thiner. 3 to 4 mm? Measurements certainly in the books. Peter: Just say the Misumi comment. Confess I really like some of his stuff.

It is a Kao. It would be a lot of work to match it up with the artist, unless you see a name elsewhere. Still, it is possible if you have the Haynes Index. Just.... a lot of work. Koshirae looks nice, from what I can see. Don't lose those nice seppa.

Saw that. Even briefly thought about bidding on it. Someone either wanted an Ishiguro or Ishiguro style piece at a discount (as I was considering), ~~~ or a art restorer / dealer saw it and this will appear in a kogai some time in the next year or two. If Cary Condell was still alive, this would be on Ikkyudo.com (sp?) in 1 year's time. I know a lot of people hated him, really hated him, but guess I was one of the few who appreciated his aesthetic sense of restoration jobs.

Junichi- Yes. Saw quite a number in the 1850s & 1860s. Attached: NBTHK Tobuketsu Hozon Commissioned piece for Mr. Taima c.1856(?) Signed on the back on the open area: Yasuchika w/ Kao (6th gen Yasuchika, aka Masachika. Took over the school. not to be confused with 1st Gen. Gen 2 to 5 were in decline, then revival as with Ichijo of Goto school).

Maverick just buzzed the Control Tower.

Higo? Possibly Nishigaki? Good match up with the design of the one in the Boston MFA. Major museum attributions are usually decent, but not infallible. Looks right, but then again we have the problem of weird pitting in places and the applied grey w/ wax coat? This guy's stuff is either real or would fool a lot of us who have been collecting a while, but the condition is something to ponder. Tsuba might be fine underneath whatever was applied, or might not.

No need to tease me Pete. There is no risk of me being a shinsa judge any time soon. On the other hand, the NTHK might recruit you if Jim Gilbert decides to pitch in and pursue bird photography full time. Before Storm Sandy, he announced he was giving up the NY club presidency for at least a year. I would have voted for making Chuck the official Emperor of the club, though Chuck probably is too smart to take the job. As to the tsuba and the seller- there is something funny about a lot of his pieces. I don't know what he does, but he does (mystery XYZ) to many of them. They look lightly sandblasted and greyed somehow, then possibly given a light wax coat applied. While some people, including shinsa judges, advocate use of light wax coating- I hate the stuff and will try to gently remove it if it won't damage the tsuba in any way. Tsuba isn't Higo. I'd be inclined to pin it to a specific Shoami school. Pete said Kyo Shoami, so it works for me.

Throw in my two yen here, though I don't think I should be doing translating work. Leave that to Super Markus Sesko. "A 'plum and bamboo' sukashi tsuba". I wouldn't have identified it as bamboo either. But then, have seen tsuba identifying 'first bamboo' and new growth that renders bamboo something like this. Don't know my bamboo well, other than to know there are many types and that some shouldn't be planted here in Florida. Not knowing plum blossom's cycle, I would guess this to be a Spring theme? Like I said, just a 2 yen opinion.

Nothing unseelie meant. Pretty sure this one will pull TH.

Went fast. I was told there was a line for it, by at least two of the guys in line for it. I hope it stayed in North America, but the Europeans tend to be quicker on the draw when it comes to nice kinko examples. Now that it is *Sold*, With these nicer 'Umetada' condition is very important. Should be handled w/ cotton gloves. These ones are relatively easy to damage. Finding a good antique one with inlay intact, different metals at different thicknesses, etc.- very rare. Point in case is even the best preserved antique ones often have seppa dai wear. Careful though, as there are some late Edo copies, mostly in smaller size by a particular skilled artist (cannot remember name off the top of my head... want to say "Jo____". Lucky for us, he signed a few of them and largely stuck to one or two designs. I have seen one of his 'Umetada' tanto tsuba get by the NBTHK with Hozon papers to Umetada. Attached are two. I purchased the Tokubetsu Hozon one a few years ago. I'm pretty sure the one Grey sold would get Tokubetsu Hozon too.

Yes. It did. Previous papers said 'Higo'. Current papers say 'Hayashi'. It was painfully obvious that it was Hayashi school. Like I said, green papers are often '1 off' of accurate. The tsuba was sold to a member here on NMB, thought he is MIA at present. It leaves me in an awkward position on another purchase.

Send a picture, and I would give my opinion. I've never had anything fail Tokubetsu Hozon shinsa. I am a little hard ass judge on such things. For Mito school, unsigned, it would probably need to be top quality. If the small black shakudo basket weave one with two tone clematis vine, then I would say 65-70% chance of pass. If it had a signature, then a definite pass. But, does it justify expense? TH adds significant expense. My own feeling is that than papers should represent no more than 30% of value. Cost of tosogu papers has climbed 75% in the last decade years. For me, something must be 'boreline' Juyo to bother with Tokubetsu Hozon now. I Google translated Kunitaro-san's post and did some spot translations. I have a tsuba I think deserves Juyo, but hesitant to bother. The translation makes me think maybe I should submit my favorite koshirae too. I had intended to wait 5 to 10 more years, since it is a late Edo piece.

giles, Is this a Microdear cloth? If so, I think Darcy had a write-up of them here on NMB.

"Tadatoki saku" Without books, I couldn't say which generation Akasaka. Would guess 5th gen on. Some gnarly fresh looking rust there. I'd say my guess is it would clean off easy, but I'm struggling with cleaning rust off a "Tadashige saku". I swore ~no projects~ this year, but here I am working away with ivory tools that were once piano keys. For what it is worth, yeah... this one looks more Akasaka. I haven't been much studying Akasaka tsuba for a few years now, but it seems I've been looking at a few interesting ones recently.