Blazeaglory

I've always loved the subtle yet high end look of Ko-Mino accessories. At first glance, allot can be missed or glanced over but on a second look while spending a little extra time appreciating the quality, the detail begins to jump out. There's something about shakudo as well that adds to the high end feeling. That is shakudo right? Haha

Very nice. Without going into detail, or commenting on validity of Mei, those are a couple of winners!

Yes. I can totally see that. Thanks to this thread, I'm ruling out Goto. And you're right, the closest I've come to finding the "pinwheel" design was Yokoya. I have noticed that many peony Menuki from Yokoya are very similar in design as well. Also, side note, I did manage to find a gold ShiShi on NMB that has pinwheels which are close but not exact, and other features are a bit different as well. See below. Anyways, I hope this thread can be useful to others in the future. And thanks again

Thanks. I'll have to research Somin. Really I just want to know their origin. It's a curse of mine. And honestly, I just realized that Goto is a Koto school correct? I wrongly assumed Goto was active until the 19th century. The tanto with these Menuki is Koto but it looks like the koshirae itself is late Edo. So you might be right about the Menuki. I'm not disagreeing with everyone, I just like to go into detail and push others to do the same. So sometimes I come across as aloof or in denial, but in reality all I want to do is explore every little option and detail... Also, this website is a shrine for Nihonto information. The more pics and correct info we accumulate, the better IMO. Until now, these gold Menuki were somewhat lost to the world. Now they are documented and secured for anyone to see, which brings us a little closer to helping that person in the future who thinks he might have something worth discussing. We can now add these Menuki to the other gold Shi-Shi online for comparison and when (or if) I ever find out exactly what they are, I can add that information here as well. Anyways, I know I know, TMI and I'm rambling. I'm bored sitting in my car at work doing nothing, so please forgive my long windedness ... Before I shut up for the day, i was going to ask... Do you think these Menuki look similar? Of all the searching I've done. I haven't come across many gold shi shi Menuki that are with peony or scratching. Its almost comical! Thanks for all the info everyone! Cya! Here's a link to the pic below https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/menuki-in-the-form-of-two-shishi-9860

On first glance, those ShiShi are almost a match as far as allot of the detail goes. Different posing but many similarities. That's what bugs me because every time I think I've found a close match, I see something that isn't quite right. But they seem to have the same tails, same nose and mouth, similar carved lines. The only difference I see is those ShiShi have claws on their paws while mine are a little more rounded. They look very similar. Maybe mine are made in Goto image?

Thanks for the reply and good info! I'm unsure because the tail looks spot on and the ridges in front of the tail are there as well. I think I can almost see the lines on the leg in one of the pics but the Tsuka-ito is covering it a bit. I mean I know how the game is played by now and my question about Goto is tough to answer but there are many similarities. I would never dismantle this tsuka tho. Next to Goto, who or what may these be? But here's some more pics for reference with matching tail and ridged spine (1st pic for spine and 2nd pic for tail). Also, try and see if you can find the lines on the leg/shin in the 3rd "non zoomed" pic. Looks to be the knee maybe? But either way, Goto or not, I really like these Menuki. I included a full pic of the Tsuka for reference. These Menuki aren't big but they aren't small either.

I've talked about these Menuki briefly in another thread in regards to a Koto tanto I own. But it wasn't until a couple days ago that I stumbled across similar Menuki online that were papered as Goto, so I started looking at mine a little closer. Prior to that, I never really examined them up close because I try not to handle my Nihonto often. In regards to the Menuki in this thread and pictured below, one ShiShi is standing on all four legs, body profiled, with head turned facing out. The other shi shi is sitting down scratching his chin/head (which is lifted towards the sky)... Both are enveloped by chrysanthemums/peonies. The detail is amazing! Other than testing for high purity gold, the little details really bring these to life! The tails are big and bushy with many carved lines giving a lifelike effect. Eyes, claws, teeth, little circles on the hips and other areas, etc... Anyways, other than ruining this tsuka and looking at the back for possible signature, is there a way to get an answer as to origin? Wait, I think I know that answer by now. Maybe I should ask if these are worth a Shinsa? To be honest, I bought this tanto more for the koshirae and Menuki than the blade itself. The blade is ok but a bit tired and out of polish. The tip is also a little dented in. Plus the Mei has kept me awake at night due to a Mekugi Ana being chiseled into the Mei.

Surprised you still have these

Ask the seller what he wants. Get a price and better pics

Oh that's cool. I've never seen a sword with an non burnished Shinogi-ji. It actually looks really good!

Either way I like this blade! Im biased towards Koto, so I guess I jump to conclusions. But I honestly wouldn't think it was that new.

Here are a couple pics with clearer images of Hada and the Nie clouds (Chikei and Sumigane?). They are all over this blade. Also, a better look at the Hamon and its transitions. OK Im done posting now lol

I was thinking the same thing

Very nice! I love the O-Kissaki

Hopefully whoever bought this comes here and shows us its nice new restoration and polish. That thing wasnt cheap although the seller usually accepts decent offers

I think so. Its got a nagasa of 18" roughly Ive attached pics of the Sori and Nakago. From there I try to imagine what it looked like whole and try to narrow down an era. Ive come up with Mid to Late Muromachi. Also, Its got a high Shinogi, so its very thin but sharp as Satan toe nail. So maybe that had something to do with breaking? What I like is it has 2 Mekugi Ana that look as if they were made at the same time. So was this blade broken during the warring years? ANd then remade for more wars? Are usually two holes a sign of a war time blade? I would like to think so anyways :-)

Yeah yeah yeah Im working on it!

Here's some more outdoor pics of another Wakizashi I have. It's O-suriage and in pretty decent shape. Looks to be Mino/Kanemoto Once again the majority of pics are too big to post. So here's a link to Flickr https://flic.kr/s/aHsmuCeBtR

Thanks. I'm thinking of making a cabinet type thing with different types of bulbs. Plus a new camera that takes great macro pics would be nice

No.. I'm saving for something better. No more impulse buying for me.

The shirasaya with this one is super nice! This Katana looks like a later gen Kanemoto? Or at least Mino. The extreme uniform "3" sanbon-sugi is strong in this one At first I thought it was a lump but as I looked closer, it does appear to be an optical illusion and a chunk is missing. I wonder if it can be restored? You can see in this pic that the damage is almost at the kissaki.

Thanks man! Its amazing what I keep finding in these blades! At first glance they can see, kinda plain but after a few looks, under different sources as you said, new things jump out every time!

lol GOD NO! But I was totally thinking that as I was taking the pictures...Its the back of my house, its stucco. I was holding it about 6 inches away so my camera would not focus in the background like it loves to do. But no, Im standing and holding it up, so the shot is actually parallel with the ground below and stucco wall behind

Thanks but thers still so much missing in the photos I feel. This Waki is a bit tired I think , unless what I'm seeing is just super tight jigane/jihada with areas of jie-nie. Wish I could get some super detailed pics so you guys can tell me what I'm looking at. Also, in the pic of the almost entire length of blade, that is actually the bad looking side imho. The pic of the other side, which has a better looking hamon was too large but is on Flickr in the link I posted. The Nie starts to turn a matte grey the deeper it gets into the metal and in the transition from Ji into BoHi/Shinogi-ji. It has somewhat of a strong Hada that looks chu itame/matsukawa (maybe a little tired as I mentioned) with ji-nie and many clouds of concentrated black nie. I just noticed a couple lines of Chikei too which cut across parts of the Ji diagonally ending in the top of the varying Gunome midare Hamon... There's feint Nioi deki with Ko-Nie, which under light disappears but in normal lighting, when angled, becomes visible as a grayish deformed choji ashi ghost line with several medium and large "horned circles" resembling cresting waves which face each other.

80 degrees here today. Wish I had some winter????