Promo

As written above, for what I've been told it is supposed to be put up for exhibit starting 23rd May 2025, so this Friday. I'd assume you are closer to the Museum, so up to you to post pictures of how it is displayed . Or anyone else, if another forum member makes it there! Happy if you have liked it, was fun to be there, getting educated on not to lick on Tsuba and stuff ... . That room where we had the meeting was fantastic, if not overwhelming. The museum itself is a class of its own. That was a great trip to Berlin.

I'm leaving for Berlin tormorrow to bring the blade to the NBTHK-EB meeting on Saturday. For the non NBHTK-EB members and those that can't make it to the meeting, there is a written (borrowing) agreement that my blade will at the Samurai Museum Berlin. It is planned to be put up on display starting 23rd May 2025, and approximately one year. Hope that this will allow fellow members to get to look at it in person. And keen to hear what you mayever think of it, if you manage to see it, either at Museum or at Saturday's NBTHK-EB meeting!

Sorry for OT: yes, I'll bring it with me next week to the meeting. You'll get to see it (and me ) in person.

Oh yeah! Best will be standing in the rear and seeing people getting excited on the blade, while feeling dumb for not being able to see what they see . I will mention it in its own blade thread after the meeting (and hope I'm not announcing any secrets), but the Kiyomaro (Masayuki, to be precise) is afterwards borrowed to the Samurai Museum Berlin, where it will be put up for a special exhibition to allow even those not participating in the NBHTK-EB meeting to get to see the blade in person.

Thanks for sharing these pictures! Looking through the catalogues of the exhibition it was my understanding that there were two "sessions" of this exhibit, the first lasting from 8th March to 13th April, then 15th April to 11th May -> https://www.touken.or.jp/english/#exhibition What I didn't fully gather, item #52 from that 1st session/first catalogue was described as Kiyomaro Daisho too, but they didn't list the signatures separately for the Wakizashi and the Katana, as they did with the Daisho that you have pictured above (item #45)?

It was exactly my question, what does NBTHK require to paper two blades - without koshirae - as Daisho. It does seem to be very tough, but as the post of Darcy you mention as well as some links have showed, this seems to be possible. To what I was able to gather, the most important thing is that BOTH blades are documented together in the NBTHK certificate, whichever level it may be. Just by browsing around on some dealer sites I found another daisho with both blades on the NBTHK certificate, in that case from Naotane: Antique Daisho signed by Naotane for sale | Samurai Museum Shop

What is needed that NBTHK papers blades (without koshirae) as daisho? Maybe that would be a classification to relate to.

I‘d highly appreciate the translation of this Mei, and if there is anything to be known about the particular smith, then this additional information would be highly appreciated too. Thanks!

Re Saturday: great to have had the chance to also see faces behind nicknames, despite I sometimes felt misplaced among so many knowledgeable people.

Yeah, Ian was already at my home filming stuff from my collection in the past, I know him well. If there is any chance to make it to your museum I‘ll PM you and maybe we can also meet in person!

Just a very wild hint, are you aware that the royal house of Salm-Reifferscheidt, having their home in Schloss Steyregg, just north of the Danube, close to Linz, and therefore about two hours drive from Blatná, have had a Japanese ancestor? Aoki Shūzō started studying at Berlin University back in 1869 and later was Japanese Foreign Minister and was the great-grandfather of the current head of the family. They still have a few items from him in their castle, but of course some stuff disappeared over the decades too. Some links on this (sorry, they are German, you can try Google Translator): https://oag.jp/event...m-privaten-nachlass/ https://www.nachrich...2-Jahren;art4,575690 https://oag.jp/event...1844-1914-im-profil/ It may also have been a potential connection. One would need to research if any of the Salm-Reifferscheidt family has had a Naval function in WWI to see if this theory makes sense. PS: I love your museums website, especially all the very cool and rare weapons (for me: especially firearms) you have displayed there! Thanks for doing this stuff, despite I can't speak Czech! I hope to one day make it there and get to see at least some of them in person.

Bringing it up a last time - hope to see all NBTHK Europe members from this forum in Manching (in Germany) in exactly one week, next Saturday. I'll bring this Masayuki along so that all of you can inspect it in person. Highly looking forward to it!

If there is anything needed to be done in place, then let me know. This is approximately 1.5 hours drive from my home and I go there from time to time anyway. Could check if still there and try to take some pictures. Edit: dug out the old newspaper article on them .. basically it seems they are property of Anton Petermandl, meaning this person seemingly inherited the collection. It is claimed they are all from the estate of medical doctor Albrecht von Loretz, who lived from 1847 to 1884, and had worked in Japan and brought these blades from Japan to Steyr. If this person then handed them over to the museum, idk. I'd assume they did about zero with these blades since 1884, so they indeed have handling issues and maybe are out of polish. If this adds to the provenance .. idk. Judge yourself. https://www.nachrichten.at/oberoesterreich/weihnachten/Schwerter-der-Samurais-zum-Advent;art115283,1244441

Thank you! Spoke with Markus on this signature too, he mentioned that at best the second name was 9 years old when this was a collaboration work, so bit unusual and maybe to help the younger of the two? Unfortunately I only pictured the Mei when I saw this blade at a friends place, so cannot provide additional pictures. Edit, to make it clear: he said the two smiths are Yokoyama Kōzuke Daijō Fujiwara Sukesada (1633–1721) and Genpachirō Sukesada (1712–1743).

I‘d appreciate assistance in deciphering this Mei. Thank you!