Lewis B

I think his past postings are quoted under username "Guest Rayhan". "Kawa" may also be correct using the search function.

Not so sure. Hozon papers from 2022. The photo on the paper shows the defect, so it was preexisting. The image isn't clear due to the resolution but I think it can be seen. Blade was polished between Shinsa submission in 2022 and now.

Italy seems like your best option. Not far if you go by Ferry to Ancona. I would suggest Massimo Rossi in Rome to have a look. And his prices are very reasonable.

My guess, looking at the direction of the fissure, is that there was metal fatigue after quenching and that when the chisel was used it caused the stress fracture to open. Unlucky day at the office for the smith.

I did search, honest I guess my spelling of Juyo let me down.

Not sure if someone already posted this. ONLY 52 blades passed, of which 3 are mumei Rai Kunimitsu. No Ichimonji or big name koto Bizen. Super low pass rate once again. Era Form School / Smith Signature 1 Koto Tachi Awataguchi Mumei 2 Koto Tantō den Awataguchi Mumei 3 Koto Katana Ayanokōji Sadayoshi Mumei 4 Koto Katana Niji Kunitoshi Mumei 5 Koto Katana Rai Kunimitsu Kiwamei – Kinzōgan 6 Koto Katana Rai Kunimitsu Mumei 7 Koto Katana Rai Kunimitsu Mumei 8 Koto Katana den Rai Kunitsugu Mumei 9 Koto Tachi Senjuin Mumei 10 Koto Katana Tegai Mumei 11 Koto Katana Taima Kuniyuki Shusho 12 Koto Naoshi Aritoshi Mumei 13 Koto Katana Aritoshi Mumei 14 Koto Tantō Hoshō Shusho Fumei 15 Koto Tantō Hoshō Mumei 16 Koto Katana Yukimitsu Kiwame – Kinzōgan 17 Koto Katana Masamune Kiwamei (Honami kinzogan) 18 Koto Wakizashi den Sadamune Mumei 19 Koto Tantō Takagi Sadamune Mumei 20 Koto Tachi Kaneuji Zaimei 21 Koto Katana Shizu Mumei 22 Koto Katana Shizu Mumei 23 Koto Katana Norishige Mumei 24 Koto Katana Norishige Mumei 25 Koto Katana Ko-Bizen Mumei 26 Koto Katana den Motomitsu Mumei 27 Koto Katana Kanenaga Mumei 28 Koto Katana Kanenaga Mumei 29 Koto Tantō Nagamori – Zaimei 30 Koto Katana Sadatsugu Harimei 31 Koto Katana Aoe Mumei 32 Koto Tachi Bingo Kanetsugu (1393) – Zaimei 33 Koto Wakizashi Bingo Shigetoshi (Late Nanbokuchō Ōei) Zaimei 34 Koto Tantō Sa – Zaimei 35 Koto Tantō Sa – Zaimei 36 Koto Wakizashi Sa Kunihiro – Zaimei 37 Koto Kodachi Sadahide – 豊後国僧定秀作 (Attachment Tachi Koshirae – ) Zaimei 38 Koto Katana Enju Mumei 39 Shinto Wakizashi Horikawa Kunihiro – Zaimei 40 Shinto Katana Echigo no Kami Kanesada – Zaimei 41 Shinto Wakizashi Hanjo – Zaimei 42 Shinshinto Katana Taikei Naotane (1814) – Zaimei 43 Shinshinto Katana Taikei Naotane (1844) – Zaimei 44 Shinshinto Katana Suishinshi Masahide & Sadahide & Taikei Naotane (1815) – Zaimei 45 Shinshinto Katana Koyama Munetsugu (1849) – Zaimei 46 Shinshinto Katana Tairyūsai Sōkan – Zaimei 47 Shinshinto Katana Kurihara Nobuhide (1868) – Zaimei 48 Shinshinto Wakizashi Tegarayama Masashige – Zaimei 49 Shinshinto Tantō Teruhiro – Zaimei 50 Shinshinto Katana Hizen Munetsugu – Zaimei 51 Shinshinto Wakizashi Hizen Munetsugu – Zaimei 52 Shinshinto Katana Hizen Muneyasu – Zaimei

I think this is a good decision. Please post more images of the blade, including the nakago, if the negotiations bare fruit. It appears to be a wakizashi and have some potential.

Anyone notice what this signed Rai Kunimitsu was sold for? Sale was rapid, less than 24h. https://eirakudo.shop/558845

The bowls you and Jan pictured seem like good working examples for comparison. It's clear the same hand produced both.

Okino-no-hige or old mans beard might be appropriate.

I get the feeling that Rengetsu's calligraphic style in clay is quite rustic, incised with a broad tool. I see a lot of pots, cups and the like that have similar designs but are far more refined. I assume the latter are outright fakes if described as by the artist, or homages.

Shouldn't be a problem transporting swords within the EU. Maybe consider either taking it in person to the Japan Art Fair in June 2026 or roadtrip to the Balkans or Italy, where a couple of well regarded Togishi live. You can also discuss having it polished. Alternatively ship it to them or to a knowledgeable retailer. I have had no problems shipping swords between EU member States.

That was my feeling. Its not an open forge weld, more like a stress fracture during the manufacturing process.

A blade has peaked my interest but I noticed a crack along the nakago starting under the habaki. Only on one side and appears to be about 2cm long. It does have recent NBTHK Hozon Papers. Gendaito.

I like what I see. The detail is well executed and overall the design is nicely balanced. The shakudo work is high quality. Is there a signature on the tsuba? Are you only considering the koshirae or is the blade also being offered? I would expect the blade to be of equal quality. I'd grab it depending on the price.

Thanks. And the date appears to be O-ei 1394.... Ray beat me to it Something interesting I learned is that the Northern and Southern Court nengo's were different.

I think its "Kunimitsu, Resident of Sagami Province"?

Very unusual. I like it. A blend of several cultures in one piece.

I would be against spam type nihonto/tosogu banner advertising. The NMB already curates the list of retailers it links to in the commercial section, so restricting banners to these 'safe' vetted retailers would be preferred. I don't need to see links to Chinese made swords aimed at laido or kitsch modern koshirae monstrosities. Lets keep it classy...

Agreed. IMO the blade has seen many polishes and the kizuware have become more evident. The apparent lack of wear in the fine details of the horimono indicate this was added fairly recently, possibly to the mask some particularly bad areas (hence the unusual location for the dragon?). Further polishes will not help and probably make things worse. IMHO

Such a moving life story, a life filled with pain and sorrow......yet she was still able to see beauty and create beautiful things. A truly inspirational character.... 大田垣蓮月 Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) A female poet from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period. Born in Kyoto. She was adopted by 大田垣光古 Otagaki Teruhisa, samurai who served at Chion-in Temple, when she was only 10 days old. She later married 望古 Mochihisa, the adopted son of Teruhisa. She and Mochihisa had three children, all of whom died at an early age. She also lost her husband, Mochihisa soon. At the age of 33, she lost her second husband, 古肥 Hisatoshi. She and Hisatoshi had one daughter, but the daughter and Mochiko died in 1823. She shaved her head and took the name "Rengetsuni / Nun Rengetsu". After that, Rengetsu moved from place to place and was known as "Moving house Rengetsu" because of her love of moving. After her children died, she lost her father at the age of 42 and lived a life of poverty and solitude. After her father's death, she made her own pottery with waka poems carved with nails, which was called "Rengetsu-yaki". Rengetsu-yaki was so popular as a souvenir of Kyoto, but the sales were given to the poor. He loved 富岡鉄斎 Tomioka Tessai (1837-1924) as if he were his own child. He died at the age of 85, 1875 at 神光院 Jinkoin. She excelled in waka poetry, and was also skilled in calligraphy, painting, naginata, and Go. In waka poetry, she wrote many feminine and delicate epic poems, and was good at writing plain epic poems. Rengetsu was also known for his good looks. It is said that some men approached her because of her beauty which never waned even as she grew older. There is an anecdote that she deliberately pulled out her teeth to ruin her beauty and protected herself from temptation. And one of her students

In that case I guess the scope of this Gokaden was too wide for such a publication, so Tanobe decided to concentrate on the preeminent lineage. At 221 pages its still a hefty treatise.

This is the Bizenden edition in Japanese (brown cover). No mention of it being only for the Osafune school https://www.aoijapan.com/book-nihonto-gokaden-no-tabi-bizen-denauthor-tanobe-michihiro/

I'm hoping the Bizen and Soshuden editions arrive soon as these are my fav gokaden. In the meantime the Yamashiro will be a nice accompanyment for the Yamato. These books are very informed and thorough reference works and well worth acquiring at retail price.

Here's an unusual habaki. Is the inscription a poem or incantation?