Lewis B

Nice video on the Honjo Masamune Ray. Begs the question why the blade was separated from its koshirae. I imagine that was quite common for swords when they were surrendered after the war, with the Japanese wanting to preserve a part of what they were losing, especially if valuable.

Top level work. Are the fittings signed? I can only imagine a grandmaster blade was worthy of such a koshirae.

The quirky menuki design is just raises the whole a little bit higher from a viewers perspective.

17 minutes ago, Nicholas said:

I wonder if the NBTHK issues origami for these Kajihei forgeries.

Definitely not, at least not knowingly. Some are great blades in their own right which is how they can pass casual scrutiny especially by the unwary. It's like the super clone Rolex watches that are being made. Almost perfect right down to the minutest detail. 

There are collectors who specifically search out Kajihei forgeries. Definitely a niche market that can command some significant prices. 

Here's a Miyamoto Kanenori that just listed on Touken Komachi

 https://www.toukenkomachi.com/index_ja_tachi&katanaA040226.html

Unless there was more than one mumei Kanenaga in the Matsudaira collection I believe this could be the $11,4 mil sword mentioned above.

Nagasa 71.8 and 1.7cm sori. From an exhibit at Touken World Nagoya

The kinzogan inscription states it was owned by Honda Heihachiro Tadatame better known as Honda Tadaoki, grandson of famed Tokugawa general, Honda Tadakatsu. 

Perhaps it was this provenance that pushed the bidding so high, if its the same sword.....

Edit: with further research this is a Tegai Kanenaga from the Matsudaira and not the Bizen Kanenaga that was sold in the auction. 

Communication isn't the NBTHK's strongest suit. Try emailing 

info@nbthk.touken.or.jp
 

It can take a few days to get a response. They do communicate in English. How long ago did you email them first time?

Making payment via bank transfer is also a fun experience. 

18 minutes ago, Shugyosha said:

So, a genuine question, to which I don’t know the answer is “what amounts to a kinzogan mei”? Should it be carved like a normal mei and then inlaid or just “keyed” like nunome zogan and then painted on?

I think the former and as soon as I see the latter that arouses suspicion for me. Don’t know anything about how genuine Hon’ami
attributions are executed though. 

I agree it's the former. The technique is similar but the form of the precious metal is different. As I understand it, with kinzogan Mei the chiseled kanji are filled by hammering in gold wire then filed flat to the level of the nakago. In nunome zogan the gold, silver or copper elements are applied as thin sheets/foil using a hammer. 

4 minutes ago, Jussi Ekholm said:

The sword in oshigata and one that was described in the book is actually Mōri Gō 毛利江 it passed Jūyō in session 16. The sword in the picture is Jūyō Bunkasai Murakumo Gō 村雲江.

Thanks Jussi, that cleared up the inconsistency I had created. Confirms the Yamato influenced Kabuto-Giri Go was not unique and that there are in fact at least 3 blades exhibiting this influence in his work, including the Mori and Murakumo Go swords. 

Much clearer thanks. To me this appears to be gilded copper inlay and not pure gold as would have be traditionally applied. 

Could also be brass based on the shade of yellow 

I was recently made aware of the Murakumo-Go that shows strong Yamato influence. It was studied by Dr Honma in 1980 and he gave his opinion of the sword in his diary. Thats now two rare examples of blades with Yamato-influenced masame forging style, with the suggestion these are the earliest exemplars of Go's work. 

But there is an inconsistency. Both the photos (from a different source) and oshigata are said to be of the Murakumo-Go but clearly they are not the same blade. The photo is  from the Encyclopaedia of Japanese Swords, the oshigata from Honma's KantoHibiSho Vol 8. 

2 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

 

This. I'm not sure I can see any inlay at all: it looks like it has been painted on rather than carved and then inlaid with gold. 

If I blow up the image I can see file marks. I think it's kinzogan Mei but very crudely carved and inlaid. Not quality work. 

25 minutes ago, MassiveMoonHeh said:

At $676,500 in today's money - I like your definition of second tier! 

 

It's all relative.

Give it a name and see the price hit the stratosphere. Marketing 101 even in the Edo period. 

All good points although I have my doubts it was a Go. Wouldn't Go blades in a collection of the calibre of Matsudaira have had names. This Yoshihiro appears a little more 2nd tier. 

1 hour ago, MassiveMoonHeh said:

Yoshihiro tachi in koshirae: 1,650 yen or $676.50

 

 

 

 

 

Some surprising datapoints there. One might argue that nihonto values, in monetary terms, have diminished considerably over time and will continue on that trajectory as we transition more towards a hobbyists interest. Im not sure there is a critical mass of younger collectors with the necessary disposable funds and curiosity to invest in these god-level pieces. 

Case in point, the Kotegiri Go, which was sold at another auction in 1931, receiving a bid of only 2,131 JPY basically two thirds what was paid in 1918. A very poor investment at the time.  

The Maeda Masamune didn`t meet reserve in 1924 and went unsold.

Any more info on the `Yoshihiro`? Is this a blade by Go or Senjuin Yoshihiro or a later Yoshihiro eg Sa Yoshihiro?

Oshigata for 3 of the blades

Some really nice pieces there James. If you are in the Dallas, Houston or Austin areas you could start be visiting this store. They have a big selection of antique tosogu and could provide some information on your fathers collection. Call ahead and make sure the person in charge of that department is available for a consultation. 

https://collectorsfirearms.com

The Tokenkai list shows one branch in Austin. No idea how up to date the info is but could be worth an email.

https://japaneseswordindex.com/swordgrp.htm

1 minute ago, Bugyotsuji said:

But then, it could be a nice birthday etc. gift for someone…

My birthday was last month, I'll send you my address 

Regarding origins. Are we thinking Japanese or Chinese?

I found this Chinese blue and white example with 4 holes. Definitely made pre firing

If it is for plants I would say inside use rather than outside where a hole for drainage might be preferable.  Perhaps for holding fruit or keeping something off a flat surface. 

The piece has a feel of age so there may have been other uses we in the modern world may not be aware of.

By inclusivity I was not focusing on fringe components of society but primarily those sections, read female, that might otherwise be averse to attending such an event given the obvious preconceptions. There is clearly a place for such an exhibition, duck riding samurai and all. 

My guess. Its a plant hanger. Pot sits in the bowl which catches runoff. The theme being plants and butterflies sorta supports that theory. 

Yet another article in the mainstream media, getting the word out to the unwashed masses. 

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20260210-the-true-story-of-japans-mysterious-samurai

There's no doubting the effort to encourage inclusivity referring to historical female samurai characters like Tomoe Gozen.

"A Ukiyo-e print from 1852 shows one of these women – Tomoe Gozen, wife of a general of the Minamoto clan. It shows her at the Battle of Awazu in 1184, where she was said to have tracked down the fearsome warrior Hachirō Morishige, knocked him off his horse, and twisted off his head with her bare hands."

3rd times a charm. Other possibilities besides being a tameshigiri inscription is that it refers to a  special occasion or a battle in which the blade participated. I'll let the experts in Japanese clarify the meaning. 

Gone too soon. I was very familiar with the name and photo associated with the account, although our areas of interest didn't overlap. But he was clearly passionate about his hobbies and that enthusiasm affected those close to him, as demonstrated by his widow reaching out at this very difficult time. His last contribution was in Jan so this must have happened very quickly. Condolences to his friends and family.

Those are pretty egregious examples. The second one is comical. One also needs to be very careful with papers. A couple of years ago there were 2 'Juyo' blades by Go Yoshihiro and Awataguchi Kuniyasu with altered nakago and hamon to match the NBTHK oshigata from stolen papers. More recently this fake Sadamune.

It's a minefield out there.