Lewis B

I was playing with a different light source on my Senjuin TH papered kodachi. Fujifilm XT2 Laowa Macro lens, 250W Metal Halide bulb. This sword was originally part of the Tsukamoto Sozan Museum collection and attributed to Go Yoshihiro.

Back to normal for now.

Very laggy this morning 7am CET. Same page load times as reported by Bruce.

Could be the lighting making the nakago darker than in real life. Looks a little different in this image. Ask Tsurata san for a photo in natural light.

I hadn't seen that interview before. Very enlightening. And the sense of relief that he could pass on the tradition to someone worthy was palpable. Thats a huge responsibility when one understands the significance of ancestor reverence in Japanese culture.

Yes, he's quite the self-promoter

Sort of reminds me of Murray Carter's life story. Grew up in Canada, and at the age of 18 travelled to Japan to immerse himself in the culture. A chance encounter with 16th generation toshi Yasuyuki Sakemoto (actually I read he knocked on the door of the swordsmith's forge and inquired about a possible apprenticeship) which led to a trial period, and successfuly completed. He relocated to Japan on a permanent basis, fulfilled a 6 year apprenticeship and stayed an additional 12 years as a village bladesmith. Murray obviously made a big enough impression to be formally 'adopted' by Yasuyuki, who had no children to pass on the family title. Now Murray is the 17th generation Yoshimoto bladesmith in the family lineage. Like many traditionally trained and certified toshi, Yasuyuki transitioned from Nihonto to kitchen knife manufacture, like Teuyasu Fujiwara and Yoshiaki Fujiwara (Kanekuni), a 3rd generation certified swordsmith. Still a rare occurrence for a Westerner to be honoured with such a title.

There are services in Tokyo who will analyze your sword as a drop in. Price I'm seeing is around $50-75. They may want to see the Torokusho. If you have friends in the jewellery trade, they sometimes have XRF handheld devices to test precious metals.

Not sure I would give up all hope Hector. I do see some discoloration on the nakago, just no advanced corrosion. Could the nakago have remained largely untouched and protected within a tightly fitting tsuka? I do see what appears to be some corrosion on the hamachi. If stainless, not sure that could develop unless this is a high carbon stainless steel. Is there any activity in the hada? Have the steel tested using an XRF gun which will quickly give you a non-destructive elemental analysis of the metal. If you see a high signal for chromium (>10%) you will have your answer.

Well there were up to 7 generations (a few in the Muromachi) in Tosa signing Yoshimitsu and not all made narrow suguha hamon. I'm not saying this particular tanto is by Tosa Yoshimitsu, just that this school, which is well known for yoroi-doshi, is an avenue worth pursuing. https://www.sho-shin.com/NAN5.htm

Not sure where you see a yoroi-doshi has to be >10mm. A quick search shows short swords that have a thick kasane ~8.5+mm from the Sengoku period that are clearly designed for armour piercing with narrow motohaba, extended hardening along the mune, straight or slight uchizori shape etc. Its the combination of these different features (not just thickness) that are also important for this function. https://ginza.choshuya.co.jp/sale/gj/r6/004/02_katsumitsu.php https://ginza.choshuya.co.jp/sale/sword/22/07/harumitsu.htm

Lot of active red rust. I would treat the blade carefully with Tsubaki oil and leave a thin film of oil to halt the progression. WIpe off with soft cloth or lint free tissue and repeat every few weeks.

PM sent

So there is a strong possibility that this Mei Zukushi may be the earliest record for Soshuden that will ever be uncovered. In 1351, Norishige and I assume Sadamune would have still been alive, albeit the former far away in Etchu province. What is left are dated works that are our only means to establish a chronology and zaimei inscriptions that include a geographical reference.

How do the photos compare to what you see in hand? The last photo appears to show mokume swirls. If thats the case then Tosa Yoshimitsu is a strong contender. Overall though the surface oxidation is preventing the viewer from appreciating the activity. So this might be a good candidate for polish. A Tosa Yoshimitsu attribution would date this tanto to the end of the Muromachi. This is one that Ray had for sale in better condition

Two people who come to mind in The Netherlands are Mandarin Mansions Peter Dekker and our own @Lexvdjagt. I think Lex may be able to assist and I'm sure will reach out if that's the case.

Are you using fluorescent lighting? If yes, try a LED, incandescent or halogen light source.

I'm sure Andrew I. could get it to pass TJ. Looks like a fossilized spinal column.

I have been curious why no contemporary historical records exist from the Kamakura era. The earliest, recently discovered document dates from 1351, several decades after the fall of the Kamakura bakufu. Is there a good chance that even earlier, contemporary records still exist and yet to be discovered? Was the destruction so rapid and violent that any chance of saving historical records were lost? Are present-day historians actively searching? Putting this question to ChatGPT yields some obvious explanations. If certain lauded smiths were given titles of elevated social or religious standing, such as nyudo, as in the case of Goro-nyudo Masamune and Ko-nyudo Kunimitsu, this suggests they were considered more than just mere craftsmen per AI. They were highly valued artisans working in the service of the Hojo Shoguns, in the case of the Soshu school. And to ensure their safety and protect the 'knowledge', installed them in the easily defendable mountainous area known as Yamanouchi (located in the northern part of Kamakura). Have potential sites been excavated as was undertaken at the Mogusa forges? Catastrophic Warfare and Fires Kamakura and Kyoto suffered repeated, total destruction over the centuries. Archives that held government and temple records were systematically incinerated. [1] The Fall of the Bakufu (1333): When Nitta Yoshisada sacked Kamakura to end the Shogunate, the city was put to the torch. The Hojo clan's administrative headquarters, libraries, and family archives were completely destroyed. [1, 2, 3, 4] The Onin War (1467–1477): This decade-long conflict turned Kyoto into a wasteland. It burned down the estates of the Ashikaga Shogunate and imperial court libraries which housed older provincial registries. [1] Great Fires of Edo and Kyoto: Subsequent centuries saw massive urban fires (like the Meiji-era blazes and the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki in Edo) that claimed the remaining private collections of Daimyo who collected Kamakura-period records. Bureaucratic Nature of Shogunal Records The Kamakura Bakufu did not keep artistic or biographical ledgers. Their record-keeping was strictly functional. Focus on Land and Law: The primary legal document of the Bakufu, the Azuma Kagami (Mirror of the East), was a chronicle of political events, military victories, land disputes, and religious ceremonies. [1, 2] Artisans as Commodities: Swordsmiths were viewed as high-level technicians rather than cultural celebrities. While a document might record a sword being gifted to a shrine, it rarely recorded the biographical details, birthdates, or daily operations of the smith who forged it. The "Gokuban" Myth: Records of the Gokuban (the monthly rotation of smiths summoned by Emperor Go-Toba) mostly survive through later Muromachi-period copies. The original imperial summons and schedules were lost to palace fires.

Certainly gives the impression of being a yoroi-doshi based on the sugata and dimensions. The shape of the nakago reminds me of Tosa Yoshimitsu. More info on the deki would be helpful. Appears ubu and mumei would not be unknown for Muromachi into early Edo work.

And a good reminder to us all to take good care of our papers and take a photographic copy.

I saw this listed on FB and thought at the time this was a nice piece and a great price for a Koto blade with Tameshigiri kinzogan inscription. I also think you made a good choice.

I would listen to Mike's personal opinion very carefully. He has a good eye and I believe is the first and only non-Japanese resident to win the prestigious All Japan National kantei championship in 2001. He entered again in 2008 where he got 2nd place, and joint 2nd in 2018 after a tie-breaker. Thats praise indeed. Some pointers to look for. Firstly is the hamon nioi- or nie-deki? Utsuri? This will give you a good idea of the period. Utsuri tended to disappear in the Muromachi as nie-based hamon became more en vogue. Is the hada itame and mokume with many short chikei and a tendency to nagare hada?

Would that equate to o-hada? how would you interpret this Juyo zufu Shape (Keijō): Shinogi-zukuri, Mitsu-mune. The width is standard, there is a gentle curvature, and the Chu-kissaki (medium tip) is elongated. Forging Pattern (Jitetsu): Itame-hada mixed with Mokume-hada, becoming large-grained (Ō-hada) with running patterns (Nagare) in places. The Ji-nie is abundant, and Chikei activities appear well. Hammon (Temper Line): Asugu-ha style with a gentle wave-like pattern (Notare). There are frequent Sunagashi activities, and it is deep with Nie. Kinsuji lines appear prominently. Bōshi (Temper pattern in the tip): Midare-komi (irregular), slightly frayed (Hotsure), with a sharp turnback (Kaeri).