Caracal

Steve! Thanks for the quick response, it was appreciated. //Robert

Help with translation please. I would like some help with the translation of this NBTHK Hozon certificate. My question is does it say which school this Tsuba is from and does it just say open work or does it say sukashi tsuba or kyo-sukashi tsuba or what is written on the paper. Thank you in advance for your help //Robert

If that's what you're saying, Shirasaya originated in the mid-Edo period when the Honami family of appraisers were employed to evaluate, authenticate, and index the sword collections of important families. So what was done in the past to protect and preserve the sword? How were swords preserved from the Kamakura period onwards?

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Silk-Goods Lane, Odenma-cho Utagawa Hiroshige Japanese, 1797–1858. Silk-Goods Lane, Odenma-cho, No. 74 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 7th month of 1858. The procession is moving along one of the streets in Odenmacho, a wealthy central quarter of the capital, adjoining the Nihonbashi. This quarter, which appeared as the focus of the transport system linking Edo with the rest of the country, became with time one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. Silk fabrics were the main goods sold here and shops selling them could make up whole streets. The print shows the quarter's Third Street, where the largest firms had their trading premises. The most prominent such business was Daimura and the decoration of the awnings and the advertising sign in front of the entrance here feature its trade mark - a circle (maru) containing the character meaning 'big' (dai). The sign proclaims 'All sorts of fabric' and, higher up, either side of the trade mark 'Payment in cash. Prices are not negotiable.' This way of trading was introduced by another cloth dealer in the late seventeenth century...

Thanks Uwe, Yes, it doesn't seem easy to find this Mon/Crest. After reading The case of the upside down mon”,Katchû n°4, Jan 2021, it all became a bit more difficult.

This mon (crest) is found on a fukigaeshi, and I wonder if anyone knows it and what clan it might belong to.

Bungo Yukihira Teikei (定慶)1200’s to 1220’s, early Kamakura period Property of Futarasan Shrine Yukihira

Thanks for sharing with us Gary. //Robert

Thank you very much. I appreciate your translation Thanks //Robert

Need help translating this text (Hakogai) on a Kiri Box //Robert

Thanks! Robert

Hello, I would like help with translation on this Kozuka. Very grateful for help //Bob

Interesting, comments about this kozuka Ko-Kinkou-style, Kurikara Ryu Zu The surface of this Kozuka is decorated with the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique. It is made by hitting the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, chisel used for this technique). Although the surface is worn down due to aging, you could see delicate fish egg-shaped protrusions. About the design, you see a dragon that coils its body around the blade. This motif is called the Kurikara-Ken (倶利伽羅剣), which is the sword that Fudo Myo-O (不動明王, acalanātha) holds with his right hand. Fudo Myo-O is one of the objects of worship in Buddhism. According to a theory, it is the incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, Mahāvairocana, the principal image of esoteric Buddhism). The Kurikara-Ken was named after its appearance that Kurikara Ryu-O (倶利伽羅龍王, dragon) is winding around the sword. It is believed that the Kurikara-Ken could cut off worldly desires: Sandoku (三毒). Sandoku is the three fundamental human desires; Ton (貪, greed), Jin (瞋, anger, grudge), Chi (癡, delusion, complaint). The handle part of this blade looks like the Sankosho (三鈷杵, a type of item of esoteric Buddhism). This Kozuka is recognized by The Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, which is known as NBTHK.

Hello, Thanks for your comments, its no Mei and judged as you say. Thanks //Robert