Toryu2020

https://nbthk-ab2.org/join-now/

Great thoughts Brett - I think you should propose this to the NBTHK/AB, I am not sure the Japan office has thought on these, they really should. I will point out that one of your proposals is already a reality. The Northern California Japanese Sword Club and the Metropolitan New York Club both have reciprocal relationships via the NBTHK/AB we pay one fee for membership in both clubs. Also we still get the NBTHK magazines in the mail, it is the NCJSC that went digital and now produces its newsletter only electronically... -t

Masayoshi's family name no relation to the Daimyo or the manufacturing company...

Bruce the kokuin reads ホソ川　or Hosokawa used by Masayoshi and his students…

Looks like your smith is Sugawara Kanenori. Made at age 84. May have to leave the rest to others…

Naze saita sakura ni Koma tsunagu Koma ga isameba hana ochiru

Luca thank you for the great article! Looking at my Tsuba it seems clear it is Kaga Yoshiro. You can see the telltale lines in person and you can almost see them in my photos…

Revisiting this thread as I just discovered Washida may be the source of my Tsuba.

David - sorry I cannot help with the auction question just want to send greetings from the Bay Area. -t

From the Urushi Kogei Jiten - Tagaysan Nuri ~ a type of kawari-nuri that brings out the wood grain with a finished look like Ironwood. Mokume-nuri - common in the middle-ages, red lacquer on top of black lacquer creating a woodgrain pattern. Mokume Arai dash-nuri - a type of sabi-nuri where the lacquer is manipulated by fingers, awls and spatula to create the wood grain. Sabi-nuri - urushi mixed with paper powder (Kami no ko) is then manipulated to build up patterns like Matsu-kawa and sakura-gawa...

From the interweb…

Look up the five sacred mountains of China

We shall strive to help you in your search! -t

Based on your PM you're on the right track. If you do see it then you have a very cool piece. -t

See the photo

Signature looks closest to 13th generation - I think you would still expect to see strong masame throughout even at this late date... -t

Well, pronounced masame throughout, especially at the tip.

Is there masame visible?

Nice site - easy interface - look forward to shopping here...

That's the team from 2022

https://nthkamerica.com/team-1 All right here on the website...

The box clearly says Sanzui-Zu - but if silk dyeing or weaving is involved could it be the subject is Tanabata?

I was able to order thru the website - U.S. address - 8,800 yen for shipping - will have to wait and see for the tariff... ALso note they printed only 500 copies so expect this to be a hot item.

Just announced - he has published his monograph on Nobuie...

The era designations are just tools for kantei, in general swords looked like A in the Koto period and looked like B in the Shinto period. When you do Kantei there is only Koto and Shinto - if you bid on a Shinto smith for a Shinshinto maker they do not say "Wrong period". Of course we like to (need to) break it down further, most of the eras cited are political ones EG Nanbokucho and Muromachi while there are given dates for these periods swordsmiths did not change styles based on a specific date, rather they worked in the style of their teachers and perhaps followed trends seen in the capitals, only changing slowly and if you were out in the country you got the news much later. The time periods are generalizations to help you break down all the tremendous data on makers into digestible bites and think in terms of trends. A smith who was born prior to the Haitorei and who worked primarily in the Shinshinto period is a Shinto smith. Born before the Haitorei but working primarily in the modern era = Gendaito smith. There will always be smiths that overlap these dates, some who are trendsetters and some who only follow the trend later...