Toryu2020

With Queen and court…

The highlight of our calendar year is the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Display - when our members share their favorites with the public…

Looks like Kato Kiyomasa and Takeda Shingen - 1900's definitely Boys'Day...

Nice Getto!

Ikeda Kazutsugu - one of few soft metal tsuba in my collection.

That is a woman's hair ornament what you see on their heads is just hair...

Dan - those are topknots, just long hair bound in a tight bunch, oiled and laid upon the head - only string is used no metal. Kanzashi which are ladies ornaments are made of wood and lacquer so very light but they are not Kogai and Kogai were never worn in the hair. Ever seen a secretary scratch her head with the dull end of an ink pen - that's what Kogai do. Ever seen a comb with a long thin point at one end? That point is used to tease a single piece of stray hair back into place - that's what Kogai do... If you wear long hair everyday you need hair implements close at hand... -t

Could we see overall pictures of the blade and an overall picture of the tang on both sides. Might shed some light... -t

Dmitri - Thank you for your interest in the NTHK Shinsa, we have not to date done a Shinsa in Europe - we understand that there is interest but all the elements we would need have yet to come together. -tch

Not sure if this was posted previously... 鎺（ハバキ）写真／ホームメイト (touken-world.jp)

Alex - There was likely more than one smith using the Kunimune name so the two-character signature is not that much of a concern - you have papers that should reassure you. -t

Mark - the information came from Itoh Sensei himself - there is a team working on the translation, no ETA currently so no links to follow just yet... -t

I would be very surprised to find that the NBTHK had a database of all the swords they have seen - Perhaps all the swords they have papered, and even so I would not think they have them compiled by smith so that you can reference them (oshigata?). I have been to the research room at the old sword museum and it was full of books - the usual books we all have access to, there were not however file cabinets full of oshigata or ledgers from past shinsa - just the usual books. Thats not to say they don't compile oshigata and make them available to the general public, however that is only at the Juyo level - Juyo To-ken Nado Zufu - an excellent reference if you are collecting at that level... -t

永要耀　maybe？ No idea how to read this...