Ludolf Richter

Is there something like a Shinsakuto for Tsuba in existence?I found a fine Sukashi-Tsuba at Ebay's,signed Masao and dated Showa 62 (1987).Have a look.Ludolf http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... mot_widget

Shishi Tsuba from your link:I didn't see any samurai tsuba with that link.Ludolf

Hi Jean, I have seen a similar Tsuba,made by Hideoki (1788-1851,Edo,later Osaka) ,a student of Otsuki Mitsuoki.Ludolf

It should read NTHK:no idea why I wrote NBTHK.Freud!Ludolf

My 2nd pic was lost:here it is.Ludolf

For me the NBTHK standards of screening and issuing papers are convincing.Look at the following pics from 1979.Ludolf

Thanks Brian!Here is the title of my Sosho-booK.Ludolf

Something went wrong:3 pics were lost.I try it again.Ludolf

Here are the pics from "The Baur Collection - Geneva - Japanese Sword-Fittings And Associated Metalwork" and two pages of my (very rare!) Sosho-Dictionary from 1947.Ludolf

Hi all,the Mei reads: Someya Tomonobu After his father Someya Masanobu (H 04347) he (H 10032) was the 2nd Someya master.Originally from Ise Province,where he also studied painting,he later went to Edo.There are no dates about birth and death to be found in my books,only that he was active in the first half of the 19th Century.If anyone has doubt about my solution:look at page 303 of "The Baur Collection..." with 2 signed Tsuba (D1619+1620,plus D1621,a Kozoka,where the mei-side is not shown) made by him.Ludolf PS.After I had found out from my Sosho-book that the 4th character was "nobu",it took me more than an hour to get the 3rd Kanji ("Tomo").With the name the rest was easy!

From the books it's not the Nidai's Mei:Gimei (or Sandai Kanesada?).Ludolf

Two-easy to get-sources: 1.Art and the Sword,vol.2,1989,p.1-77 Kentaro Yoshikawa,Swords of Owari 2.Malcom E.Cox Mino-To,Swords and Swordsmiths of Mino Province (with a lot of info about Owari swordsmiths) Ludolf

Hi John,there is a reason,why nobody is making a reply:from the Mei it's difficult to get the name of the artist and the kao is not to be found.The first 3 Kanji are either a name or a location.The 1st Kanji is hard to distiguish and is probably either a "Sugi" or a "Shô".With "Sugi" it could be Suginamki (a part of Tokyo),with "shô" the name Shôfû+a 3rd Kanji probably "ki".The 4th and 5th Kanji are chiselled without a space!The 4th should be "Sei",whereas the 5th one is not clear.There is no artist with "Sei" and this Kaji to be found in the Haynes' index or other books.But there is an artist with Go Naritoshi (H06856) who-according to Joly's "List of Names,Kakihan"- had a second Go: "Seijiu".There are no pics of his Mei with Kanji because he is thought to have used only grass-writing (Soshô).His name ought to be "Shôfûsha".The only problem is.that the Kanji for "sha" is different from your 3rd Kanji ("ki").My guess,it's him.He worked in the beginning of the Meiji-era.By the way,it's a nice Tsuba!Ludolf

Hi Mike,I just found a Kunitsuna Katana in the magazine REI No.41 (1995).Ludolf

Hi,there is a Katana by him for sale on a German site for Euro 8.800.I believe that very sword (but now with a different Tsuba) was for sale in 2003 (the site "www.deziland.de" does not longer exist) for $ 12.960 with a pic of the NBTHK Hozon paper.Ludolf http://www.juwelier-strebel.de/Asien/Japan/Katana.htm

I am sorry,but the first known Daimei from the Nidai for the Shodai (1796-1862 or 1863) had been made around 1855/57.In 1844,the date on your sword,the Nidai was a boy of 9!Have a look at other Mei-examples:Fujishiro,Watson (Shinshinto hen), Shinshinto Taikan and others.Ludolf

Here are the pics.Ludolf

Hi,there is a Katana by him ,rated yushu-saku by the NTHK,in Yoshu to Zuroku (YTZ) Vol.2 on p.162 und 163 with pics and Oshigata,dated August 1853 (Kaei roku-nen hachi-gatsu kichijitsu) and signed Chounsai Tsunatoshi kore o tsukuru:there is quite a difference between your Mei and the one from YTZ 2!Ludolf

I totally agree with you,John!Ludolf

If the owner of a sword orders someone to chisel a Mei into an unsigned blade (or does it himself) it's still Gimei.,even when he has a definite knowledge on the swordsmith who made it.I have read of some pre WW II- examples where this had been done to improve the value of the pieces. "Okakke-Mei" is definitely not a sword term from the Nihonto community. A sword owner from the pre-NBTHK/NTHK-Origami-era with an unsigned blade from a famous swordsmith could have let an expert put a Kinpun/Kinzogan-Mei (in gold or laquer) on the blade.Ludolf

Hi Martin,why did you ask your question at all,when you already had the answer from Fred's site!!!?Is this some sort of a game for you ("Martin's private Conundrum")?Ludolf

http://www.nihonto.com/2.51.05.html

Hi Ed,Nanzan (also Nanzan Hokushi,personal name Katsurano [Katsura] Chugo) was born around 1791-1795 as the youngest brother of three:the oldest was Katsurano (Katsura) Mitsunaga,the next was Sekibun I (1790-1872).He lived and worked at Murakami/Echigo till around 1863.There are 2 pieces that he made at an age of "70" and "72".The reason,why Haynes has listed him as Mitsuyasu (H05536) only,shall be his secret.He is to be found in the Kinko Jiten on page 1143 as "Kanzan".The Mei on Your Tsuba is different from his other signatures,where "Hokushi" is put behind "Nanzan"! Ludolf

Hi all,there will be a German book about Samurai-Mon to be puplished in march.It's a reprint from a 1906 edition about more than 400 Mon:356 pages,more than 600 pics,16.5 x 23.5 cm,soft cover, ISBN 3-924862-12-5,price Euro 26.90 (orders till Feb.25 Euro 23.90). Title:Japanisches Wappenbuch "Nihon monchǒ" Orders to:Tengo Publishing Verlag Wolfgang Ettig.Email: wolfgang-ettig@chushingura.de Ludolf

Hi Mike,try to get the following sources: Illustrated Record of the Yushu Rated Swords (Yushu-to Zuroku) from the (former!) Japanese Sword Preservation Society (Nihon Token Hozon Kai-N.T.H.K.) vol.1 to 3 :in Japanese with oshigata.There is a booklet to each of them in English,edited by the former Executive Secretary Yoshikawa Koen and translated by Gordon L.Robson.Vol.1 has 2 results (nr.98 and 99),vol.2 one (nr.106) and vol.3 also one result (nr.97).Each Kantei has the following points:Type,Period,Nagasa,Sori,Kitae-hada,Hamon,Boshi,Nakago and Remarks. Example from vol.1-nr.98: "Remarks:Yukihide was born in Chikuzen province,and is said to have been a descendant of the famous swordsmith "Sa." He studied the technique of sword making under Shimizu Hisayoshi.In general,blades made by Yukihide are of shallow curvature and sturdy form.As to the surface texture,it tends to be of straight grain pattern with thick nie and nioi exhibiting his marked individuality.This example was made at the residence of the Tosa clan at Sunamura,Fukagawa,Edo.Its ji and ha are clear and dense."Ludolf