Matsunoki

Lex, just a suggestion….I only discovered your “about me” by scrolling to the bottom of the swords for sale. I think it is worth considering moving it up a level, maybe next to your homepage “button”. One of the first questions visitors will mentally ask is “who is this guy?”

This is the last one from a small batch of iron tsuba that tempted me. It’s largeish at 7.9cm and has a beautifully fitted shakudo rim and with inlay in shakudo and gold of bush clover. It was the striking sukashi Mantis that caught my attention but closer inspection of the reverse appears to reveal the remains of Amida rays especially down the left side. Any ideas…..could this be reworked older plate that once just had Amida rays? Did that happen? Thanks for looking. All the best

Nazar, Putting a few emojis on your posts on this thread doesn’t really say enough for me. I’ve greatly enjoyed trying to understand the power of 3d printing (and failed) and how you have creatively used your knowledge and ability to solve the problems that you faced. Amazing.

Looks classic Kinnoto sword just pre Meiji and the smiths looks like he’s had a crack at putting a Mt Fuji and the Moon into the hamon. The one featured in the link above was just about the worst handling sword I’ve ever held despite being well made and with utsuri. Unwieldy and totally unbalanced…..but looked impressive which was the intention I believe.

The shape, size, colour (especially of the seppadai ) and overall appearance remind me of “Nagoya-mono” I doubt they are shakudo.

Have a look at this section of this website http://ohmura-study.net/971.html

Link doesn’t work for UK. Why not put images within thread?

Need this damned heatwave to pass first. Too hot to do anything Also want some time to ponder what to do next. Apologies.

Write to the Chairman and also the CEO for Europe and tell them that unless they find the “important official papers” you are contacting the Antiques Trade Gazette (who will ignore you because Sothebys are too important ) and the Sunday papers who will not ignore you but might not run anything. It’s the threat that counts. Mention the consequent reduction in value as a result and the cost of getting replacements. Good luck.

Aha….yes 😳it was me that was re-reading it (as I now own it again)and I came across a comment that rather irritated me (4 years later🙂) so I gave it the thumbs down….and here we are🙂. All good fun and takes my mind off the blistering heat here for the last week or so. Temp over 35C and now humid as well.

@Bugyotsuji Piers, hello! I am intrigued. What made you pick this old thread up? Intuition? A silent whisper in your ear? I acquired this tanto in a package deal with Peter Yorke…..he had not recognised the significance of the smith. Sadly Peter has since left us.RIP. I miss you Peter. In the intervening 4 years much has happened. I let the blade go in a deal with a fellow collector. It changed hands a couple more times until a throw away comment at the last Birmingham Arms Fair a couple of weeks ago. Someone asked me “did I have a buyer for high end gendaito?” and having discovered that despite having sold my collection I really did miss the sword world I said yes. Next question was could my details be handed to a collector who owned another previous sword of mine (a stunning Endo Mitsuoki Tachi with fabulous horimono). Again answer was yes. This collector contacted me and last week I became the owner of another 6 swords including said Mitsuoki and guess what….this tanto was one of the six, except now it was in a superb new shirasaya and mint new polish. So, here it sits again….and I ponder what to do🙂….again. But I’m back in the game. I guess that does now make me a dealer except I’m not bothered about making money, instead, just having fun and being alive. Some very strange things happen in the sword world. Best. C.

Perhaps this close up shows the cut channels more clearly?

That’s what I thought until I looked really closely and saw these channels circled in red where Hirazogan had fallen out. The rim is quite heavily worn overall. Magnification shows zero signs of cross hatching.

I’m getting worried (again). I am being lured away (again) from my favourite kinko tsuba into the dark mysterious world of iron. The brute force of the design of this iron piece really grabbed my attention. Reminded me of fortified castle gates…or similar. A tsuba for a strong guy? It is largeish at 8cm and the fact that the kozuka and kogai ana are the same shape struck me as perhaps a bit unusual. The gold is Hirazogan not nunome if that tells us anything, slightly worn in places. It had a few small patches of the dreaded orange stuff but very careful cleaning and preservation seems to have done the trick. Anyway, any comments on subject matter, age, potential school would be most welcome. Thanks for looking (and hopefully for commenting🙂)

Hi John Thanks. This hamon is on a rather flashy Gendai with Nagamitsu mei. Yours wasn’t Nagamitsu by any chance?

This large iron tsuba (8.5cm) has found its way here recently because I found the design very appealing. I don’t know much about iron tsuba but for some reason I thought it might be quite old. What is the design? I wondered stylised flower-cart wheel? (Maybe not!) Age ? All opinions welcome. Thank you for looking.

John, yes I fully understand and it is not pleasant behaviour. I find it distasteful but it’s a fact of life and has always been so. No argument from me on that point. Edited in view of Brian’s comments.

Hats off. That is a fitting tribute to someone who obviously has serious talent and natural feel for his chosen occupation.

Hate? Seriously? I simply disagree with what you said and explained my reasons. If you think that constitutes hatred you are very very mistaken. Anyway, whatever. Live and let live.

Forgive my lack of knowledge but is there a “guide to Gunto mountings” anywhere on this forum? Sorry for off topic but I’d like to learn a bit more.

Wow, that really is sour grapes. There have always been and there will always be wealthy people who can buy things that others cannot. Provided they came by their wealth by legitimate means then good for them. What is wrong with an exhibition of valuable things? It’s a factual exhibition. It’s no different to some of the wonderful world shows and events celebrating the finest swords and other Japanese (or wider) Arts. There you will see swords with telephone number prices that only the wealthy can afford. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THESE WEALTHY SWORD COLLECTORS ARE ALSO SNOBS? The only difference is the commodity in question. Live and let live.

I suggest you re-read the above paragraph then. Inferring that serious wealthy collectors view netsuke as “trinkets” and in CAPITALS you call wealthy collectors (USA and European) SNOBBISH and that they have an ADDICTION then yes you have pissed me off because you are wrong on all counts. The ones I have dealt with are genuine passionate collectors who love the subject, who have studied it and developed a depth of knowledge that enables them to recognise good pieces and are lucky enough to have the funds to acquire them…..and who genuinely cherish them. They understand all the history behind the items, all the quirky and puzzling subjects, they recognise the difference between average, good and magnificent. They have put the time in. The pieces are safe in their hands. Granted, trophy hunters absolutely do exist…..they will buy anything that is the finest example of anything, cars, medals, paintings etc but there is no need to make sweeping unfounded statements about collectors who happen to be wealthy. Yes the world has changed from “the good old days” and with it so has collecting anything. It’s just a fact of life. Yes the market is full of fakes from several corners of the planet but that is also common in most sectors of the art market . The way to deal with that is to learn the subject……that requires time and dedication……serious study…if new or inexperienced collectors are not prepared to do that then they can only blame themselves if they buy fakes. Tough but that’s the truth.

Be interested to hear any opinions on how you would describe this hamon (this is the monouchi area and it becomes a gentler small gunome towards the nakago) Choji-midare? Hako-midare? Many thanks

I have been very surprised to find several excellent gendaito….i mean really excellent …..in late war type 3 mounts. (Edited ….i got the Type wrong) Not what I would expect….but I am very inexperienced on the Gunto scene.

This sounds like a healthy dose of “sour grapes”….and it is misplaced. That sounds a bit “show off” to me. Erm….. There has always been and will always be wealthy people who love Art in its diverse forms. Many of the worlds great collections….swords….netsuke….whatever have been assembled by these patrons of the Arts who have ensured that these masterworks are recognised, recorded, protected and conserved for future generations. The netsuke market is not governed by snobbishness, it is governed by the usual rules of supply and demand. In my experience, the buyers of high end Japanese Art are truly passionate about the subject and are prepared to go to whatever it takes to acquire a treasure. The fact that pieces do sell for big money is just evidence that there is a strong demand pitched against a limited supply.