Matsunoki

Staying off topic (sorry) but can someone tell me what exactly the people that post these “spams” actually get out of it? Yes, sorry (again🙂)…..I know I’m tech stoneage but I’d like to understand.

Howard, the generic term for your box is “kobako” ie small box. Looking at the condition and decoration it is most likely early Meiji but good quality. I do not think the decoration is intended to specifically represent family kamon. When “pure” kamon are used on lacquer the intent is much more obvious ie they use actual Mon with no ambiguity. However having said that, at that time the use of kamon in art became a very loose matter for example Imperial and Government kamon were plastered over all sorts of things that had no connection to actual original affiliations. Your brocade or diaper pattern designs together with natural subjects were often used on lacquer from this period. If you search Bonhams past lots for kobako you will find many to compare in a great variety of shapes, designs and techniques. These boxes probably did not have a specific purpose beyond just a pretty useful little box more likely used by the ladies of the period be they Merchant or Samurai. (Merchant is far more likely although like many things at that time….they appealed greatly to the early Gaijin)

Henry Google “NHK TV. Go to the website Find “on demand” search for “Murakami. ….and you will find three or four programmes dedicated to this subject Happy watching…..let me know if you find them. Colin

Hi Jean, not all hagire are at right angles. Some time back a sword appeared on here for sale. It generated some controversy because it had a looping/curving hagire that someone had tried to cover up to facilitate a sale. I’ve also seen an angled hagire where water ingress into it had caused pitting along the length of it which if you didn’t look closely you could have mistaken it for a ware….except of course it was on both sides Be interesting to see the other side on this one. I guess there are no “absolutes” in this subject🙂

http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/kizu.htm#:~:text=JI-ARE - Irregular or raised,bent blade having been straightened. or

That “flaw” is in the hamon (never good news) and looks like it could extend from the edge…..is it hagire? Yes many old blades have flaws but this one looks nasty and is in just about the worst possible place. if it is hagire it is fatal

Dunno. But this doesn’t look too good……

Horrible….but naginata were used on battlefields to attack horses legs (amongst other things) Not an easy weapon to use on horseback so yes….mostly foot soldiers Also a favourite item for use in Daimyo parade journeys etc

Maybe Jean but a high proportion of blades are not stored in shirasaya and old koshirae are far from airtight. Also the wood of a shirasaya can expand and contract according to temperature and humidity variations. I have some that at times are quite loose yet another time are a devil to actually withdraw the blade.

…..and another thing about oiling. There is a right and a wrong way to wipe it. Many on here have talked about how using uchiko can cause scratches. Hmmmm there is another district possibility. It is very easy for dust and rust particles (from the nakago) to accumulate under the habaki. If you start your wipe from that area (under the habaki) you can very easily drag rust particles all along your blade with horrify results…..longitudinal scratches. The correct way is to start your wipe about two inches above the habaki and wipe towards the nakago but not onto the nakago. Then take a clean wipe or whatever you use, again start two inches above the habaki area and wipe the length of the blade. That way you have no chance of dragging contaminates…rust etc…along the blade. I was told this by a mukansa polisher eons ago.

Jean, I was amazed to read this. I thought it was essential to leave a very thin coating of oil on the blade. Not enough to cause droplets to form. In humid climes the saya wood can indeed absorb moisture and the only thing that protects the blade is the oil.

Japanese Kutani porcelain figure of Kwannon. Aimed squarely at the tourist market. Early 20thC. Google “Japanese porcelain Kwannon” and take your pick. Always nice quality porcelain and heavily decorated but not popular nowadays and very modest £value

@Brian@Ray Singer Thanks fellas. The problems seems to have been with my email provider and amazingly I seem to have solved it.

Ray, thanks. I’m being thick here but on iPad (or iPhone) I cannot see where I can select “not spam”. NMB is in my contacts and I haven’t changed anything. Any further guidance appreciated.

Brian, my NMB notification emails are suddenly all going into spam folder. I use mostly iPad and it’s been fine until today. I’ve changed nothing. Any ideas? (Don’t get too technical🙂) Thanks Colin

Those heavy indentations are a deliberate design feature. If you are interested my two were discussed in these topics…….theybare interesting but not at all important or expensive. Just nice things in my opinion.

Looks 100% forged to my eyes. Price isn’t much of a guide. Some perfectly genuine forged iron tsuba are quite inexpensive. Reminds me of two I have which were very affordable………

No Bjorn. I’m thinking the grey colour has been applied over the brass and the brass now is showing through now the grey has worn off. I think the brass colour is the actual metal it’s made from.

Bjorn i am beginning to question my sanity🙂🙂 in your new photo of the peach I still clearly see two colours…..the grey and then a brass colour on high spots. I still see it on many other high points. @Spartancrest…. can you see what I mean? Or have I really gone crazy. I outline in red what I am seeing in this image…….

Piers, wow, that koshirae is beautiful. Thanks for showing. Was it for sale or just to drool over?

Bjorn Im still puzzled that you don’t see the areas that look worn. I’ve done a screenshot of what the peach and the feathers look like on my iPad. The”brass” colour is what I refer to……but it doesn’t look like that when you have it in your hand?

Brian, don’t try to test it. Afterwards you’ll wish you hadn’t I promise you. Looking at the kozuka id suggest it is of a modest quality and thus unlikely to have a solid gold goat. The Japanese craftsmen had amazing techniques to give the illusion of solid gold but most often, it isn’t sadly. In your image, around the outer edges of the animal it looks as if a silver base colour is showing through……or maybe that’s just a trick of light?

Bjorn, when we look at the more distant images of your tsuba it appears to have an overall grey patina. Just imagine that someone has sprayed the tsuba grey. Then when we look at the excellent close up images we see that it looks as if the grey spray has beeb rubbed off many of the high points of the design ie those that would receive the most handling, wear and tear etc (eg the peach, the roosters head). The colour we see on these high points is now a brassy colour ie we are looking at the actual metal that the tsuba is made from because the surface spray (or whatever it is) has worn away. Not sure if I’ve explained that very well🙂

This is supposedly a Wakizashi. Comparing it to a Tanto tradionel (whatever that is) is pretty pointless. i guess physics is not your strong suit.

Maxime, I’d be interested to know how that works. Ok the blade is weighed and let’s it’s say 1kg. How does that tell us it’s silver?