Bazza

And now for something REALLY different - my TEPPOU acquisition for 2021. More photos and detail will appear in the TEPPOU thread by-and-by. BaZZa.

Victoria, the state we're in!!

My Dear JP, I'm sure many of our fellows here know your life situation only too well and feel for you in your travail. It is good you have 'opened up' for that in itself is a part-healing process. The good members of this Board will support you in your troubled times, no apology necessary. For myself I am glad to see you back amongst this fine fellowship and sincerely hope that you will, indeed, 'stay around'. The best people I know in my life are my fellow collectors and so I have always realised that collecting is so much more than merely acquiring 'things', as beautiful as they are. The people are the great joy. Welcome home and come often. Best regards, BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas (Melbourne, Australia)

Gentle folk, Just stumbled upon this FYI: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/nunome-zogan.html BaZZa.

Shiinogiyaki?? Never seen it before. Any explanations?? BaZZa.

Good morning Mojmir, At least it is morning in my part of Australia!! Never mind the kogatana, could you please post some images of the kozuka itself, both sides. It has the "look" of an old one, possibly Ko Kinko. Better minds than mine will know, but the worn look could be the use of centuries. Happy New year to all. BaZZa.

Greg I feel for Tomoko's and your loss keenly. Tomoko san will need good friends in the coming days and months and her NMB customers and supporters have I hope given her good cheer. Collecting in Oz has lost a few friends of late and only this morning I had news of George Fennell's passing in New South Wales. George was an eclectic collector, but well-known amongst a small group of Oz collectors I hope the New Year is kinder to each of us and all our friends. Bestests, BaZZa.

Like others, I'm guessing it might read KINAI SAKU?? BaZZa.

Calimero, nice tsuba, I like them all. If one pictures oneself at the bottom of a very, very deep well in Germany and one looks up to the sky and cannot see it, the study of sword fittings is as deep as this metaphor. It is hardly possible to 'surface skim' as your perceptive questions suggest. But do keep at it for it might become attractive enough for you to transfer allegiance from your other very time consuming interest!! BTW, Germany has some very famous tsuba collectors in past history. Best regards, Barry Thomas. (Melbourne, Australia)

KANEMICHI? Tachimei. Need more photos to be helpful. BaZZa.

Hi Bruno, Please find attached image of my Muromachi Ezo menuki and FYI here is the description I got with them: ======================================================== Mumei Ezo 蝦夷 menuki, Edaume no Zu 枝梅図 (Figure of Plum branch), Yamagane-ji 山銅地 (unrefined copper surface), 容彫地透 katachi-bori ji-sukashi (open work carved with the motif in full), 金色繪 Gold Iroe. They have Inyô 陰陽 (male-female) style posts. Inyou also translates to dual forces, yin and yang, sun and moon, etc. I believe these menuki date to the late Muromachi to Azuchi-Momoyama period 室町時代後期 - 安土桃山時代,. These floral menuki are very closely related in design and appearance to Ko Mino 古美濃 work, and since Ko Mino development is rooted to a considerable extent in Ezo 蝦夷, It is suggested these menuki would probably date a bit later, to sometime around the 1500s - 1560s. At the end of the 1970s Mr. Tom Buttweiler wrote his very informative article on the Ezo fittings and to this day it is the most ever written on the subject. It was hailed by Sasano Masayuki as being a great study on Ezo. The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 19.6mm x 45.3.mm x 4.3 mm. Migi 右: 19.1 mm x 46.5 mm x 4.3 mm. Hakogaki by Kanzan Sato. ======================================================== Best regards, BaZZa.

I don't think so as they don't have the requisite degree of 'silver' colour in the alloy... BaZZa.

Oh sh*t yes. God it was a story. A STORY!! Doesn't' bear telling here, but it will when I eventually tell the story about a SHINGUNTO TANRENSHO ... BaZZa.

The worst thing sometimes happens to the best people. I'm devastated to read of Guido's misfortune and wish him the speediest recovery possible. BaZZa. aka Barry Thomas.

Shinshinto Seki?? A single menuki ('solid' gold??) with the other one winkled out. Shame. BaZZa.

Well, guess I'll have to keep waiting and looking. Thanks for the responses and your imageSteven BaZZa.

Papered to him?? PAPERED TO HIM????? Truly, I ask the question, are Emura blades worthy of a paper??? Those I have seen in my time I wouldn't have the gall to take to a Shinsa... BaZZa.

It seems to be a tachi, yet katana mei?? A very handsome looking sword that needs top-level evaluation. BaZZa.

The sugata is a nice looking koshizori. Hanging on seeing the nakago... BaZZa.

Pietro wrote: > [P.S. besides, this book must have been stored in a damp basement for decades, it smells really bad] Without wanting to start a course in paper conservation, can anybody link a good website that discusses this problem and what the "home hobbyist" and Nihontophile might be able to do to ameliorate bad paper smells etc etc??? BaZZa.

I certainly agree with this notion of a 'tuition fee'. Over the decades here in Australia where I lived it was uncommon to find a good sword amongst the also-rans - at least to my eye. My early strategy was to buy anything in reasonable condition that 'looked good' and to learn from it. My collecting philosophy has never been one of an 'investment' profit/loss mindset, but really to have the view that 'the journey is priceless', as Piers' tussle with a Sukenaga amply illustrates. Over my 55+ years of collecting this outlook has given me insights that reading all the books in the world simply does not give. Even if one is of moderate means you gotta dip your toe in the water!! BaZZa.

Well, unless my late night blinkers are still on (hic!) this looks nice if a little rustique! The small kogai hitsu suggests OLD to me??? I like the tsuba and perhaps the mei will always be 'intriguing'. BaZZa.

Having said that, the engraving on the koshirae looks well done, especially the kojiri. It has more than a passing resemblance to late 19th/early 20th century engraving on Naval swords. The blade and its signature is NOT Japanese as has been said, but the koshirae looks as if it has been made by a talented hand IMHO. BaZZa.

Terminus asked: > Also there's some strange tiny square indentations on it. Does anyone know what those are? An indenter hardness test???!!! BaZZa.

Thank you all for your responses, and to Thomas for pointing me to an older thread I should have remembered!! Best regards, BaZZa, aka Barry Thomas.