Bazza

Franco wrote: > Yamanaka describes one type of utsuri, the name (???) slips my mind at this time, where tired over polished steal on nihonto can be mistaken for utsuri. It is tsukare utsuri. https://markussesko....i-2-jigane-jihada-3/ BaZZa.

Here is an interesting read about Nobuo Shimada from 2016: https://www.hse.ru/e...earch/149898155.html BaZZa.

And the nakago, both sides, please... BaZZa.

Victor,yes, the 'white line' should be straight. In this case I'm guessing it is a fluorescent tube refection. You can do the same thing with any straight line, like a door surround, running it up and down/along the blade. Any deviation in the shitaji (foundation polish) will show up as 'wobbles' in the geometry of the blade. BaZZa.

Didn't see a price, just a request for a kanji read... BaZZa.

13 or so years ago at the Sydney TAIKAI I remember a HOAN tsuba that either Gordon Robson or Jim Gilbert had in a display. If I remember correctly (I am now 80+!!) it had a distinctly silver sheen, quite remarkable I thought. BaZZa.

Oi loiks it very much and IMHO this is not only genuine and old but very unique and more than interesting with pleasing contours. I would give it house room. Looking forward to more research on this one. I speculate that it might have bean the head gardener's defence... Now Justyn, can we please see the blade?? BaZZa.

On the polish, this discussion suggests as well as the swordsmith we also should ideally know who the latter day polisher is. The polish is the lens through which we see the sword and there is as much or more in understanding the polish as there is in Kantei Kai guessing the who and when of the swordsmith. It was Albert Yamanaka who said "If a sword does not have sugata then it has nothing". I attach a cropped image from the above OP photos that to me shows that the shinogi ji is not flat, as it is required to be. The original description given says "One thing to note that the current polish is not one hundred percent traditionally done, though this doesn't affect enjoying the blade." True, it all comes down to price and the happiness of a potential buyer scoping the sword. Its all part of our great lifetime journey with the sword... BaZZa.

This most interesting discussion wandered around the theme of "What is Art" in general and trawling 10 minutes or so ago I chanced upon this link that approached the theme in far broader terms. I found it very interesting: https://www.boredpan...m_campaign=professor BaZZa.

I have just discovered the same character on a NTHK 'paper' and it had me stumped for awhile... BaZZa.

We are all Estates in Waiting... BaZZa.

Peter, Thanks for the links. Very interesting reading indeed. At the bottom of your second link I followed this: https://www.asahi.co...jw/articles/13961528 and at the bottom of that there were other links I found of interest, but I'll let the curious find them for themselves. Thanks again Peter. BaZZa.

Decades ago I saw an Army Shinguntou with full length brown ray skin saya. Sadly, the blade had been badly mistreated and I passed on it, though I hesitated, nearly buying it for the koshirae alone... BaZZa.

Ahh, there was one of those foxes-dressed-as-humans in the auction too, but neither the hole in the wall nor my wife would be accommodating. There was no pain, but to venture further I would have felt fear!! BaZZa.

Oh yes Colin, both signed, one on the back in the usual position and the other on the side so as not to intrude onto the scene on the back. And indeed inlay work. I'll take some more photos soon and put them up. I've been looking for an example of this work for over 10 years. Do a Board search on HOSONO, there's quite a bit. BaZZa.

Piers san, I would have bought it too, though it is the first time I have seen a fuchi for a kashira and a I don't-know-what for a fuchi. Love the saya with its sakurasui lacquer. Perhaps your willing polisher will take it on??? BaZZa. PS: And I know I have bought worse and I've been kicking myself down the road ever since.

Show him, show him, show him, stomp, stomp, stomp, both sides, we're with you Comrade... BaZZa. Sucker for lost causes.

Yes, Piers san, thanks. During the bidding 'someone' was trying to tell me they wanted them more than I, so I gritted my teeth and girded myself with the thought that the 'hole in the wall' was bottomless!!! I'll be bowing and scraping at the hole for some months to come as my meagre stipend didn't stretch far enough for instant gratification... I feel no pain... Unless I was tussling with another Board member!! BaZZa.

I'm often paying obeisance to 'the hole in the wall'... Here is the result of my most recent visit. This was a 'snap' with my mobile phone prior to the auction. BaZZa.

That was 'Save As ..' to HDD, then edit, rotate, crop, save as in ACDSee Photo Studio, and attach here... BaZZa.

The kashira appears to portray Europeans - Dutch?? So then, is it early Edo?? BaZZa. PS: Agree with Franco that the whole tsuka needs a complete restore by a professional. Maybe not economical, but it would look much, much better. How far to go is the question. Yoon, what is the blade like??

To parrot a topical saying amongst my drinking compadres: "Is green, is good!" BaZZa.

Beautiful photos. BaZZa.

Piers san, how topical!! Your musings have been pertinent in my house since the Cooper auction here... and for decades before!! I love how you put it "Strangely there’s no sense of pain" BaZZa.

Pal, buddy, maaaate, don't talk to me about the 'to do' list..... @bugotsuji BaZZa.