Soshin

I have a published and NBTHK paper undecorated tsuba in my collection. @ROKUJURO Jean C., would it be helpful for me to share my photos of it and the NBTHK paper? I like iron and the age of this tsuba and it came from the collection of one of my Japanese art sword teachers and artist who have passed away.

@Okan All original first period Yagu tsuba date no earlier than the time of Yagyû Ren'yasai Yoshikane the 5th master of the Yagyû Shinkage Ryû Heihō school of swordsmanship circa 1625 – 1694 CE of Owari Province. If you disagree with me must duel with me until discomfort with a fukuro-shinai at sunrise at Ichijoji. I think it is someplace near Kyoto...

@Scogg Sam S., sounds like a great idea and I love the name of the group. I would not bother with a Facebook group if I were you. I personally really hate the setup and design of Facebooks discussion groups regardless of the subject. Having an in-person meeting in a hotel meeting room or some such place in the local community near many collectors would be a great idea. I know a few high-end collectors in Washington State. Feel free to PM if you want their names and contact information.

The current show held each year in Maryland, USA is the Baltimore Antique Arms Show (Baltimore Antique Arms Show) at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, MD. The Pikesville Show was I think the predecessor to this current show. All of these are suburbs of the city of Balimore. I had great fun last Saturday at this show.

Less is often more when it comes to restoration of Japanese sword fittings that are many hundreds of years old. This needs to be remembered especially by all collectors, not just the novice collectors. I have read his article a few years ago in the JSSUS Newsletter republished shortly after his death. I was friends with Arnold Frenzel during the last few years of his long life. I remember sitting and talking to him about tsuba at table holders' dinner at the old Tampa show. I remember him later talking about recommending me to Nick to join the KTK. This was on the top floor of the Tampa Airport Marriot Hotel, and the room would rotate while you ate showing a panoramic view of the airfield. I also fondly remember the gourmet food and drinks as well at the dinner.

Here is an orphan fuchi I have in my collection made by Tsuneshige (常重) who belonged to the Nara School during the late Edo Period. I have seen similar fuchi-gashira sets by him. All with similar signatures. I don't think he ever used (Nara 奈良) as part of his signature like the example provided by @Mantis dude, but I could be wrong.

Yes, the (光山) "Kozan" mark you have in your photo does looks exactly like the mark at the bottom of my bowl. Thank you, this is really helpful, and it does also confirm the time period of production of the antique bowl.

Hi @John C, I will look at it, thank you for reminding me about Daruma Magazine. I remember when that magazine closed a few years ago. I have a few issues on my bookshelf as well to check.

This month I have been researching this antique Satsuma-yaki style decorative bowl for listing on my website that I had added to my collection back in late 2022. I did find some helpful information here: Japanese Satsuma Pottery. It has a hand painted kiln mark on the bottom of the bowl 'Senzan (先山)’ which is the name of the workshop that made the bowl. I am thinking it was made after about 1880 CE, likely during the late Meiji or Taisho Period. The decorative bowl measures 15.5 cm (6.1 inches) diameter and 7.0 cm (2.8 inches) high. Any additional information or online resources would be helpful. A respectful and polite discussion of the Japanese art item is also welcome. Thank you.

I had just a few interactions with Paul Davidson, but all were great over the years all at the NBTHK-AB presentations and lectures they had different Japanese sword shows across the USA. I consider myself lucky to have a genuinely nice hardbound book (112 pages) detailing his collection ART OF THE SAMURAI THE PAUL L. DAVIDSON COLLECTION provided by Mike Yamasaki and Darin S. Furukawa, as well as the board of directors of the NBTHK-AB.

Hi @Al_KRK Rafal, There are some good books about Japanese sword making and polishing (traditional conservation). Check out this online bookstore specializing in Japanese sword books: Sword Books Archives - Japanese sword books and tsuba. He will ship internationally to Poland. I think you also need to do a series of extensive interviews and make detail notes and recordings of all your interviews with a professionally training Japanese sword polisher (someone who has also won polishing awards in Japan) willing to spend time to talk to you. This would take him/her time away from polishing Japanese swords therefore I would expect you would need to pay him/her for their time so having a research budget is necessary (also to purchase topical books). You then can wirte your own specific documents that you can then use as a reference after citing professionally trained Japanese sword polisher and any books you have used as references. I hope this is helpful.

I am a bit late replying to this topic. Yes, Danny is a great guy! I would recommend him and his website and services at Nihontocrafts.

I checked my references, and you are correct. I had the wrong Kanji on the Koshirae Gallery webpage but the correct ones on the write-up of another standalone Jakushi tsuba. Thank you for the correction.

Hi @Jack Zacao, I wanted to share some thoughts about your statement. In my opinion, it isn't entirely accurate. I have a wakizashi fittings set in my collection that features a Chinese style landscape motif. These intricate designs were created in very limited spaces on the smaller sword fittings used in wakizashi mounts. They're not as uncommon as you might think. Feel free to check out the fittings set (koshirae 拵え) on my website for more details (link in my signature). Based on my study, your menuki set was likely made during the late Edo Period to early Meiji Period, before the public wearing of Japanese swords was banned. The design reminds me of the Chinese style landscapes done by the Jakushi (杓子) School in Nagasaki (長崎). I hope you find this information helpful and encouraging for your future study. Note: Checked my website and the fitting set are listed as being for katana but the sunagi (wooden blade) "cutting edge" size would technically make it a wakizashi and not a katana.

Hi @Jack Zacao, Nice menuki set! I've seen other menuki sets with similar two-character signatures before. However, I'm not very familiar with Hamano School menuki works in general, so I can't judge your example or identify the specific artist. Relying solely on Bonhams Auction and one website as references provides too small a sample size to draw identifiable characteristics for Kanei. You would need a more rigorous study of the prolific Hamano School of the Edo Period. If I were you, I would keep looking and seek more educated opinions. I am still studying and trying to learn more about non-tsuba Japanese sword fittings in general myself.

@Steve Waszak I have transitioned from collecting Yamakichibei tsuba to exploring other groups and schools, specifically in the Owari, Yamashiro, and Higo Provinces. My interests have also expanded to include a variety of Japanese arts beyond the sword.

@GRC I submitted two tsuba that @Steve Waszak sold and they both came back as gimei. I purchased them both from @Steve Waszak circa 2017. I don't think I ever posted them on NMB but they were listed as having failed NBTHK shinsa because of gimei on my website. I sold them in larger group of other tsuba a couple of years ago when I was reducing my collection after closing my Japanese art and antiques business. What you might be referring to be another Yamakichibei tsuba I had that I picked up from Bob Benson. The @kissakai Grev UK., This one was once my tsuba. I remember buying it from Grey Doffin back in the day. Funny how it makes it way to the UK from the USA. I never got around to submitting it to any shinsa when I had it. Here is my photo from when I had it in my collection.

Hi Grev UK, I like Yamakichibei work and have an authentic tsuba made by the third generation Yamakichibei that will be in my collection long term it has NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper. Are you referring to the works made shortly after the time of (nidai 二代) second generation with fake signatures (gimei 偽銘)? This was way before the time of the third generation Yamakichibei. I know Steve from San Deigo, CA USA who is on NMB did some articles in the JSSUS Newsletter that talked about subclassifying these gimei works as there was some patterns to their signatures and workmanship.

Hi @Robert S, Thank you for enjoying my website and taking the time to reply to my post. I have since branched off from my tsuba study roots and gain an interest through study of other Japanese swords fittings (kodōgu 小道具), Japanese swords, and other types of Japanese fine art.

Here is my personal opinion only. I don't see anything I like that would facilitate me buying the whole lot of seven rather unremarkable tsuba based upon a single rather poor-quality screenshot of a photo. One tsuba in the lot would at a minimum need to be absolutely "golden" so to speak to justify the purchase of the whole lot at $2,750 USD.

This is quite a common thing now a days on ePrey (eBay). I would not even consider biding on a Japanese sword like this on ePrey. I will down vote this post as this unsigned Japanese sword is not, I would be interested in collection especially after paying such a premium on total of the normal retail price.

Just some minor points while I wait this evening. shrines = Shinto (jinja 神社) temples = Buddhism (ji 寺) The practice you are referring to is mostly associated with pouring fresh water over the head of Jizo Bosatsu using a wooden ladle typically in the temple courtyard outside of the main temple hall. Sweet tea is also poured using a smaller wooden ladle over the head of a statue of the standing Bady Buddha around the time of historical Buddha birthday which celebrated in April in Japan.

@Iaido dude Steve, did more checking here a tsuba that was once in my collection and later sold in December 2016 via the Internet that I attributed to Kanayama that have the rectangular shaped hitsu-ana. I do remember it having very noticeable iron bones along the rim. I hope this example is a bit more helpful to your study.

To summarize (Ko-Kinkō 古金工) attribution of my menuki means the NBTHK though that my menuki was made by an early (sometime before the Edo Period) goldsmith (kinkō 金工) of unknown linage. From what I can see in your two photos provided I don't see anything that makes me think they are modern cast reproductions. I have seen many of these modern cast reproductions before in hand on martial arts training swords and look at their backside it becomes fairly noticeable, they are cast reproductions. To me your menuki look like Edo Period examples that are smaller and likely mounted on a wakazashi or similar sized sword's handle.

Here is an example that is a bit different than the examples you already have. The tsuba is no longer in my collection. I listed it in my write-up as being the work of an unknown school. It measures are: 7.7 cm X 7.8 cm 4.0 mm at seppa-dai, 4.0 mm at rim. It sold quickly to another US based collector at the Chicago show back in 2019. I hope you find this example helpful to your study.