CSM101

Just GREAT! I will write a little bit more in the evening. Uwe G.

It is one of those auctions on ebay Japan: https://www.jauce.com/auction/m309813516 We discussed it many times, so when the question comes: Good or bad? I give a short answer. And then I would expect a followup question: Why? And then we can start to explain. Uwe G.

No. Uwe G.

Simply No. Uwe G.

Another one. Uwe G.

I am really not an expert on this one, but gut felling is: the horimonos were added later. And you should get the felling the blade were already polished a few times. Uwe G.

Dear members, let´s come to an end. And the answer is: Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi, first generation (TH). What are the points to come to this answer? A dense koitame hada is in other words konuka hada. And in combination with a suguha hamon and Shinto sugata the answer should be Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi. First generation is an extra point. So, congratulations for those with the right answer. But let´s come to the answers: Tadatsuna has a different hamon. Usually I would write something about Hizen Tadayoshi, but Darcy Brockbank already did that and why invent the wheel again? https://yuhindo.com/hizen-tadayoshi/ But let´s talk about the blade. I always thought: Shinto + koitame hada + suguha = BORING! I`ve never been so wrong. To understand why a Hizen Tadayoshi is highly regarded you have to hold a sword in your hands. And when you turn the blade and suddenly the nie start to sprinkle... That´s just amazing. Like morning mist. And not just in parts. If you ever have the chance to own a Hizen Tadayoshi: don´t hesitate. A few words about photos: please forgive me when I do not show more of these. I just make the photos. And if I want to use them I always ask if I could do so. Right of use. I have an archive of tsuba pics, maybe 1.300 different tsuba. And I am allowed to show maybe 100. From the Samurai Art Museum I have the right to use only one tsuba. So, whatever I can show you, I will show you. Merry Christmas! Uwe G.

Horimono on both sides. Uwe G.

Dear Members, for the last time this year a Kantei. Katana, nagasa 68,5 cm, a dense koitame hada with a suguha hamon, signed. But don´t believe the photo. Enjoy and I will give the answer on Monday. Or Tuesday. https://www.nihontophoto.com/christmaskantei Uwe G.

Here you can find the next problem: 2 Katana, both mumei, both Juyo Token, both with an attribution to Rai Kunitoshi. Do they look as if they come from the same man? Uwe G.

The color is a little bit darker as in the first photo from Ian #4. But the color version is for a catalogue. But I still wanted to share so you only get the b/w version. Uwe G.

+1 Uwe G.

I wish I could have afforded this: https://yuhindo.com/goto-ichijo-futakoromono/ That was a quick sale. Uwe G.

Another one. Uwe G.

I hope, I get the story straight: Ott-san was short after WWII in Japan. He lived there several months. He was wild and free and...whatever. And he made a lot of friends over there. One day he was in the Tokyo National Museum. Not in the ususal exhibition but in the catacombs. With the director. He looked at some of the swords in the rack and suddenly the director gave him one of the swords as a gift. That´s how the blade came into the Ott-collection. Impossible nowadays. (That was the short censored version). Is the sword good? That´s how you define it. It is a piece of metal with a history. That´s for sure. And you have to see it in a historical context. Uwe G.

The artefact is now part of the Samurai Art Museum in Berlin. And I think it is worth the price. Uwe G.

A very good friend brought me the catalogue. And it is amazing, what you can see there. Not only the Mikazuki. Aizu Shintogo, 13 Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, Rai Kuniyuki, -Kunitoshi, -Kunimitsu, -Kunitsugu, Hasebe, Masamune. Several blades with Kokuho. Whatever you want. If you have the chance, go visit the museum. Otherwise buy the catalogue. Uwe G.

Ko-Mihara Uwe G.

I have 646, 647, 650, 651, 653-662 Uwe G.

And I forgot this one: https://www.nihontophoto.com/arbeitenfuermuseen Uwe G.

Dear members, this time I want to do it a little bit different. Because sometimes we have to remember, why we are here, It is because we want to learn. And sometimes our education is a circle and we have to go back to the basics. Shape, steel, hada, hamon. Three things are obvious. But "steel" is not. And it is the hardest part to see and recognize a good steel. "If the steel is good, the rest of the sword is good." That's what I have learned. So, let's take a look at the steel: The kitae is a beautiful dense koitame-hada rich with ji-nie and chikei. You can find a fine nie-utsuri. (all three points are an indicator for high quality steel). The kitae is kenzen. The hamon is suguha with konie. It has a slender and elegant appearence with a high shinogi. With a description like that it is clear that is must be something very, very good. And then you have to think like me. Okay, at first you would loose 30 IQ-points. But that's not what I mean. I always choose a blade that is a typical example for time, province and school. I would never pick a Kamakura Bizen Nagamitsu in Soshu-style or a signed and dated Go Yoshihiro. Next point: when I write: "The blade is not in the blue book." then I mean "The BLADE is not in the blue book." But the maker is. An elegant sugata, koitame, suguha and high-class-steel brings us to: Yamashiro, end of Kamakura. And whatever you pick, Rai, Enju or Ryokai is not important. Important is, that you pick the right time and province. "We don't have a time machine so we will never be sure." = Darcy Brockbank. Nothing else to say. By the way, it is a Rai Kunitoshi - Juyo Token. I don't want to write here much about Rai Kunitoshi. Markus Sesko did that and who is better? https://markussesko.com/2016/01/28/kantei-4-yamashiro-16-rai-%e6%9d%a5-school-2/ https://markussesko.com/2016/01/31/kantei-4-yamashiro-17-rai-%e6%9d%a5-school-3/ But let´s come to the results. And in the end I can understand most of the answers. Rai Kunitsugu and Soshu Yukimitsu, Miike, Reizen Sadamori. Unji has at least mokume in the hada and for the rest is the difference the quality of the steel. I made photos of another Rai Kunitoshi (the katana in the blue book) This one is even closer to Miike. Just one more point, because Stefan brought it up: Color in a nihonto photo. Just forget that in the future. I could write 3 pages about color managment, calibration, sRGB, AdobeRGB, whatever.. In the future I will do it like aoiart. The tang in color and the blade b&w. Or I invest in a EIZO ColorEdge. Maybe then i can present a color that is close to reality. Now I have a Talisker waiting for me. Cheers! Uwe G.

Boshi is very faint and I already "enhanced" this area. But I put a third photo on my site and I hope this one is more helpful. Uwe G.

Dear members, Back again. And I hope you missed me. So, here is another kantei: Katana, osuriage - mumei - nagasa appr. 69 cm You can find the photos here: https://www.nihontophoto.com/kopie-von-tamahagane. First click on the photos. In the left upper corner ther are two arrows. Use them to enlarge the photos. Have fun and I will give the answer next Tuesday. A small hint: No, the blade is not in the blue book. Uwe G.

An exhibition of tsuba is coming: https://www.samurai-artmuseum.com/samurai_news/ Just scroll down. Uwe G.

Two exhibitions are coming... Uwe G. (the other Uwe)