CSM101

Well, if you look hard enough you can find more examples without a date. Take the DTI catalogue from 2014. There are 3 different katana by Bizen Osafune Harumitsu. 2 have a date, one hasn't. Bizen Osafune Sukesada are sometimes without a date. Yes, most swords from Bizen have a date. But there are exceptions.

Bizen Osafune Yozo Saemon no jo Sukesada. No nengo. There are speculations that the date was removed .

From the Compton Collection: Kiyomitsu without nengo. So it must be gimei.

Hachisuka Masamune

A few impressions with The Usual Suspects...

Got this from a friend.

And the sword in question

So much for ChatGPT: Token Bijutsu 593.pdf

It's a tsuba from a friend.

Dear Jacques, Try to get a copyright from Paul R. Allman's "Visions within Visions". Read it. Read it again. Try to understand what is written. And then come back. You are a lot, but not an art critic.

Okay, the tsuba got this feature. But it is very clone to Kaga zogen...

I think it is Kaga zogan. Umetada looks different.

Or you take this one: 中古パンフレット ≪パンフレット(図録)≫ パンフ)大刀剣市 2003 | Jauce Shopping Service | Yahoo Japan Auctions. eBay Japan

If you want the ultimate answer: the english Token Bijutsu Nr. 28 page 26 - 29. Kanzan Token Kyoshitsu: Takanoha and Kesho-yasuri.

From the DTI catalogue

All you need to learn is how to avoid reflections. The rest is easy then.

@ Lukrez First of all: Yamanaka did not write about swords as Art. Or at least not in the Newsletter. There are only a few articles about this subject. For instance Ogasawara Nobuo: 'Technologie, Schönheit und geistiger Hintergrund des japanischen Schwertes" ( Technology, beauty and spirituell background of the Japanese sword) And "Meito = Woran erkennen wir ein Meisterwerk?". Helge Eicken: "Annäherung an die Kunst des japanischen Schwertes" plus "Der Hamon als zeichnerisches Element". But those articles are not very helpful when it comes to the question why a Japanese sword is art. So, Paul Allman is way above those articles. The best you can find.

Many of the questions were asked a long time ago. And sometimes you got a very good answer. I only have a small book by Paul R. Allman "Das Bild im Bilde - Die Natur der Schönheit und das japanische Schwert als eine der feinen Künste". Translated into german in 1981. So, somewhere must be the english original. The best explanation about why a japanases sword is High Art.

Occam's razor: what is it? I created a dark spot with Photoshop to fool everybody Rai hada Sumi hada Tekkogane Shingane Choose wisely.

You had the chance to handle the blade in Berlin.

Minamoto Masao I hope, you can see it.

A few more informations: SoshuDen-Museum | Hasabe Kunishige

Just a reminder for those who attended the last NBTHK-EB meeting. And for those who didn't. Hasebe. Tokubetsu Juyo Token