CSM101

To add a few more: from the Compton collection:

The dated Kunimitsu is in the english Token Bijutsu 29. You can download it here. I have no access to my library at the moment. I'm in France. The best I could find is a dated tanto by Kunihiro from Showa 2. At least the Kuni could match (DTI 2012). All the other Kunimitsu I could find are not dated.

For comparison: Aizu Shintogo, Token Bijutsu 436. You can find the blade in english Token Bijutsu Nr. 29.

That is hopefully helpful.

This is Token Bijutsu 416. Unfortunately without translation but in the text Rai Kunitoshi is mentioned. You can also find the sword in "Swords from Kyoto" between Rai and Ryokai.

Awataguchi Yoshimitsu

Sunagashi

Better?

Hizen Tadahiro

Just a question: Did Kagemitsu sign with katana mei or with tachi mei?

I found this in an old catalogue about Ancient Arms and Armor in Japan from 1964. At this point it was still a pair.

And today:

A true piece from the Mosle collection:

In the upcoming auction at Zacke, Vienna there is a golden pair fuchi/kashira. And according to the description this pair is from the Mosle collection. Funny thing is in one of the best documented collections you can't find this piece. Not in "Sammlung Mosle" from 1909, not in "Collection Mosle" from 1914 (you can find this book as a download here) and not in the auction catalogues from Parke-Bernet from 1948. Can't find the Hartmann collection at the moment but I will check this later. There are other pieces with a questionable provenance...

Thank you Markus for all the work you do for the community! What the data doesn´t show is that the NBTHK can sometimes be a little bit mean. Take session 707: 4 blades by Rai Kunimitsu and a Uda Kunifusa with a Rai Kunimitsu utsushi.

Dear Rayhan, I am pretty sure that you know the Yamanaka Newsletter. But the Eicken Newsletter? Short explanation: the NBTHK-EB held some lectures and Helge Eicken was the man behind it. So, in one of the lectures in 1989 you can find a chart what determines a price for a sword. Unfortunately it is in german. The points are: how many pieces left, artistic value, provenance, paper, etc. Maybe someone can translate it all. But this is how you come to a certain price. Uwe Scan_2025_05_06_12_44_30_634.pdf

Last year at the DTI you could find 5 or 6 tanto by Rai Kunimitsu. Signed and unsigned, from 7,x sun to 9,x sun. All with Juyo papers. The price range was from 6,6 Mio Yen to 11 Mio Yen. Do you really think that the Juyo session is an important factor?

Judging only from the photos: 200,00 EUR. You have to see the blade in hand.

Mh, the mei is Fuyuhiro. Could be interesting. But in these conditions...

...and the english translation.

Back to Mikazuki Kanemitsu: TB 600

...and the matching koshirae.

Sold at the Compton Auction for 418.000 $

Fujishiro classified the blade as naginata naoshi.

Oh,you thought that was meant for you. Sorry, it is for people that want to learn something.