Jack Zacao

Here is the back

It does not look like Goto school… I can only find this book, please turn to page 25, it is in Japanese though https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NDL1844105_日本装剣金工史_〔本編〕_part1.pdf

I see many Tsuba posts, here is a Menuki for a change. It is a single, but extra large, nearly 3 inches long. I wonder which school it is and should it comes with a pair and where to mount. Most of the edo menukis are smaller, like between 1 and 2 inches long. any comments? Thanks

Looks like 宗與 with the last character as a Kao.

CSM101, the one you found is by another artist, the last character is different, although their pronunciation is the same.

I agree with Jesta. You collect for the art first, investment reasons are the last. This is a difficult hobby indeed. To begin, I would suggest read a number of books on museum collections or auction catalogs from known auction houses such as Christie’s or bonhams. Some books on Chinese paintings and calligraphy also very helpful. As a beginner, I would not recommend buying from eBay, unless you have confidence with your knowledge and judgment about the authenticity of the piece. You can start from buying from reputable dealers or auction houses first. to me, coins were stamped or casted in large quantities, they can not be compared with the sword fittings that are hand made and unique in every piece.

There appears to be three artists with the same name in history. One indeed belongs to Ishiguro school, he studied under 石黑政広 or his student. However, to be sure, you need to study the Kao, I have no reference book to check for you.

The first is 淸 for sure. The second is very close to 胤 which is not unusual in Japanese artist names. So my guess is it is a variation of it, Japanese characters sometimes deviates from the original Chinese origin, some deviate further if it is a signature. I searched it in the following book (it has almost everyone recorded in the field) but found no match. It may not be someone well known. https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NDL1188487_古今装剣金工一覧_part1.pdf

Is there anyone you know who is going to be the next Ford?

Thank you for your comment. The tobacco pouch and pipe case also are of very high quality which makes me believe it might be made early masters of Goto family but signed by later generations to certify it. It is common on kozukas but not Menuki due to the size. I forgot to mention the size is just over 1 and 1/4 inch which is typical. The practice of using genuine Menuki as pouch clasp can be found on high end products. Below is an example I found： https://www.bonhams....8-late-19th-century/ the rooster is one out of the typical pair of Menuki with rooster and hen designs.

Here is the signature and back.

Hello everyone, I am a new member here and this is my first post. I recently came across a menuki repurposed as a tobacco pouch clasp, which is common in Meiji period. The design is very common and typical Goto school I would say. However, the metal work is exquisite compared to some other horse menuki I have seen. Upon close inspection I found it is actually signed on the side. The signature says "光乘" who is the fourth master of Goto main family line. Further research tells me that the pieces are normally not signed before the fifth generation of Goto family. Does it mean this is a fake signature and/or a fake piece. Any thoughts? I appreciate your comment and insight. Here is the piece