Exclus1ve

Shakudo with a high gold content almost always has a rich bluish-purple tone with an iridescent sheen in the light. My observations are based on those of Ford Hallam. He mentioned that, by the late Edo period, gold was no longer used to achieve this kind of black patina. These are only my own observations, but it certainly doesn't look like modern work to me.

Based on these photos, it does not appear to be shakudo, it is more likely a later alloy. However, the construction looks original and does not appear to be a modern reproduction. I think it is simply an ordinary late-period piece.

I agree. In this case, the cleaning appears to have been chemical. That's worse than simply losing the patina. The copper color will never be the same again because the top layer of the metal has been chemically etched.

Everything is fine with this F/K set.

Hello) I don't see any crime) It feels like the relief has been somewhat worn down through use. I'd guess it's kyo-kinko.

More often than not, people are interested in the sword itself rather than the fittings. Dealers understand this. There's a fake security guard there.

According to the new photos, the quality seems to be more ordinary, which is typical of school work. The signature itself is well written, the first kanji is different in spelling, perhaps it makes sense to have another artist.…

I think we often focus too much on Mei instead of looking at the work itself) Thomas, is it possible to take large photos of the object itself?

Hi, Jake! I just can't stop thinking about it) Repatination is a complicated process and doesn't always end successfully. Also, the black color of the tenjo-ita matches the base material of the fuchi perfectly, and overall it looks like a single, seamless piece (it's been polished without any gaps), so it doesn't seem like a separate chemical treatment. I can't really judge the authenticity of the mei, and I wouldn't rely on shinsa 100% either, since the craftsman wasn't famous enough for forging his signature to be as worthwhile as forging the signatures of the great founders. Variations in his signature over the course of his career are entirely possible, and this signature is executed quite well. Based on these photos, the quality is clearly above average. The carving and especially the nanako both look very good. imho

A good example of the Soten school.

These are low-quality works of the mass segment. In the style of Soten, yes, but this is not even close to the work of the Soten school itself. The signature was made by a man who is just beginning to master a chisel.

I like. The plate is completely black because it is made of the same alloy as the rest. This is less common, but still a common occurrence (in the kinko meikan example as well). I would ask you to take such large photos of the work itself.

I agree with what's been said above. And I don't think the «Tokubetsu Kicho» status has anything to do with this piece.

I don't really see the value of a hakogaki unless it was written by the master himself or one of his direct successors. The object itself should always come first. Even Kanzan said that his signature was often forged, so I wouldn't pay much attention to it - it's just calligraphy) https://markussesko.com/2025/04/09/fake-sato-kanzan-sayagaki/

This is mumei owari sukashi tsuba of the Edo period, most likely the early Edo period.

This is the most correct assumption) Here is a similar tsuba, the signature also has nothing in common. Although looking like shakudo, the metal is probably nigurome, an alloy of katashirome (tin and lead) and copper, which only becomes shakudo after gold. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/29524

Very similar to the high-quality version of the nagoya mono…

Designs were often copied from artist to artist, from school to school. I've seen this job, and the quality of the work is really excellent. I even want to believe the seller about the documents…

When the question «How was your workday?» actually starts to annoy you

If I'm not mistaken, it was in this video that he talked about the difficulty of reproducing this technique by ordinary workers, but I think they were apprentices or students.

The classic Ishime technique, in itself simpler than Nanako, does not require such extreme precision, but requires preparation of the instrument and concentration to "catch" a certain rhythm of impact. And yes, I highly doubt that nanako was made by "non-artisans." Punch preparation alone requires a lot of skill…

Hello! I think they are the work of different craftsmen. Of course, a proper assessment would require detailed photographs from multiple angles. However, when we are talking about the work of a master craftsman such as Teruhide, the standards the master set for his own work were considerably higher. This particular example is not flawless, either in terms of the katakiribori or in the execution of the waves themselves. The carving - specifically the thickness of the lines and the cutting angles - varies from one line to another. I agree that signatures are often of limited help when establishing authorship, but in the case of an Omori signature, I would always evaluate the workmanship itself before considering the signature. This is not to say that this koshirae is of poor quality - not at all (sometimes I feel as though I am unintentionally insulting other craftsmen when I make such comparisons). It is simply that everything is relative, and the works of artists of such renown are on yet another level. I have noticed that many people here do not recognize the difference between a truly great work and a merely very good one. For many, Joi is Joi - what difference does it make, the work is good anyway)) But that is not the correct way to look at it. All the works with complex compositions from master-master are almost flawless or flawless. And yes, there are not so many such masters, but you will see these works immediately, even without a signature.

Yes, that's exactly what it is.

Mei doesn't look high-quality, just scratched. I think it's a cast brass tsuba from the 20th century, which was nevertheless put on some kind of sword. Not looking for a lot of meaning in this product…

If I'm not mistaken, the Omori Teruhide signature was also used by some of his students. I don't think this set was made by Teruhide himself. His works are renowned for their more refined and delicate finish. I've seen several authenticated Omori examples, and in those cases there was no doubt at all about the attribution. That said, this koshirae as a whole looks very interesting. Thank you for sharing it!