Rare and interesting Kasama Shigetsugu daisho.....

[cabowen]

For the gendai-to collectors, here is something pretty amazing- a special order daisho by Kasama Shigetsugu made for the 5th generation head of a famous hot spring resort called Umegashima Onsen in Shizuoka Prefecture (beautiful place that I visited a few times)...

 

I have no interest or affiliation with the dealer....Just thought people would enjoy this. The price is listed at around $22,000US....

 

 

http://www.choshuya.co.jp/sale/gj/2012/1209/03_shigetugu.html

[w.y.chan]

I never seen a daisho from Shigetsugu before and this pair looks like a prime example of the smith's work.

The listing link says 2012 so I'm not sure if this is current anymore. The dealer generally seem to be more expensive than some other places,

 

Wah

[cabowen]

Yes, it is the first I have seen as well.

 

Ginza Choshuya is one of the highest class, highest end dealers in Japan. They are indeed pricey but usually have the some of the best items.

[w.y.chan]

Ginza Choshuya seems to be the first port of call for movie stars and tourists looking for something special.

Jackie Chan had ordered a custom made daisho with this dealer, I remember Paul Martin mentioning to me about this during his vist to Yoshikazu when the swords were being made

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20090221102259/http://world.choshuya.co.jp/jackie/index.htm

 

 

Wah

[Jean]

Medium and High end swords. Medium are in drawers, high end are on display, I got my Yasumitsu from them. Last time. I went to see them, there were less swords on display.

 

There a few shops in Tokyo which supercede GC in quality, Sokendo for example.

[zentsuji2]

What price could one pay up to in a place like this,are there swords over 10M Yen.

Lovely daisho Chris,thanks for the link,and I see your point with special order jo sun length swords,it is lovely work.The horimono are wondrous.

Would love to visit the shop,must be a collectors dream.

Have you bought from here Chris?

Regards.Ian

[w.y.chan]

What price could one pay up to in a place like this,are there swords over 10M Yen.

Lovely daisho Chris,thanks for the link,and I see your point with special order jo sun length swords,it is lovely work.The horimono are wondrous.

Would love to visit the shop,must be a collectors dream.

Have you bought from here Chris?

Regards.Ian

 

I've seen a josun length WW2 Okimasa that has the quality and sugata identical to his postwar works right down to the mei apart from the date of course. These top smiths were making shinsakuto before and during the war alongside their war effort stuff.

 

Wah

[cabowen]

I think I have bought one sword from Choshuya over the years...I usually had much better luck getting deals from private collectors in Japan than from these full retail shops. They do have wonderful items though and yes, you can pay over 10 million yen there for things on a regular basis.

 

Wah you are absolutely correct about war era "shinsakuto". Not all blades made were for the military-collectors were ordering them as well. They are hard to come by....I have not found many but have been able to put together a group of them, including an Okimasa as you mention. It's a big and broad sword much like his post war work.

[zentsuji2]

Thanks Chris and wah, I still struggle with what smiths made during the war in regards to length,and after the ban was lifted.

I surmise the longer sword was more plentiful as a post war item,and that josun, like Chris has always said are rarer and made for prizes or commissioned pieces.

This said one would see that a smith would take more time and effort to a josun sword, and sign it with the appropriate designation.

Hence rarer and more sought after.

Is this correct, at least regarding nihonto.

Ian b

[cabowen]

Most blades made for military service were less than josun in length. As a result, usually, when you come across an early Showa blade that is josun or longer, it was usually a special order, often made for a collector rather than for the military. Sometimes though, these longer blades were carried in gunto koshirae but they are still usually a made to order blade.