Katana Koshirae Information

[Lukas K]

Hi there,

 

A year back during my visit to Japan i bought this koshirae. It was a small antique shop in the middle of nowhere in Nikko...it wasn;t breaking the bank but had good feelimg about this. I was wondering if you guys can tell me mre about it? Period? It might not be a big deal but definitely best souvenir i got Would appreciate any info. I posted tsuba translation topic way back and i can tell that there is two mei on both sides - Tadayoshi & Tadanaga, do know if it's genuine. Any information woukd be helpful. Thank you!

 

Lukas

 

 

 

[Stephen]

Nice Lukas

 

Love the dragons, sorry all i can get on tsuba is Tadayoshi. 

[Ray Singer]

Tsuba is signed:

 

Hizen no Kuni Ju Tadanaga saku

Tadayoshi saku

Kanbun ni nen (1662)

[SteveM]

The fuchi is signed Ryūsensai Masayuki(?). Not sure about the rendering of 連行 as Masayuki. Tsugayuki, Tsurayuki, Yasuyuki are also possible readings. Ryūsensai is his gō, or art name. Active around Ansei-era (1850s).

 

Enjoy this piece for what it is: a lovely souvenir from a lovely, historical part of Japan. I don't think there is any great monetary value in any of the parts. Some of the parts could be fake, and they could all have been recently assembled to create the whole ensemble. It doesn't matter, as long as it wasn't sold to you as a museum-piece. For what its worth, I think they are all genuinely old items - although I cannot say for sure the signatures are real. I think the ensemble is nice. The saya is particularly nice, with its two-tones and two-textures, and the gold tsuka-ito works well with the two-tone saya. I would say mid-19th century. A very nice souvenir, I think. 

[John A Stuart]

Check out Renko, Tsurayuki H 10982 Last half of 19th century. John

[Lukas K]

Thank you for all the information! May have few more questions regarding some of my finds and projects on the future as i am creating small display cabinet and wanted to have small notes under each item with as much info as i can find , this will help. 

[Geraint]

Dear Lukas.

 

I think you have a lovely find here.  Is there a separate soft metal insert in the fuchi?  The detail of the work, not least the ito maki which while fragile is very good, and the koi guchi as well as the detail of the fittings on the fuchi, the matching kojiri and the overall theme lead me to disagree with Steve.  Nice original koshirae and though a little worn very well worth preserving.

 

Enjoy

[Lukas K]

Thanks Geraint! yes there is a seperate soft metal on the fuchi on both sides; it does have two little bumps that go into the tiny wholes onthe fuchi to keep it tight. I assume that similar thing is happening at the kashira side. Ito maki is on the fragile side but it still in quite good shape.