Surfson Posted October 19, 2018 Report Posted October 19, 2018 This sword just sold on ebay for $5400 or so. Sorry I underbid because the tsuba and fuchi-kashira were made by a student of Goto Ichijo. It looked like a little TLC would turn it into a sweet setup. Did a NMB member end up with it? Congratulations if so! Quote
Vermithrax16 Posted October 19, 2018 Report Posted October 19, 2018 Wow, those could be something! What about the sword? Any good? Quote
Surfson Posted October 19, 2018 Author Report Posted October 19, 2018 I am convinced that the signature is good. Found an exact match in the kinko meikan. I find that swords in mounts that good are rarely bad, but couldn't discern much about it. It is also short - 24 5/8". 1 Quote
Vermithrax16 Posted October 19, 2018 Report Posted October 19, 2018 Which student? Did a quick glance of Sesko PDF meikan: - he had a LOT of students - didn't see anything close Quote
Surfson Posted October 19, 2018 Author Report Posted October 19, 2018 There are only three listed in Haynes - p1297 and 1298. He is on page 326 in the kinko meikan. Quote
Ian B3HR2UH Posted October 20, 2018 Report Posted October 20, 2018 Hi Bob , I wound up with that one so it will be travelling down under ( To Australia ) . The mei is Katsura Eiju , or Nagatoshi , and it matches up well with one I found in Tsuba Kodogu Kantei Nyumon by Wakayama . Ian Brooks 5 Quote
Surfson Posted October 20, 2018 Author Report Posted October 20, 2018 Congratulations Ian. The tsuba and fuchi kashira are absolutely good, and the work looks very nice. I was planning to bid $6600 but softened it up, feeling a little strapped lately with weddings happening and such. Here is a page from the kinko meikan. Sorry I didn't rotate the photos from the listing. Anyway, I think that it will clean up really well. I was wondering if a little acetone might take the grease out of the ito but would test to be sure it doesn't take color out as well. Cheers, Bob 1 Quote
TheGermanBastard Posted October 20, 2018 Report Posted October 20, 2018 This is a very nice package. I have had it on my watch list, too. Exellent Koshirae ... the blade is most probably also of good quality. Good luck & congrats! Quote
Surfson Posted October 20, 2018 Author Report Posted October 20, 2018 Ian, I will be curious as to whether it is a katana or wakizashi. The guy clearly didn't know how to measure, and if his figure of 24 5/8 is off by a couple of inches......you may receive a wakizashi. I tried to explain to him that it was important and how to measure it properly but he got defensive and even threatened to block me from bidding so I backed off. Actually, if he had measured it right and it was clearly a katana, I would have certainly bid more, so it affected his bottom line without his even knowing it. I am off to Belgium in a few hours, so if I don't reply to any answers it may mean that I don't have good wifi access. Once you get it and clean it up, please post some nicer photos of it. Cheers, Bob Quote
Surfson Posted October 20, 2018 Author Report Posted October 20, 2018 That is my sense of it too Luis. If so, the original sword was not particularly long, unless the original mekugiana is now gone. Quote
TheGermanBastard Posted October 21, 2018 Report Posted October 21, 2018 This is a very promising piece. Even an idiot like me can tell this. Fantastic mounts and a promising old Koto blade. I had requested more images from the seller but what he showed of the blade was too fuzzy as to make a good guess. Unfortunately the seller was not very eager to provide more details. On the other hand if he had, the price might even have risen more. At over 5k it was definately out of my league but it is one of the swords where I am dying to see what it turns out to be. I am very sure taht Ian will not be disappointed at all. Case you decide to send the blade to Shinsa please let us know the result. Good luck! Quote
Pete Klein Posted October 21, 2018 Report Posted October 21, 2018 Robert - as Ian pointed out this is by Katsura Eiju who founded the Katsura School but who was not a student of Goto Ichijo as he pre-dated him. You can find a good write up in Sesko's, 'The Japanese Toso Kinko Schools' on page 240. He was apparently a student of Yokoya Terukiyo and possibly the second Soyo (there is some debate on this but it is totally possible). BTW - the, 'Kinko Meikan' you used has been updated by the, 'Shinsen Kinko Meikan' in the latter 1990's as the former had errors which were corrected in the later edition. Having the three book Wakayama set is also advisable (Toso Kodogu Meiji Taikei) as it along with the, 'Shinsen Kinko Meikan' are used by the shinsa teams and their page numbers are found in, 'Haynes Index'. 2 Quote
Surfson Posted October 21, 2018 Author Report Posted October 21, 2018 Thanks Pete. I have to admit that I jumped to conclusions after seeing the lineage mention in Haynes for one of the three Nagatoshi listed. I have gone through the text in the kinko meikan and did not find any reference to Ichijo, so I agree with what you say. I do have the three volume Wakayama books but find them not to be indexed in a way that can be easily used (by me), so they are my last resort. Thanks for the notes about Nagatoshi (Eiji). He is clearly very talented, though I did find the nanako to lack the kind of perfection that one sees with the very highest level makers and he is listed at the lowest level in the kinko meikan. Cheers, Bob Quote
Surfson Posted October 21, 2018 Author Report Posted October 21, 2018 PS, I don't consider myself to be a "fittings guy", and mostly buy what I like, making sure that I am not getting gimei stuff. Having said that, sadly, I don't consider myself a "sword guy" either! Quote
Ian B3HR2UH Posted October 22, 2018 Report Posted October 22, 2018 Thank you all for your comments . I particularly appreciate you providing the page out of the Kinko Meikan Bob. Ian Quote
Pete Klein Posted October 22, 2018 Report Posted October 22, 2018 http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b760-index-Japanese-sword-fittings-and-associated-artists-robert-Haynes This is the index plus the description translations and information in English I mentioned above. Quote
Surfson Posted October 22, 2018 Author Report Posted October 22, 2018 Same one I mention above, having mention of this smith on P1297-8 Quote
Pete Klein Posted October 22, 2018 Report Posted October 22, 2018 " I do have the three volume Wakayama books but find them not to be indexed in a way that can be easily used (by me), so they are my last resort". Sorry, but I'm confused by this statement as the Haynes Index has the reference pages to the Wakayama book(s) if the artist has mei listed there. Perhaps I'm just missing something... Quote
Surfson Posted October 24, 2018 Author Report Posted October 24, 2018 Ahh, so you go to Haynes first and use it as an index for Wakayama? I will have to try that! Quote
Surfson Posted October 24, 2018 Author Report Posted October 24, 2018 Don't let my confusion confuse you Pete! I bet there are others unaware of this method as well. I sure hope I'm not the only one.. Quote
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