Swapping out good koshirae

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think one thing that we might have skipped over is the historical value of item instead of artistic quality. Finding Kamakura - Nanbokuchō - Early Muromachi koshirae is incredibly rare and they have significant historical importance regardless of their quality. At least to me they easily top even the best much later koshirae just because of their age. When you visit Tokyo National Museum (or another Japanese museum with great display) and get to see some of the most treasured complete koshirae that remain to this day, I think that has certain prestige that you cannot take away just because koshirae might be plain etc. Then of course there are late Muromachi - Early Edo koshirae that have provenance to famous people, which should carry extra prestige too.

 

There are also the rare occasions that a sword and koshirae have passed Jūyō together. They are very few in number.

 

My own personal taste is toward very plain and utilitarian koshirae I really like plain old tachi koshirae compared against more elaborate ones, and same thing with katana koshirae. I dislike too fancy koshirae and would not really want to invest money on that. Of course I wouldn't break a ready set but high level of koshirae would most likely make it a pass for me.

[Rivkin]

Definitely yes today, but my guess is they are so rare because koshirae was not really collectible until 1650 or so and even afterwords I just don't see in the list of sales or gifts really old pieces having a prominent place. Early Goto - sure, but just plain Nambokucho... And then quite a lot of old origami attribute armor or koshirae to ashikaga shoguns, while the pieces are clearly edo, so it was also probably all mixed up at that time.

 

Kirill R.

[Alex A]

 

 

My own personal taste is toward very plain and utilitarian koshirae I really like plain old tachi koshirae compared against more elaborate ones, and same thing with katana koshirae. I dislike too fancy koshirae and would not really want to invest money on that. Of course I wouldn't break a ready set but high level of koshirae would most likely make it a pass for me.

 

I like the old Tensho style too, but rare as you point out.

 

Ive seen later Edo recreations, one at nihoto.us a while ago, and one at an arms fair years ago with a tired Koto Bizen blade. I should have bought it, was only £900, but did need some attention. I didn't buy it, because im an idiot

 

Saying that though, wouldnt mind a set of matching Omori wave fittings...…….

[Gakusee]

The pristine historic full-set koshirae dating to pre-Edo are extremely rare and valuable. Both because they were not collectible, as Kirill says, but also because they were brittle (and age and time take their toll) and were viewed as utilitarian exterior “wrappers” to the real treasure within, the blade.

 

Indeed with the Edo period came the extravagance and elegance we associate today with high-end. Now, a daimyo set did not to have to be all lavish, like the examples we gave above (but could be, since indeed those were daimyo sets above).

 

One point I take exception to is that daimyo exchanged inferior blades. That, if true, would have been an insult to whoever they gave the gift to, and would have demeaned the gifter. Besides, as most things in feudal Japan, actually the level of sword that could be gifted to the shogun and high ranking daimyo was also specified, as were gifts to be given to the shogun’s entourage or to newlyweds or to concubines, sons of the daimyo etc. The level and nature of the present was narrowly delineated.

 

For your perusal and pleasure I attach several high-end sets.

 

The gold set (yes, solid gold metal fittings!) by Ota Yoshihisa was created specifically for the emperor Meiji to give to the British minister to Japan Sir Harry Parkes at the private audience in May 1871. It is now housed in the V&A museum. The emperor (if we followed Kirill’s logic above) could have used some inferior blade, a tsunagi so to speak - after all, that Brit gaijin would not have known any better and could probably not tell a good sword from a stick! Also, who cares about some unusable old blade (in this gunpowder and steam engine era) inside when you are gifted so much gold! But - no, the emperor put in there a Bizen Tomomitsu blade from around early Nanbokucho. So, not a grandmaster but still a Jojosaku smith. The blade was pretty good when I saw it.

And also, more broadly, the Tokugawa historic annals document very well the types of blades and smiths that made them. So, no need for conference papers really written by today’s authors.

 

Next one is a superb TokuJu Fukuoka Ichimonji Yoshimune daimyo set. Pristine as they come and subtly elegant.

 

Also, a court daisho. Top quality nanako and gold fittings of highest order but strictly in line with the canon.

 

And finally a Juyo tensho koshirae set.

[Alex A]

Great examples Michael.

 

Dont see those big Ko- kinko tsuba too often for sale, last one i saw was a few years ago, think Mariusz had one.

 

Looks to be Higo fittings on the other, those plain old Higo fuchi can be impossible to get a hold of, most ive seen come decorated with gold etc.

 

Very nice to see, cheers.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I was doing nightly browsing of the Tokubetsu Jūyō books I have and there are some incredible swords passing some of which feature koshirae. Here are few interesting ones. Sorry about bad pics but it is the middle of night in here. Yep we have midnight sun in Finland during summer but still bit darkish at my apartment. I chose few that I found interesting.

 

Long tachi from Heian almost 77cm, Hoki Sanekage and tachi koshirae

 

Signed Hōshō tachi by Sadaoki and koshirae it has

 

Meito tachi Mutsu Shintōgo Kunimitsu and koshirae

 

Katana attribution den Masamune and I believe this papered together with the tachi koshirae it has

 

It is rare occasion that sword papers together with the koshirae for Jūyō or Tokubetsu Jūyō but it happens sometimes. Of the above 4 I think the den Masamune sword is only one to pass with koshirae in paper while the koshirae are just mentioned for others in the entry. Latest to sword to pass Jūyō with koshirae seems to be mumei Rai Kunitoshi tanto in session 50. Sword & koshirae passing together was definately more common in early shinsa yet it was still rare even back then.

 

The Yoshimune set Michael posted earlier is just incredible, it was on display at Samurai Art Expo, stunning.

[Vermithrax16]

What treats to see tonight Michael S. and Jussi, thank you so very much. Made my night.

[Alex A]

A few more from the museum, time taken its toll, as mentioned above.