Honda Tadakatsu's JuBi Aoe sword is up for sale!!!

[MassiveMoonHeh]

Honda Tadakatsu is probably the most famous of Tokugawa's generals known as one of Tokugawa's Four Heavenly Kings  (徳川四天王, Tokugawa-shitennō) he was an absolute beast on the battle field. Famous for his deer antlers on his Kobuto he is universally celebrated as one of the most formidable warriors in Japanese history, famously dubbed "The Warrior Who Surpassed Death" because he fought in over 50 major campaigns without ever sustaining a single wound. 

 

In one of the rarest opportunities in recent memory one of his swords has been listed for sale under the name of the Hosokawa lord himself.

 

Moreover, it's an exceptionally well-preserved and appears to be of superior craftsmanship having been designated as a Jūyō Bijutsuhin on December 5, 1942 when it was owned by Hosokawa Moritatsu. 

 

This is an incredibly special piece and if you are looking for a high value sword with incredible provenance that should really belong in a museum, then this sword must certainly be investigated.

 

I am not sure if another Tadakatsu sword has ever been listed but this is certainly in my eyes an extremely rare event.

 

It can be found here at Eirakudo. 

 

Enjoy.

[eternal_newbie]

As an aside, the koshirae is an utsushi of a set that was owned by Oda Nobunaga.

[Lewis B]

Anyone know what Eirakudo are asking for this historical artifact?

[Natichu]

3 hours ago, eternal_newbie said:

As an aside, the koshirae is an utsushi of a set that was owned by Oda Nobunaga.

I had a question about that. I know the translation on Nihontowatch says that, but isn't that an utsushi of the the Nobunaga koshirae of Hosokawa Tadaoki? Discussed by Markus Sesko in his Koshirae Taikan and here, named after the swordsmith not the warlord:

 

https://markussesko.com/2013/03/02/hosokawa-tadaokis-hot-temper-and-his-higo-koshirae/

 

Beautiful Higo style koshirae at any rate. 

[eternal_newbie]

31 minutes ago, Natichu said:

but isn't that an utsushi of the the Nobunaga koshirae of Hosokawa Tadaoki? Discussed by Markus Sesko in his Koshirae Taikan and here, named after the swordsmith not the warlord:

 

I think you're right about that. Thanks for the correction!

[Schneeds]

5 hours ago, Lewis B said:

Anyone know what Eirakudo are asking for this historical artifact?

I imagine it's somewhere in the area of a first-born child   

 

I wish Eirakudo hadn't changed their photography setup, the hada is so washed out on many of the listings.

[Takezo]

yeah, basically impossible to get a read on jigane from their photos, unless its very clear and pronounced with no utsuri.

[Takezo]

Quote

This is an incredibly special piece and if you are looking for a high value sword with incredible provenance that should really belong in a museum, then this sword must certainly be investigated.

I thought you couldn't export JuBi?

[MassiveMoonHeh]

3 hours ago, Takezo said:

I thought you couldn't export JuBi?

JuBi blades can be exported but when they are they lose their JuBi status. 

 

You cannot export JuBu or Kokuho.

[Takezo]

Is the Nagamitsu on Aoi Art a JuBi or JuBu? It says it can’t be exported.

[MassiveMoonHeh]

9 hours ago, Takezo said:

Is the Nagamitsu on Aoi Art a JuBi or JuBu? It says it can’t be exported.

This is a JuBi blade. It definitely can be exported but it looks like Aoi Art has opted not to provide Overseas Shipping. This is not uncommon as clients or shops try keep JuBi blades in Japan.

 

You can always get an agent to purchase it and they can arrange to ship it overseas.

[eternal_newbie]

4 minutes ago, MassiveMoonHeh said:

This is not uncommon as clients or shops try keep JuBi blades in Japan.

 

Yep, if I recall correctly the same applied to a sword offered by Ginza Seiyudo.

[Hoshi]

Hi, 

 

While it is theoretically possible to de-register and export Jubi items, I do not recommend it for a number of very important reasons. 

 

First of all, it is considered poor taste. Jubi was initially done (in a rush...) to prevent swords from leaving the country during difficult economic times. This is therefore a sensitive topic, and the reaction to de-registering and exporting a Jubi can vary from a frown to a perception of national treason. While one can probably reach the level of respect in that community where it's considered "mostly OK but only for you" to do this, the mere fact of having the money and not the standing would be considered exceedingly poor taste.  

 

Second, it destroys value. Once a Jubi is de-registered, it is no longer Jubi for collectors in Japan. Expect a value hit of 50%. 

 

Third, there is a significant percentage of Jubi items whose attributions, provenance, etc would not hold up to today's standard, and there are also items that would be considered gimei. It is therefore a real minefield. 

 

Fourth, the quality aspect: the average TJ blade is superior to the average Jubi blade. What differs is the variance: there are a few great Jubi which are true outliers in terms of important and quality, such as the Sagara Mitsutada or the Ko-Bizen Tomonari in the Taiwan exhibit. However, the average price of a Jubi is typically around the price of a high TJ because ownership of these items carry status, and collectors pay for this rare status and especially, the frozen supply. 

 

So, to sum up: You will be spending more money than on a TJ, you take an immediate haircut of 50%, you hurt your reputation in the process unless truly special circumstance, and if your knowledge is not sufficiently advanced, you may end up with a poorly attributed item that does not hold up to modern standards. 

 

As for this specific blade, it is attributed to Aoe school (Not Sadatsugu, unlike what the listing present). It is a typical Chu-Aoe blade of the Nambokucho period of upper Juyo quality. Probably the work of one of the "-tsugu" smiths of that period. 

 

I hope this helps, 

 

Hoshi

 

 

[Hector]

This definitely sounds like a case of "If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it".

 

(And even if you can afford it, you're not worthy of it.)