Springfield,16th ....$1000-$50.000

[Lindus]

This popped into my email junk box,guess you will all be going!!!

 

Mei: Tachi-me Kuniyoshi. Jidai: Tempuku era 1233 Kamakura period. Nagasa 70.3 cms. Nakago length: 8.5 cms. Sugata: Shinogi-zukuri narrow mihaba tori-zori. Nakago: Futsu. Tip: Suriage. Yasuri-mei: Kiri. Holes: 3. Jihada: Ko-itame with a little O-hada mixed in places, one side has some Rai-like Jitetsu. Boshi: Ko-maro. Hamon: Niedki suguha with small midare. Horimono: none. 40" long in sheath, blade is 28.5".

 

Estimated Price: $1,000 - $50,000

Additional Lot Information & Condition Report

 

Roy

[estcrh]

"From the Collection of George Welch, internationally known as an authoritative figure and collector of Japanese swords. George dedicated the past 70 years of his life to collecting and acquiring knowledge of Samurai Swords, wood blocks and Asian Antiques."

[paulb]

I have to say I have seen some wildly inaccurate estimates before but these guys are really hedging their bets with an estimate of between 1-50K!

George was a very well konwn figure in the US scene in the latter part of the last century. I never had contact with him but understood he was a very kind man who devoted much of his life to collecting swords. As can be seen from the sale he gathered a wide range of Asian art around him with an equally wide range in quality. I understand he had a number of blades which he believed to be of national treasure standard but would never submit them to shinsa. Longer serving members may remember some years ago A wakazashi appearing on ebay signed Sanjo Kokaji Munechika with an openning bid of around $80000. I understand that this sword was George's pride and joy and he genuinely believed it to be the work of the great master. He also had a number of blades attributed to Rai and Soshu smiths but again none were ever put to shinsa.

The chances are there may be some interesting peices amongst his collection but also a lot which are not what he thought. I wonder why his family has chosen to sell his collection through a non specialist auction house that appears to have so little idea of potential value.

[Brian]

Reminds me of the auction Richard posted about here: http://cashauction.com/AUCTION-Japanese ... 180921.php

Take some nice items, throw them in with a bunch of junk, set estimates between $1 and $20,000...and hope for the best.

This is some bizarre stuff going on here. :?

 

Brian

[cabowen]

I have seen several of these collections that were thought by the owner to contain national treasures. The two things they all have had in common are the adamant refusal of the owner to submit them to shinsa and the great likelihood that none of them would pass.....

 

Fortunately, we have come a long way in the last 10-20 years. Most people that have started collecting in the internet era have access to enough information to at least put them on the right path....Then again, we can still regularly see the beater blade on ebay with a $80,000 price tag.....Hope does indeed spring eternal...

[Surfson]

Just went through a few pages of the catalog and you all seem to be hitting the mark. An illustrious career accumulating mediocre blades as far as I can tell. You can make up your own minds. Unfortunately, it's six and a half hours from me. If I was within a couple hours of Ohio, I might just mosey down there and see if something good crept in by accident.......

 

http://www.invaluable.com/catalog/searc ... ns=1&row=1

[estcrh]

Auction link. http://www.auctionzip.com/aflive.html?m ... WSJXL7CSQA

 

A lot of very bad and inaccurate descriptions., a few interesting items.

 

Katana, gold menuki, 42", 30" long blade. 10 kt. gold ring on handle and 10 kt. gold Menuki on both sides of handle.

Estimated Price: $1000 - $50000

 

 

 

[Mark]

I knew George as i live here in Ohio. I went to the sale. Most swords went for more than they were worth (in my opinion), there was an internet buyer who bought a lot.I do not think there was any treasure there, i looked at all the swords carefully. I was suprised the bird head tachi only went for $3250 as it was at least a decent sword.

[Brian]

I assume these were 2 different auctions?

Would like to know what the other swords went for from the NY auction. Quite a few Hizento there, and all seemed to have decent appraisals and/or origami?

Might have been some good deals there.

 

Brian

[Mark]

i was talking about the auction in Sprinfield ohio, George Welch collection. Only one sword had a paper, i think it was mumei and attributed to Kai Mihara.