Gassan

[Lindus]

I once had a Gassan tanto,shown to Ken mishina who said he would polish it but that it would not get "Good" papers as late Gassan blades were not considered well.

My question is why?,if the man was the first living national treasure why would this be?. Did not ask the question then but am quietly interested now.

[cabowen]

I have seen plenty of Tokubetsu Hozon papered Sadakazu blades...Perhaps this was his way of telling you he didn't think the mei was good, or that he just wasn't that interested in polishing it....A head scratcher.....

[Lindus]

Indeed,or perhaps it was way outside the mainstream.

[Lance]

Depending on how long ago you showed it to him, maybe Meiji-Taisho era swords weren't appreciated as much at the time?

 

Also added a link to an old(?) article I came across a while ago from the Metroplolitan Museum of Art in NY, on Gassan Sadakazu

 

http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/journals/ ... nnered.pdf

 

Regards,

Lance

[Pete Klein]

When did you ask him??? (year)

[cabowen]

Depending on how long ago you showed it to him, maybe Meiji-Taisho era swords weren't appreciated as much at the time?

 

Also added a link to an old(?) article I came across a while ago from the Metroplolitan Museum of Art in NY, on Gassan Sadakazu

 

http://www.metmuseum.org/pubs/journals/ ... nnered.pdf

 

Regards,

Lance

 

Gassan Sadakazu has always been a famous smith and his work very popular....

[Lindus]

When did you ask him??? (year)

 

 

When he lived and worked in the UK,that would be around twenty years ago'ish.

[Ford Hallam]

I remember that tanto

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

I remember that tanto

 

 

 

Me too.

[Ford Hallam]

If memory serves I believe this was circa. 20 years ago. And for what it's worth I was very much enamoured of the blade and felt it really did deserve a decent polish and proper appraisal in Japan. Suggesting it wouldn't get good papers doesn't suggest to me Mr Mishina was implying it was gimei at all but rather that any appraisal would only confirm the mei and add nothing more. Perhaps things have changed in this regard since... In my experience he was/is always pretty direct in these matters.

 

To my mind the matter of authenticity is not in question... merely the need to have a paper to demonstrate the obvious.

[David Flynn]

Information and value, of Gendaito have risen dramatically, in the last 20yrs. If one remembers Mishina Kenji's forward, in the Yasukuni shrine sword book, he had never considered the quality of these blades until he polished one. As we all now know, these sword are highly desirous.

[almeister]

The mei is all legible

Irrespective of level of certificate the blade was given at Shinsa , Sadakazu an Imperial Court Artisan - would alone be reason enough to send the blade to Shinsa - to prove its' authenticity . Being a tanto - it also wouldn't be "overly expensive "to polish .

What would you have to lose ?

Cheers , AlanK

almeister

[cabowen]

Sadakazu is considered a shinshinto smith by most, and one of the top ones at that. As I said above, he is very highly regarded, now as well as 20 years ago, and his work is usually very expensive. This would be considered an important example of his work and, if genuine, would surely get Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Of course it would not receive Juyo papers, but one wonders why Mishina san, surely aware of the importance of Sadakazu, would poo poo it and claim it would not receive "good" papers- surely there is nothing to be ashamed of with TH level-unless there was something else going on with it....or he considers anything less than Juyo "bad",,,,

[Lindus]

Now in the ownership of a venerable Belgium collector and NMB member, I am sure he will enjoy your comments.