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Here is a Yanagawa Naomasa Fuchi Kashira

Hey Tosogu collectors, I recently obtained my second Yanagawa Naomitsu piece, a beautiful lion and peony themed fuchigashira (possible tokubetsu hozon candidate?) In celebration of this new acquisition I felt a mega lion thread would be fitting, hoping to get the rest of the forum involved! Post your best lions, all types of Tosogu welcome! I'll start:

My small contribution, old nanban tsuba in ok state. Yet I love the two shishi and the little gold dot for the eyes.

Similar ones to this piece in Japanese publications are labelled Satsuma or Oda school

Recently acquired this Kikuoka Mitsumasa.

You are almost certainly correct - the general rule of thumb for Komonjo blades is, if they aren't papered, assume they won't paper, at least in their current state.

Here is an iron set of fuchi/kashira with what I was told is a pair of lion hunters/lions. I have not researched the mei.

Very well! Since many have already seen my avatar anyway… I'll add a good work on the theme of "shishi dance") The lion dance is usually performed as part of the New Year's celebrations. The dancer in front is dressed as a lion. The man behind him plays music for the dance on a flute. In addition to the man dancing as the lion's head, there are others who form the body. The second dancer in the lion costume is shown on the reverse of the kozuka. The lion dance tradition developed in China from a belief that the dance would protect villages from evil spirits. Stylized lions such as this are known as Chinese lions ("shishi") in Japan. https://art.thewalters.org/object/51.691/ Best regards!

Mine....

Here is one of mine.

Closer views! and

I concur that there are likely to have been unorthodox targets cut with this sword. Don’t ask me why I might know this Jeff, regarding tsuka - no they do not crack up and fall to pieces after a few cutting sessions. They can take a surprising amount of abuse and come out relatively unscathed. The blade typically breaks/bends before a healthy tsuka gives up. The caveat here is healthy, and fitted correctly for the nakago. Since the scratches run through the rust on the edge of the blade, they must have occurred after the rust accumulated. This leads me to believe that the scratches are later than WWII.

You win!

I edited the title to include shishi as many will know them more this way than as actual lions

This is why long swords weren't allowed to be worn indoors. Show us the damaged furniture.

Overall the feeling I get is that the blade was repeatedly subjected to cutting some harsh materials. Bamboo seems like a fit in-part. Possibly even bent and straightened in / after the process. I have to look deeper / more thoroughly but I see evidence for at least 6 different harsh cuts. My gut says someone pushed this thing late edo timeframe and I’m looking at the fallout from that intentionally destructive endeavor. Blade is gimei Okimasa (I’ve analyzed the mei pretty thoroughly and it’s obvious gimei to me) … but it’s still pretty impressively crafted, and given the koshirae, it would have been expensive. In modern context, to me, it screams “rich person gets nice car and wants to floor it / play with it to see what it can do”. Or perhaps a WW2 soldier who was given it by a family who cared for it said “I might die here, I’m gonna cut some crazy stuff with this fancy sword before I go”. It’s almost definitely a WW2 trophy, as there’s a USN member enlistment number engraved into the habaki.

From the scratch marks on the blade, I think it is quite obvious that they were not caused by "professional" TAMESHIGIRI (which is not executed on TATAMI but on TATAMI OMOTE which is a very different thing). These marks look - at least to me - as if they were inflicted to the blade by chopping or hacking green wood, possibly even green bamboo. I have only limited experience with classic TAMESHIGIRI, but I have seen comparable marks on machetes, KOSHI-NATA, Swiss "Gertel", and similar agricultural cutting tools after their use in the above described way.

I have to agree with Alex on this one in absence of better pictures. Speaking as someone who has spent an embarrassing amount of money on tatami mats over the years, this pattern of wear can easily be the result of tameshigiri. That said, there are a number of alternative cutting mediums that could have contributed as well since tatami isnt "expensive" in the strictest sense of the word, but it sure isnt cheap, especially if you require them to be shipped. As for the placement of the wear, again, I would concur with Alex. There are two types of tameshigiri....first is to simply test the sword and its sharpness. The second is more practical where speed and placement are the focus and cutting through the mat is secondary. The fastest part of any blade is the tip.....and it also allows for maximum distance from your opponent..... there are several schools that focus on this type of training.

Hi All, No offense at all taken regarding disagreements. After about 5 years of consistent use, with a tameshigiri session every month or so, cutting 20-30 mats each time, with say roughly 4-5 cuts per mat, let's say for argument's sake roughly 5,500 cuts or so, my sword looks very much like this, albeit with the scratches more concentrated in the monouchi area. Yes Jeff, tip cuts are a thing and are practiced specifically in certain styles and by certain practitioners. 'Notice how the scratches stop right at the shinogi — someone did this by hand with a goal in mind.' Tameshigiri scratches do this also though. The pressure from the force/action of cutting is all focused onto both sides of the ji through the path of the cut, hence why the scratches are most prevelent there. The shinogi ji barely touches the target in the cut, because by the time it gets there, ji has forced all the material away from the blade...also worth noting is that the shinogi ji is burnished so is much harder to scratch deeply than the ji, hence the shinogi ji typically does not get as many scratches from tameshigiri. In this case, there doesnt need to be any sandpaper involved - used tatami has in it ingrained many many little sharp bits of dust, dirt and SAND from peoples feet and daily use as a floor mat. This grit of all sorts stays inside the makiwara and scratches blades when they cut it. The scratches are identical. Just my casual opinion looking at the blade, as a tameshigiri practitioner. I have no hesitation to say thats what caused it, but there certainly could have been some non-standard targets used.

Oh, ok - that makes a lot of sense, it sounds like the Shogun side of the Tokugawa family will continue but the Tokugawa Yoshinobu (last Shogun) line will end? Thank you.

I do not know much about it, but I think that there is a misunderstanding. Miki Yamagishi (山岸美喜) is a descendant of Tokugawa Yoshinobu family, which is one of many branch families of Tokugawa. Ref. Tokugawa Yoshinobu family - Wikipedia The Head Family of the Tokugawa Clan will continue. Ref. 徳川宗家 - Wikipedia The current head of the family is Iehiro Tokugawa (徳川家廣). Ref. Iehiro Tokugawa - Wikipedia

I was struggling with the Japanese description of a mounting . Mr Moriyama , who is a huge asset to the Board , assisted by giving me the translation ,being Yosegane ,together with a link to the Mokumekin Museum . The museum describes Yosegane as"like marquetry Yosegane combines metals of different colors to create patterns ". Members might be interested to see an example of what I now know to be Yosegane. This sword , regretably not mine , is one of the finest that I have ever handled. I hope you enjoy looking at it . Ian Brooks

Jeremy Sometimes we tend to oversimplify matters. Subjective preference might or might not be right for a certain sword. It becomes a matter of personal (in this case, Western) interpretation of what a traditional Japanese object should look like and is juxtaposed versus a Japanese perspective and aesthetical interpretation. Sometimes these two are misaligned and sometimes they are aligned. What I have observed is that we often tend to judge a polish as good or bad through our Western perspective and also on the basis of indeed cheaper, rushed or substandard polishes encountered in the West (and sometimes Japan). Therefore, I do not subscribe to views such as “we have seen this and that many times over an extended period of time in country X or country Z” if said country is not Japan. Indeed outside of Japan we often do not have swords in current or top polish. As mentioned in the other polish thread, older polish (even if it once was hadori) could appear as close to sashikomi if abraded with uchiko over decades. So, sometimes people think they have seen sashikomi polish when actually they have seen a sword in an older polish that has been uchiko-ed away. Also, viewing or photographing swords head-on (sword lying on its side and us viewing it directly perpendicularly from above) might not show us much if the hadori is there and blending hamon elements and I sense that characteristic is what makes some members complain about hadori and express a preference for shashikomi. But through observing the sword longitudinally and pointing to a light source, the same hadori can reveal the “hidden elements” and in addition allows full appreciation of the jigane head-on. I have also seen instances where a sword was finished in a certain way that raised some questions in my mind. Why did the polisher not bring out the hamon more or the hada even more? The polish was good but not what some in the West call “Juyo polish”. After careful discussion with the polisher it transpired that he had noticed a small sub-surface fukure (barely detectable by a polisher and invisible to the common observer). Accordingly, the polisher did not undertake further grinding and only highlighted as much as he thought would not bring up / burst the fukure (which only he noticed and many experienced people missed) and yet would allow appreciation of the sword. Such subtleties and insider insights are normally lost on most people, who would only comment on how “good” or “bad” a polish might look superficially. So, to answer your question: it is probably a mix of experience (ie, seeing older polishes or substandard polishes); preference for a specific type of viewing/ experiencing the blade (ie, head-on immediate appreciation of hamon); own interpretation of what traditional or appropriate is (ie, Western perspective on this, even though various articles and interviews have mentioned that hadori is older than what we think and that “traditionally” in the old periods swords were finished differently from sashikomi / hadori finish as we know it today) and various other personal reasons (which might include a specific belief or liking of swords that come up better in sashikomi). So, my overall advice is to research and study extensively / thoroughly before forming an extreme opinion such as this polish is better than that, so one should always go for that polish.

Ok, Colin, let me share what I have discussed in person with Tanobe sensei. It was not an in-depth discussion but a brief one as we covered other topics. However, it contradicts the pure 'preference-based' thesis and illustrates how one is perhaps slightly better than the other in certain circumstances. Sashikomi is particularly appropriate for nioi-based (or perhaps this could be extended also to very, very fine/tight ko-nie which is close to nioi) hamon with clearly defined choji or gunome-choji. Think Mitsutada, Moriie, etc. In fact, he recommended a specific polisher, adept at a particular type of polish and specialising in a particular Gokaden school, for a specific sword of mine. That particular sword (I am not going to disclose further details as that is not relevant) is a mid-Kamakura Bizen blade that fits the aforementioned modus operandi. Furthermore, the jigane has some hadatatsu, which is a signature trait of the school/smith. The new sashikomi polish replaced a previous highly skilful hadori polish and not only accentuated the choji beautifully but of course clearly delineated them. Some of the smaller choji and some of the togari gunome previously were not clear until viewed sideways. Furthermore, it subdued some of the o-hada / hadatachi and toned it down, making the jigane appear better, smoother, etc (outcome of the nugui used in there). Hadori, as others have said, eg in the other polish thread that dates to 2013 (where George Trotter and Chris Bowen exchanged lots of useful views, insights and information) could presumably also be good on choji and Bizen-like hamon. In fact, most swords nowadays indeed have hadori. But that polishing style seems to be particularly apposite for Soshu-like nie and jihada, where it spectacularly brings out the jihada, jinie, and overall nie in the entire structure. The jigane becomes more visible and clearer. Presumably in swords where you have notare midare or a simple wavy or suguha hamon (eg Yamashiro), you do not need the sashikomi to bring forward particularly visually striking formations such as flamboyant choji/o-choju/fukuro choji etc). Moreover, also when you have jinie and chikei, etc, you want the maximum luminance and translucence of the jigane (which hadori highlights). Hence the result is the wet, oily look in some of the Kamakura masterpieces. To elaborate on my earlier point above about each of the two styles potentially being done ineptly. Tanobe sensei has also commented on sometimes certain polish not being appropriate for a certain sword. In fact, I have seen numerous examples where the hadori has been too bright or too aggressive for a venerable old sword. One of mine is polished in a very respectful and delicate manner, as it behoves the dignity of an old Ko-Bizen beauty that it is. Eventually, yes, we as collectors and temporary custodians might express a predilection for one or another polishing method. However, that does not mean that it is right for the sword or that it has been done right. That is why we need to respect and listen to experts.

Recommened reading. entertaining thread from almost 10 years ago. Mark

In my opinion, it’s a matter of opinion….and we are all entitled to ours. I have seen appalling Hadori polish that do nothing for the blade. I have never seen an appalling sashikomi. In the image below of the same blade section done in the two different styles I know which I prefer and which shows the hamon to best advantage.

In addition to what Reinhardt said, the thoughts of a traditionally trained polisher (now deceased). i add that wanting to judge a polish on photo is the same as wanting to kantei a sword the same way (i'll never repeat it enough.).

Another derailed topic. For those interested in the difference of "sashikomi" and "hadori"-polish I recommend "The Craft of the Japanese sword". Read pages 119-121 and READ THEM CAREFULLY! The hadori-step of polishing was invented by polishers of the Hon'ami family in later 19th century and became widely popular. It is still now. Wether one likes it or not, it is still the choice of the owner how his blade is going to be polished. "Sashikomi"-polish is just using a different kind of nugui, turning the ji into darker patterns, but not the ha. No big deal and no "lost craft" involved. Just a matter of fashion and individual preferences. This brings me to another point: Both kinds of polishing-methods are revealing all important features of a blade. If you can't see them, it's your fault. Lighting, experience, your eyes.... basically depending on your individual background. reinhard PS.: Andrew Ickeringill's view on this topic would be of relevance here.

You can get those genetic defects fixed these days with cosmetic surgery - Devilishly clever! Sorry but all I see in that Kozuka is this The placement of that rolled up scroll is just wrong [or should that be BONG!]

Thanks for the educated input guys, my wife would have killed me if she caught me with a new sword, 900 mats, and 50 books trying to figure out how to do tameshigiri to figure it out myself lol. Last question - in your opinion if someone did a bunch of cuts post-WW2 with late edo koshirae on the blade, would it show? Koshirai looks relatively untouched to me, is signed late edo, and the ray skin is cleanly dried out and shrunk. I don’t see any signs of abuse, significant wear, or anything on the tsuka. Only one mekugi-ana so I don’t believe the blade was refitted past this koshirai. My gut tells me that the ray skin at least would have cracked up a bit with a bunch of swings on hard targets if done any time recently, but ?