Leaderboard

And maybe just a little more on the cleaning issue. Part of making a tsuba for the artist is how they patinate it - it's a bit of an art in its own right - and the patina is part of the total piece. Yet at the same time tsuba can deteriorate over time from corrosion, crud, etc. If a tsuba has serious issues, it takes a real expert to remove (or at least reduce) the problems while preserving/matching the original patina as much as possible. Do you have any pictures of the tsuba before polishing? That might help to understand the era and school of the maker, as well as help guide what restoration might look like. As Geraint says, over time a patina will come back.

This practice of having two 東 inspection stamps on opposite sides of the ferrule is well known by advanced Type 95 collectors. From memory, it was used for a short time only. Nice sword and thanks for sharing.

You're amongst peers in your desire to dive right in! That's how myself, and many of us started this hobby. It's fascinating stuff. I think you're confusing asymmetrical wrap pattern with asymmetrical menuki placement. The wrap pattern is symmetrical, while your menuki are offset. The menuki depict Sakura Flowers (cherry blossoms). The wrap pattern is just the imitation silk wrap (cast in aluminum) that creates those diamond shapes across the hilt. The menuki on all Type 95s, and most Japanese swords are offset. This is because when you hold the hilt with two hands (you can try this at home), the menuki will fill the gaps in your hands/palms and create a more secure grip. Your confusion on the matter actually helps me though... I might want to reword that section in my document on the next edition, to make it a little more clear. Hope that answers some questions, All the best, -Sam

I think they are both 文政, its just that the top picture uses a variation (𭐠) So 文政ニ卯年 and 文政元寅年

Joshu Rai Kunizane

Buy “asymmetrical“ are you talking about the fact that one is lower on the handle on one side and higher on the handle on the other? If you are, that is how they are all made. That is perfectly normal.

Hope I'm not duplicating efforts, but this is the latest of his newsletters, JULY, 1971 Volume IV, No. 7. Something I found interesting: "Leon says " On page 9 below the section showing the family tree for the Awataguchi Tadatsuna school, there is a comment saying that a famous sword by Ikkanshi Tadatsuna was used to assassinate the corrupt official Tanuma. Abert says that Tanuma forced the Honami appraisers to write false appraisals or orikami for swords. I had read about the Tanuma corruption before, but had never heard about false or worthless orikami by the Honami."" Albert Yamanaka Swordsmith Article.pdf

Colin, thank you for your kind words! Your grandfather was in Japan as one of the earliest Europeans and just at an important threshold of Japanese history! He would have seen medieval Japan trying to become a modern nation in a very short period of time! How fascinating that must have been, and how difficult with no internet to ask question, no English speaking Japanese, and no Westerners knowing manners nor language! That would be a topic for a nice film!

文政元年、文正二年 Bunsei 1 and Bunshō 2, but the second date mistakenly(???) uses a different character…

Like an iron tyre/tire on a wooden cart wheel... BaZZa.

Showed this to a Kinkō artisan today. He thinks the shinchū insert is later Edo work as the carving style is quite different, and that the iron mimi fukurin rim was heated (熱処理, netsu shori)and slipped over to hold the two facet sections together.

Dear Mark. One of the things that cleaning it up will do is remove the patina from an alloy known as shakudo. This is a distinctive Japanese alloy of copper with a small percentage of gold which, when treated correctly, acquires a deep lustrous black colour which is still evident on the eyes and the inlayed sections at the back of the wing. Some of these retain their colour while some are now looking like copper where the patina has been removed. All being well, and further cleaning eschewed, these inlays will recover their patina over a considerable time. I appreciate that you are not interested in the monetary value but the best way of approaching this item is as a work of art and yourself as its temporary custodian. That art will communicate down the years if cared for. Enjoy this and keep up the research. In terms of age I note that no one has hazarded an assessment yet, it is an unusual tsuba. My guess would be late 18th to 19th century, just to get the ball rolling, but I look forward to others informed opinions. All the best.

Sam and Bruce, thank you! You both got it in one. I really did not understand what I was looking at when I was inspecting (there's an overstatement) the menuki. I'm glad I kept asking questions, and I'm very glad that you both were willing to point out my mistakes. As Sam said: That's an understatement, if ever I saw one! I'm beginning to think that I have just barely enough understanding to write a simple description that is not riddled with errors and inconsistencies. That, frankly, would be a small triumph! I plan to keep that with the sword, along with the details of my father's service in both the ETO and the Occupation of Japan. It seems important to have the sword's history documented, and to keep that with the sword. About ten years ago, I spent a good deal of time researching and documenting Dad's three years in the Army. In person, by telephone, through letters and email, I met quite a few veterans who were kind enough to share their thoughts and experiences, and they helped me to gain insight I would not have had otherwise. I'm very pleased that now I can also add what I've learned recently about this Type 95. I never thought it would be unusual to know where the sword came from, which goes to show you how little I know! After thinking about it for a bit, I expect most veteran "bring-back" trophies have little to no provenance unless the swords have remained in the family. Even then, I'm not sure that would be sufficient. I know my father rarely talked about his Army service; maybe that way of thinking was more common than I realized. In any case, I'm glad I will be able to provide this information to my son, and there will be a detailed provenance for this specific sword.. Thomas, I'm still tickled with that extra inspection stamp. It's great to know that it was something that was intentionally done, at least for a time, and it wasn't some random mistake. Thank you for taking the time to tell me! I have to say, again, that I'm in awe of the extensive knowledge all of you have cultivated through the years, and your willingness to support and assist one another. Thank you so much for your help. I appreciate it very much. I have also enjoyed reading Bruce's Japanese Sword Stamps, and I found Sam's Type 95 Military Sword Variations to be invaluable. I strongly suspect that any problems I had understanding the material are all on me. Marilyn P.S. I never met a note I couldn't turn into a letter. It's a failing, I know, but I've learned to live with it.

It seems that yakiba page from the commercial dealers links is partially inactive. Specifically if you enter the website and you try to click on swords you get a 404 error.

This is the story of my "great find," which in this case is a masterpiece. Mu'an Xintao (木庵性瑫, 1611-1684), known in Japan as Mokuan Shōtō, underwent Zen training in China at Wanfusi with three of the greatest Ch'an masters of the early 17th century: Miyun Yanwu (1566-1642), Feiyin Tongrong (1593-1661), and finally Obaku monk Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryuki, 1592-1673), who bestowed on him dharma transmission in 1650. He followed Yinyuan and an entourage of a dozen other monks from southern China to Nagasaki to help with the founding of Manpukuji, which Mu'an took over as its second abbott when Yinyuan retired in 1664. Over a period of 17 years he oversaw the expansion of Manpukuji and the founding of numerous other Obaku temples throughout Japan, including Zuishoji, the principle Obaku temple in Edo. Like Yinyuan, Mu'an was one of the most talented and prolific calligraphers of the Obaku lineage, whose work was much in demand by followers. Together with Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryuki) and Jifei Ruyi (Sokuhi Nyoitsu), he is known as one of the "Three Brushes of Ōbaku" or Obaku no Sanpitsu. His work is characterized by precise brush control, sophisticated character composition, and a grasp of the styles found in the works of late Ming literati calligraphers. This powerful example of Mokuan's large character vertical brushwork, which displays the conventions of bold, cursive Ming styles with an insistent upward tilt, was purchased for $200 (Andrew Jones Auctions, Los Angeles) as part of a set of 8 scrolls, along with one by Nakahara Nantenbo. Both have been carefully and beautifully mounted at great expense. Both come in boxes that are labeled with the artist's name, yet in auction no details were provided. No one else noticed; no one else bid. Clearly these were under appreciated since Mokuan works of this quality routinely sell for over $3,000. The provenance is documented by a handwritten translation from the shop Oriental Art Sekisen where it was purchased by a prior owner. I'm still researching the other 6 works. These works appear to have come to auction from a single collector, as his name appears on tags in each box. Signature: Obaku Mokuan sho (黃檗木庵書, Inscribed by Obaku Mokuan). Seals: Hogai gakushi (方外学士, prefatory seal); Shakushi Kaito (釋氏戒瑫); Mokuan shi (木盦氏). The inscription is of the formal Chinese name of the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, the one who hears and sees all suffering. Kanzeon bosatsu (觀世音菩薩, Chinese Guānshìyīn púsà), originally a male depiction, is known as Kannon in Japan. Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra explains how Kannon will rescue those who seek his help in times of peril, specifically addressing the dangerous encounters at sea. In this representation, Kannon is most closely associated with Dogen Zenji (1200-1253), the Zen master who introduced the Soto sect to Japan. The story goes that upon returning from his studies in China, Dogen encountered tumultuous waves and strong winds at sea. He chanted the Lotus Sutra, and then he saw Kannon riding on a lotus petal, calming the waves to ensure his safe return to Japan. For Obaku monks who undertook perilous sea journeys from China to Japan, this image served multiple roles. It functioned as a metaphorical guide in their spiritual quest for enlightenment while also symbolizing the protective grace of Kannon during their maritime expeditions. The tragic fate of Yelan Xingui (a top pupil of Yinyuan Longqi), who perished at sea en route to Japan, underscores the real danger these monks faced, making the image a testament to their courage, faith, and vulnerability. This is another Mokuan of the same inscription (although small in scale if you compare to the size of the seals) offered on Jauce for $850, which is far less refined and has a more frenetic energy to it.

Tom, you’re too generous - the guy didn’t even say “please”.

Signed Umetada Shigeyoshi, and dated Kei-cho 12

Good afternoon NMB and happy Friday! On offer today is a classic interpretation of the ancient Tamba style by one of its best contemporary potters, Imanshi Masahiko. This artist works out of a self described ja-gama, or snake kiln, using iron rich clay from the mountains of Tamba to stunning effect. While he makes some pieces with a modern flair that breathe new life into the style, this work represents his love for the rustic, medieval pots that his home became famous for centuries ago. His kiln is much lower in height and far more narrow than a typical noborigama (climbing kiln), and it is this shape along with a gently sloping geometry that allow the flames to completely engulf his pieces. This result is intimate, where the fire and raw earth become one. This cup in particular has the feeling of a weathered stone lantern covered in moss, that has allowed itself to be harmonious with nature. Measures 7 x 5cm and is in perfect condition. I acquired this from a friend in Japan that selected it directly from the artist at an exhibition, and waived the option of having a box made. As such it is offered at a very attractive price, and of course I guarantee its authenticity. $110 shipped to the USA, international buyers please contact me for a quote. Thanks for looking!

Thank you Pier In the Bunsei 1, I can read the Tora zodiacal kanjIi (in 4th position) what do you think ?

Yak hair, often used to trim a variety of armour components…..mostly Kabuto and Menpo. (Just the opinion of a total beginner!)

Hello everyone, TLDR: Interested in Japanese swords and fittings? I made this to help the field. Open nihontowatch.com on your phone browser, and add to home screen (Share → Add to Home Screen). Thank me later. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have been thinking for quite some time about the future of our field. I have been blessed with incredible mentors and opportunities, most notably the late Darcy Brockbank, who was so generous in sharing his knowledge. Since his tragic passing, I have felt a responsibility to carry that work forward. What I am about to present, I built as an homage to his memory. Our field has problems. We operate in a field of extraordinary depth without being equipped with the knowledge and tools to understand what we're looking at when we browse the market. Refreshing dozens of dealer websites every week, most in Japanese, copy-pasting listings into translation apps, pinching to zoom on sites built twenty years ago — market awareness is just painful and you miss things constantly. You spend an hour and walk away unsure you have seen everything. And this is just the market experience. The deeper problem is access to knowledge. There are no catalogues raisonnés for artists. Yuhindo would have grown into it — it was planned. But alas, Yuhindo is no more. No way to know, with any confidence, whether a price is reasonable without decades of experience or tens of thousands of dollars invested in published references. No way to know why something costs what it does. Communication with Japanese dealers remains daunting for most. No easy way to know who is a reputable dealer. The barrier to entry is simply too high, and this friction keeps our field artificially small. Fine art has Artnet. Watches have Chrono24. Antiquarian books have AbeBooks — markets with comparable depth and comparable opacity, served by platforms that bring transparency and accessibility. These fields have benefited immensely: they have enabled new entrants in droves to collect in confidence. Our field needs more knowledge and transparency to build interest and trust.Japanese swords and fittings. Eight hundred years of collecting history at the highest levels. The category that contains the most national treasures in Japan. The indefatigable search for perfection of an entire civilization. And yet, we have nothing. This had to change. As I write this, there are 3,021 Nihonto and 1,607 Tosogu items for sale across 44 dealers, Japanese and international, in a single searchable interface. Every listing is structured with attribution, certification, measurements, and artist intelligence data. NihontoWatch is on track to follow 100% of the online market for genuine items with NBTHK papers. Refreshed 12 times a day. Everything is translated and structured, as it trickles in live. But what is this worth, if it's so hard to know what you're looking at? Especially for newcomers, it is so hard to tell what you're looking at. This is where the magic is. I am nostalgic of reading through Yuhindo's artist descriptions. It made me deeply appreciate the field. It got me in. NihontoWatch scales this experience and creates something approaching a living catalogue raisonné for every Tosogu and Nihonto artist. It matches every listing against a database combining the complete Juyo, Tokubetsu Juyo, Juyo bunkazai, Kokuho, and Gyobutsu designation data — over 23,000 items at the highest level, with rich text in classical Japanese. This data is then processed, synthesized, and presented into NihontoWatch's artist directory in a way that is respectful of the NBTHK's copyright. With this, you'll be able to discover a maker's historical reputation through quantitative analysis of exhaustive provenance records, in ways never seen before. Over time, all of these artist pages will come alive, forming an ever-expanding knowledge base. - How rare is it? - How many Tokuju? - How many designated works ranked Juyo and above? - Why is this important? - Where does it rank relative to other works? - What is for sale right now? - What was for sale recently? All the answers are in. These are questions that come up constantly in our community, and until now, answering them required years of collecting published references worth tens of thousands of dollars, and patiently indexing them with post-its or one-by-one in a spreadsheet. Only professional dealers or major collectors could afford to do this. This is a BETA, so there are errors. The more obscure the artist, the higher the error rate, and there are still basic errors I need to fix with some famous artists. A lot of algorithmic tinkering and curation ahead. It will keep getting better with your feedback. See the results for yourselves: - Soshu Masamune: https://nihontowatch.com/artists/masamune-MAS590 - Ichimonji school: https://nihontowatch.com/artists/NS-Ichimonji - Yasuchika (tosogu): https://nihontowatch.com/artists/yasuchika-TSU001 - Goto school: https://nihontowatch.com/artists/NS-Goto Click one and explore the designations, the provenance abalysis, the measurement distributions. This is just a first shot — over time this data will grow. Here is one where I have published an item I studied for my Substack article on Mitsutada: - Osafune Mitsutada: https://nihontowatch.com/artists/mitsutada-MIT281 Imagine Yuhindo, but with a page for every artist and every piece ever captured on camera. Saw a national treasure at an exhibition in Japan? Share your photos on NihontoWatch's artist catalogue. In the future, owners of particular works will be able to publish them to the artist's catalogue. Think of it as a growing, community-curated knowledge base for every artist in the field. And so much more Browse and filter: Designation, dealer, item type, school, province — all filterable, all instant. Prices display in JPY, USD, or EUR. Every filter combination is a shareable URL. The sold archive tracks thousands of items for pricing research. And it works for every budget, for collectors at every level. - All Tokubetsu Juyo Nihonto on the market - All Tsuba with Hozon or Tokubetsu Hozon, maximum price $2,000 Setsumei translations: On some items, you can press the floating book icon on any Juyo item to toggle between photos and the Juyo setsumei translated text. For most Juyo and above items, the NBTHK evaluation text from the dealer's page is identified by computer vision and translated into English. It will fail if the dealer has not posted the Juyo Zufu extract, but in the majority of cases they do, and the result is remarkably accurate. Do use responsibly — the quality is great, but not perfect. Always purchase professional translation from Markus Sesko when contemplating the purchase of a Juyo-designated piece. Search alerts: Never miss an item again. Define keywords and filters and save them. NihontoWatch will run your search every 15 minutes, and when something new appears, immediately send you an alert email. In practice, missing a listing that fits your interests becomes almost impossible. Tip: I recommend avoiding overly specific queries. "Juyo tsuba" or "Kamakura signed tachi" are safer than specific artists such as "Yozozaemon Sukesada," which would be more fickle. Broad queries give you the best market coverage. Inquiry emails: Press "Inquire" on any listing to draft a professional inquiry in Japanese. Handles etiquette and formality, and can help you request the 10% consumption tax exemption available to overseas buyers. Did you even know you could get 10% off? How many new entrants lost 10% on this, at least at the beginning? I for one did. I've seen countless high spenders neglect to request it while shopping across Japanese galleries. Glossary: The technical language of Nihonto and Tosogu is deep and specialized — needlessly so for non-Japanese speakers. Anytime a technical term comes up, you can click and see what it means. Over 1,200 terms, searchable, automatically linked from the setsumei translations. Who remembers always keeping an index open to keep track of terms when studying Juyo items? https://nihontowatch.com/glossary How best to use NihontoWatch While it works wonders on desktop, NihontoWatch works most beautifully on your phone. I use it every day — it feels like I have the market in my pocket. Open nihontowatch.com on your phone, hit Share → Add to Home Screen. And voila, you have an app. It becomes something you check with your morning coffee, the way one might check the news. A word of caution The data has errors — always verify independently. This is a tool to explore the market, not a substitute for critical thinking. If it looks too good to be true, it likely is, and this system can't easily correct online misrepresentations. Old listings where dealers have not marked items as "SOLD" will still appear as available. Listing errors will slip through, but data quality improves continuously as the system learns over time. Get involved - Missing a listing or dealer you like? PM me or post here. - Bug? PM me or post here with steps to reproduce. - Dream feature request? Reply in this thread. I will keep this thread active and share major updates when time permits. Everything is free right now, and will remain so until ready for official release. This is no trivial task, and it is expensive to operate — it will need to be covered in some way down the line. It will be tempting to keep it for yourself. But if we want our field to grow, we must share knowledge and expand market access and transparency. The single most impactful thing you can do right now is help others discover and use the tool. Share it with your study group. Share it with your collecting circle. Share it with a friend who has been curious about Nihonto and Tosogu but found the barrier to entry too high. That barrier just got a lot lower. Farewell, Darcy. This is for the teacher in you. Hoshi

Could someone please help me translating this total inscription on the opposite side of a Hisakatsu tanto? Thanks in advance.

https://www.tsukamaki.net/PDF/gary_montgomery01.pdf An amusing story of early tsuba collecting - and why cleaning is not something to undertake without research.

Probably you have seen this: https://wakeidou.com/pages/640/ Ichijo work. His student Ikkin could do this sort of design even better, though he kinda worked to the level he was getting paid. Thus, some stunningly detailed Ikkin works, and some kinda mailing it in. This is an example of "mailing it in" : Is yours Ichijo school? Hard to know. I would say No. I understand @Rivkin point that it might be Meiji work. The focus is more on decoration, less on detail. That does point more towards Meiji.

Generally it's a big no-no to clean these unprofessionally as the patina will often contain vital clues as to age.

Yes, as Jean and Bruno say, an unusual but strangely attractive version of agehacho swallowtail. Alignment of eyes, dot numbers, number of legs… The wave treatment of the rim is striking too. It could be a ‘torn-fan’ butterfly. Will check some books. Among others, the Ikeda Daimyo family of Himeji and Tottori used the standing, wings-up butterfly.

I think I read somewhere he had a unique way he wrote his signature so look into that on here as a search as see if its the same or different, I recall it was the kanji for DAIJO he made unique. Best of luck

I just read that in Finland, PhD graduates get a awarded a Top Hat and Sword with their degree... The top hat apparently symbolises academic freedom and independence, while the sword represents the responsibility to defend truth and scientific knowledge. So I am fact checking on my favourite Sword forum... @Jussi Ekholm is this true, it seems old world crazy enough to be true but does it really still happen? if it does is there a specific sword you need you get awarded or do you get to chose your own sword? Perhaps nice katana to write off on tax cause it was part of my degree. Or does each university have their own specific sword? Or is it only a specific university? So many questions. If true it might be time for me to do a doctorate in Finland! 🤩

I should have my glasses on Thanks for the help