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Hello there! Is this: * (ko-)katchūshi ? * muromachi... edo... * ... Some numbers: 87 gram - iron 7,40 x 7,14 x 0,50 (rim) - 0,30 (seppa) Just let your comments flow! Thanks!

Rieker: Sorry to say both are reproductions. The tells are 1) the numbered habaki - the Japanese didn't do that; 2) the western Damascus style steel - not usually a Japanese technique; 3) the sharp ending to the bohi (groove) stopping in the wrong place; 4) the hamon appears to be acid etched or ground on. Price on each would be 50-100 dollars to someone into cosplay or a wall display. Regards, John C.

I like the Dote-mimi - I think Jean may be right about a revival piece, this one from the Edo era - no Dote-mimi though. Anyone know the plant the leaf represents? We still need a scientific non-invasive method to date iron. - Though even this may not be indicative of when the tsuba was fashioned from the iron - how we get around that would seem difficult. I guess you can test the patina age?? But what then if the piece has been cleaned back to bare metal? These questions keep us interested in the subject of tsuba and not having all the answers keeps our "little grey cells" active!

Yves, to me this looks like an EDO era KACHUSHI style revival piece with a nice DOTE MIMI.

Koshirae Taikan by Markus Sesko is the best one you can get in my opinion. You are looking quite specific stuff if it is late Muromachi / early Edo koshirae from Sendai area. I think the best bet would be looking surviving late Muromachi koshirae in general. Actual koshirae before Edo period are quite rare to find in general even in Japan. The problem is that they are not often featured in a single book or article. That is why Markus Sesko has provided incredible work. I should have info on at least few hundred authentic pre-Edo koshirae but they are scattered in various books that are unfortunately only in Japanese. Polearm koshirae is even more niche field than sword koshirae. I have some very interesting info on polearm koshirae too in Japanese language books. Unfortunately I am not a koshirae collector or researcher, I just love old battlefield items, hence I have also done some digging on old battle item koshirae.

The 'dry' (?) leaf is highly stylized, but if I had to put money on it, my fifty cents would go on 柏 kashiwa, a Japanese oak leaf. Food was presented on oak leaves, especially in the context of shrines, with a spiritually 'clean' connection to the gods. In kamon, the oak leaf is also shown in kage/sukashi style, the 'bones' (veins) in clear outline. Occam's razor might also point to oak as a safe bet. Would I put a whole dollar on this, you ask? Well, let me think about that... PS Agreeing with Jean about Katchushi, without the 'Ko'. Liking both of those tsuba BTW.

國宗 Kunimune

Its uchigatana most likely slightly under 2 shaku or around 2 shaku. The signature is nijimei which is a bit unusual for a Bizen name, and Nagamitsu is unfortunately a Bizen name. Its placed not at the ridge but between the ridge and the backedge, which would hint towards koto. The nakago condition is anything between 1500 and 1670. The blade tapers and curves, so we can exclude Kambun. The problem - there are no late legitimate Nagamitsu generations, its tachimei on uchigatana, which is almost unheard of. So its gimei. Unless its a stellar blade otherwise - its not very much, at a show 500-750$, on ebay probably 800-1000 or whatever you'll get for it. It might be that the blade is some legitimate Bizen Sukesada from the late Muromachi.

A sublime cup from the anagama master. This guinomi features a beautiful, subtle color palette that is contrasted by its strong form and ishihaze (stone burst) heavy surface. 5cm tall and 6cm wide, in perfect vintage/antique condition with its original signed box. $160 shipped to the USA, international buyers please contact me for a quote. Payment to be made via PayPal friends and family. Note - I am traveling for work and will not be able to ship until later this week. 🙇

And the other side:

Hi Lex, looking at the KANTEISHO, I think I can read NAGASA: 2 SHAKU 0.9 SUN which would roughly match 63,4 cm

Or this……(I wrote all the text under “read more”) https://steveslyjapaneseart.com/product-category/bronze/

This should keep,you occupied for a fair while!🙂🙂 Not everything is priced which is pretty normal for the expensive stuff Just think of a number and add several zeros! https://kevinpage.co.uk/collections/?fwp_collection=okimono

Have posted him before, but I still LOVE my Night Watchman that I think I picket up for a bargain years ago after it went unsold. One of my favorites, and never seen another the same for sale.

Hi Alex, nowadays it’s like walking in a minefield….great many repros/fakes of varying quality from pretty good to pretty awful. Also many modern pieces being made in Japan apparently from a process that takes moulds from original items and then recasts ( many of these are solid whereas good Meiji bronzes are hollow and often rattle inside a bit which might sound bizarre but true!) There are many fakes of Samurai, plain or partially gilt, monkeys, birds of prey, koro…..the list goes on and on. Some made in Japan, some China and probably elsewhere. Its just like swords…..you simply have to develop the “eye” based on handling many genuine things. Alloys used in genuine pieces can vary a lot as well and patina can be equally variable in colour. It comes down to being able to recognise artistry, quality of casting, quality of subsequent finishing (carving, gilding, patination etc) Some makers are obvious….Seiya, Miyao, Maruki, but again….there are fakes of these as well. I dealt in Meiji bronzes for many years when good pieces were available but nowadays not so much good stuff surfaces. 99% of small bronze okimono for sale in the UK via UK auctions, especially things like insects, crustaceans, rats, creepy crawlies, scorpions, dragons are all fake (loosely in Meiji style). Even UK antique platforms (Selling Antiques and others) are littered with mostly fakes. No easy answer……know your subject……caveat emptor. Websites to look at…Kevin Page, Steve Sly (both personal friends and excellent trusted dealers) plus of course Bonhams. Malcolm Fairley and Grace Tsumugi probably have pieces on their websites also. Happy to look at anything you are thinking about. Best. Colin

From Kris's photo above, note how the ito has twisted a bit from use. John C.

Hi Chris. Your squirrel tsuba appeared in 2024 in this thread - along with this image of an utsushi Another from this thread : With this image There is also a single squirrel design with papers listed here -https://matsukaze.thebase.in/items/8490153 And another with both ategane filled here https://www.touken-world.jp/search-sword-guard/art0002655/ and here with papers https://www.ayakashi.co.jp/items/83815405 I have seen a few tsuba with "Shoki on the bridge" as well, but they tend to be cast copies [Not yours] https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/396800258462 you can tell the design is Shoki because of his "Ken" type sword as opossed to Yoshitsune and Benkei on the bridge. There are rarely only "just one" of anything!

Hi folks, Mark Jones and I have, for years, sold tsuba and kodogu that we acquired from Skip Holbrook as he whittled down his large collection to something more manageable. After his recent passing, we were contacted by his family and we have purchased a large portion of the pieces he left behind. Today I have listed the first (Kyo Sukashi tsuba, see below) of what will eventually be near 100 tsuba and other kodogu; my plan is to keep at it till all are listed. Many of the pieces are quite fine and with papers but many are within reach for a beginning collector. You will find them at the top of my Tsuba and Kodogu section: https://japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/item-category/tsuba-kodogu/ All will have a number that starts with an H. Much, much more to come. If anything is of interest, please contact me by email through my site, not by personal message here; I need your emails to keep track of business. Thank you, Grey

I completely agree with Curran and Skip will be greatly missed. Will also check out the Grey's website but will be especially looking forward to seeing what Grey and Mark bring to the Chicago show as well from Skip's old collection.

Skip was an esteemed collector, mentor, and friend. I found him to be an old style gentleman of sharp perception and soft manner. His technical understanding and aesthetics were very high. He will be remembered and missed by many of us who were able to know him. I wish the best to his family.

Its very simple. You put in a description of goods. You might or might not pay the tariff on the sender's side, depending on what the sender feels like. After that you might or might not also pay it on the recipient's side. Depending on whether the delivery company accepts the tariff already paid or accepts it does not need to be paid because its antique or whatever. You might end up paying the tariff once. Or twice. Or not at all.

Here You have 5 so either You find with 6 or I won :] http://ohmura-study.net/733.html

Good Morning. Indeed, I contacted them on Monday re my tsuba and also received an answer stating that they are waiting for export licenses for shipping of my lot. As I hail from Germany and they are located in italy, this does not make sense at all (both countries being located in the EU). After pointing this out, they then said that tsuba are obvioulsy "parts of weapons - and by extension weapon parts" and thus export to Germany "will be challenging". We shall see... Best, Danny

The Lanes ,should be called for our UK members the Hans-Christian Anderson Auctions

I think that their prices are well justified...............................................after all it must take ages to think up and then type up all those lengthy descriptions, I mean if they were offering a simple British 1907 SMLE bayonet they would probably type up the entire history of the First World War!

Late to this one but in regard to the Goto daisho cticised earlier I noticed this one, for sale on your well known online platform. There is either a happily deluded buyer out there or someone is going to get agitated! All the best.