Ed

Cool. Let us know what you find.

Air tags do add a bit more security. I have sent a few and had a few sent to me with an included envelope with paid post to return the tag.

Why don't you show a photo of the "paper". It might help.

Sorry to hear this. Many of us are victims of theft worldwide. It is a problem which seems to be getting worse opposed to better.

Piers, I think you are correct in that the Japanese preference for the sun is red, much as the moon is generally seen in silver. It seems as with so many things in this hobby nothing is set in stone. Obviously there were additional colors seen in their representations of the sun, such as gold and others. Likely a variety of reasons. It is a very precise and time consuming process to produce that deep red seen on some kodogu. Viewing your tsuba, do you think the insert was once plated with gold or silver or do you think the copper was the original look? Looking at it enlarged I can't tell for certain, but it seems to show traces of a light color (silver?) at the top and bottom. Perhaps it was originally depicting the moon. ??? I think the gold plug on my kozuka was to give it a little bling. I would have preferred something a bit more subtle, but......

Nice cup Evan.

Yes, I know. Spell Check. I should have double checked that.

Sei La Vie, so is the nature of the beast. You can not predict what the public may or may not want at any given time. Today's market is quite fickle with so many "collectors" (and I use that term lightly) looking only for "cheap". If it is cheap, it doesn't matter if the blades are tired, acid etched, showing shintetsu, etc. These wanna be collectors have no idea what any of these flaws are. They do not care, they do not study. The swords are cheap, that is all that matters. Akihide was a 1.5 million¥ smith. He was an excellent smith listed in most major reference books, who made only High to Superior grade Gendaito. I have one that is around the same price with NBTHK Hozon papers, but it hasn't sold. My plan these days is not to buy anything I can not live without.

Bruce, He seems to be a somewhat obscure smith. Sesko's and Hawley's only list Kurihara. No Akiyuki listed in the Gendai Toko Meikan, Gendaito Meisaku Zuikan, or any of the other references I checked. No examples of his mei found other than the one you posted. Did you ask Alf?

You will love it. It is freaking HUGE!

The only one I am familiar with is 刕. Usually Koshu Hikone Ju....

NIce koshirae. Always heard those were fish scales, but can't say for certain (I didn't catch the fish). I have owned/seen a few of those bone/antler/whatever tsuba. You need to get that tsuka rewrapped, it takes away from the overall aesthetics of your koshirae.

Ko-Katchushi

It does make your tsuba look much better.

Kofun period Toran Kei