myochin

Hello Barry, The translation was only available on-line this year: http://www.zentosho.com/daitokenichi/th ... i_2014.pdf Best regards. Paul.

Hello, I have just found out about the following Samurai exhibition that will be taking place end of June in Nantes (north-west of France); http://www.chateau-nantes.fr/fr/expositions/samourai/ I am rather intrigued that such an exhibition is taking part in a rather "remote" part of France. I also understand that some items are loaned from the Osaka museum (??) Does anyone know who may be lending items and who is organising this exhibition? I wouldn't mind going but it is still 1000km away.... Thanks. Paul.

Merci Jean! One has to always read through the lines. Paul.

Hello, I am a little intrigued by 2 daishô (1124 & 1142). For a true daishô I would have expected the papers to have been attributed to BOTH blades at the same time. But in both cases they have been attributed at different times (1124: 38 years apart; 1142: 13 years apart). Would this be considered normal ? Thanks. Paul.

As a small side note, I fell upon an article by Robert Burawoy on Tsuba in Arts of Asia (March-April 1985) where the 2nd tsuba picture at the very start of this thread is illustrated. He states that "the design is symmetrical on both sides". Paul.

An interesting conference coming up organised by the Royal Armouries in Leeds: CONFERENCE: EAST MEETS WEST Saturday 14 September 2013 at Tower of London DIPLOMATIC GIFTS OF ARMS AND ARMOUR BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA http://www.royalarmouries.org/what-we-d ... meets-west Paul.

Deaar Barry, Many thanks for sharing. Do you have more information to share on the, what seems like an Unkai school helmet, in picture 11 & 12 of your Picasaweb album. Thanks. Paul.

Then again, the hitsu could be just a little too elongated for Kyô... Paul.

This a very nice and intriguing tsuba Mariuszk. It almost seems that the attribution is to the mimi alone. As you point out, the seppa-dai and the ryô-hitsu both point towards a Kyô, as well as the fine design. What I find most interesting is the comment by Curran regarding a Shôami attribution. Have a look at Sasano's Masterpiece book p121. What would we do without Shôami, lol. Paul.

I do not believe either that a tsuba with a "square" nagako-ana was intended to be mounted on a naginata. Afterall, the cross section of the tang on a naginata, yari, katana-wakizashi-tantô are of the same shape --> triangular. I have a Norisuke tsuba with a square nakago-ana, it is obvious that the tsuba has been rotated 180° to suit the fancy of an owner, but in no way was it intended for a naginata: In "The Picture Book of Old Tsuba" there is a Negoro tsuba that was probably mounted on a nagamaki-koshirae. The boldness, the flat square-raised mimi and the lack of kozuka/kôgai ana do seem to point towards a tsuba specifically dersigned for a naginata (sadly there are no dimensions given: Christian, thanks for those 2 PDF's, I also have an interest in Bannermen ! Paul.

Hi Dave, I sent you an e-mail last night via your web site. Paul.

In Token Bijutsu n°656 there was an interesting article on Menuki: Menuki – Sono rekishi to igi ni tsuite 目貫・その歴史と意義について About the History and Meaning of menuki Paul.

Fantastic work! Many thanks Dave, Many thanks Ian. Paul.

Slightly off-topis but on the same subject, a new publication on koshirae (december 2012): http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%B0%BE%E5%BC ... 157&sr=8-1 Paul.

Here is a link from the Gunma web site (hope it wasn't posted above already...): http://www.pref.gunma.jp/03/x4500038.html Paul

Hi Curran, There are 6 pages of Tadashige in the Akasaka book, I can scan them for you tomorrow at work. Paul.

Nice Hambo, reminds me of Hôrai work. The deep profile (protection extends behind the ears) and the colour of the internal lacquer (brown) also points to an early date (pre-Edo). I guess the hole marks along the upper chin area are from someone adding an upper part to form a sômen (sadly). Paul.

Hi Justin, Here are 2 recommendations: A Study of Samurai Income and Entrepreneurship Kôzô Yamamura Harvard UniversityPress The Japanese Family Storehouse or The Millionaire's Gospel Modernised G. W. Sargent Cambridge University Press The 1st book was used by Markus for his article. Paul.

Luc, there is a menpô signed Munekane in Burawoy's 1977 publication (Armes Japonaises dans les Collections Privées Françaises), p36 n°26. Paul.

Thanks Luc. So we have 30 (Guy & Stibbert) & 32 (Luc) rivets per row. Paul. PS: I guess you are referring to the Christie's 6 catalogues Set of 1985. I don't have a spare copy but can scan anything you need.

Thanks Guy. The one in the Stibbert Museum also has 30 rivets per row so this could be another feature. Luc, the armour you mention sold at Christie's, does it has a gold sun lacquered on the front of the bowl ? Paul.

Guy, could you please tell me how many hoshi per row there are on your kabuto (30 or 31 ?). Thanks. There is another great hoshi kabuto by this smith in the Stibbert book by Mr Burawoy, p71. Paul.

Thanks Luc. Reading Orikasa San's article on this smith I understand that there could be more than one generation of this name, using both styles of signatures mentioned in this thread: 長道 and 長途 Do you share the same opinion Luc ? Guy, do you have any means of checking the signature on your helmet to confirm which kanji was used in the signature ? Thanks. Paul.

Luc, Could you be more specific ? Thanks. Paul.

Very nice hoshi kabuto Guy, congrats. I see that you wrote Nagamichi with 長道, shouldn't it be 長途 ? or am I getting mixed up here. Very nice Luc !!! Paul. PS: Guy, is the signature on the back plate ? I didn't notice an opening in the liner to view the signature ....