Sergio Bastos

thank you Chris, any more opinons about this mei? It seems that have a litle more than the name of the maker..! thanks Sergio

thanks, Chris and Piers.

If it is not too much to ask can you translate the fuchi the same koshirae? Sergio

Dear all, Recently I bought a sword in an auction in Lisbon with koshirae that looks good quality with very nice metal fittings with a good saya, the saya comes in a old paper that seems from the 19th century, someone can help me translate what it says, is price, collector name, etc? Sergio

nice photos ... reminds me of the characters of Takeshi Kitano`s movies! Sergio

Why do people take everything as a personal attack!! I'm subscribed to this message board for more than six years, every day I come here and always find some interesting posts! and believe me I've learned a lot!!! but I don´t need to be informed about the age of the "BALLS" You can do what you please with your swords! choosing a polisher more competent or not, if the swords are well preserved, I realy don´t care! and I think most of swords don´t need a mukansa polish...I think! Sergio

Hi All, Reading all the posts, arose in my mind some questions that troubled me! how is possible that a person can learn to polish Japanese swords without orientation of a professional, Japanese or not! and how many swords were destroyed in the process??? best Sergio

Hi all, I had a very bad experience involving a Chinese buyer and ebay!! The sword was sent by registered mail with registration number after the payment and less than a week... the buyer filed a complaint on Paypal saying he had not received the sword... The result, Paypal gave reason the buyer because registration didn´t work in china!!!!! and they couldn´t confirm the arrival of the package, they only confirm the shipping was made in Portugal...I can track any registration number made in Portugal in any country....for example in the U.S, UK, European Union, Japan etc. I recuse to pay to Paypal and loose my money and my sword...I and get my Paypal account blocked... Beware of sales to China!! Sergio

Hi Matus, my blade is not attributed to Raisen Sadomori, the papers only refer the school "Kongo-byoe" but the characteristics are very similar to your sword. Moritaka could be the name of the maker of my sword but I´m not sure! I think the swords of this school are of very good quality, for ex. in the catalogue "Cutting Edge" from one exposition in the British Museum are only 17 swords from the koto period and one of them is a very nice tanto attribuited to the kongo-byoe school. regards Sergio

Hi Paul, Yes, you sold that sword to me, I still have in my collection, is a sword in perfect condition given its age. I think it will stay in my collection for many years...and I hope one day the swords from the Kongo-byoe school be more admired than today... unfortunately not belong to the club of the "five", but who cares a good sword is always a good sword! Nice sword Matus! Sergio

I just saw horrible images on TV... The tsunami advancing through the fields of Japan... right now we are all beside the people of Japan

John, I can´t help you much, but the Menuki are very nice and beautiful!! Sergio

John, obrigado (arigato) The style looks very identical, it seems that there is possibility that my fuchigashira is from the Same Hand! Sergio

Thanks John, Here is a Kozuka ( http://www.shibuiswords.com/dragonkozuka.htm ) from the same family but a work of the 6th master, looking at first glance looks nothing like my fuchigashira in the color, composition, etc., someone can show me some more pieces of seijo goto family?

Thanks John, The last two mei look very similar to my mei fuchi! but got confused, it will be the first generation or the eighth? One more question? Seems normal that the artist sometimes can make a slightly different signature when sign new work ( must be different after too many cups of Sake ), but is not also important to compare the composition and decorative work to confirm whether the work is original or not? Sergio

Thanks Pete and John, I found this information on the web: "Seijo, also known as Mitsutoyo, died in 1734. As the school founder, he made but few tsuba. The second of the school, Seijo-Mitsuzane (died 1750), worked in relief, and also did inlay in the nunome style. He often used the water dragon on his guards and delighted in carving curious flowers. During this time, there was a demand for foreign designs, and this school turned out many guards in Canton and Namban style. The Nidai onward used the same signature, 'Seijo'. The sixth Seijo, also known as Harumitsu, Sessai, or Shiunchin, was famed for his excellent composition and detail. The 3rd to the 7th generations went to Edo, lived in Shitaya, and were known as the Shitaya Goto." in http://www.shibuiswords.com/headGoto.htm Pete the signature looks a litle diferent, could be another generation? The style of the fuchi kashira is exellent, much better than the pictures show.

Yes... Mark, is very cool! I spent much time looking for this type of fuchi kashira (Katana size), and now they will get better in a new Koshirae that I order.

hello all, I recently bought this fuchi kashira, is done in very black shakudo of good quality and is signed "Seijo" I have some questions: - The signature of an autonomous artist or is a signature of a school? - The signature is genuine? thanks Sergio

Hi Stefan, is not to dangerous for you and for the blade ? Sergio

hi, can anyone help me with this? seems a shinto katana (73,6 cm nagasa) but what school? thanks in advance Sergio

Hi jacques and Mark, thanks for your opinions, I wouldn´t mind if the sword was bungo...! it looks very interesting...and after polishing will be great, especialy the great looking hamon ( I will send the sword for polish soon!), jacques I think you are right, the sword looks mishina school, but only after the polish we will be sure... http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/yoshmich.htm sergio

Hi, I think that the tsukamakie is important, normaly it have a "special" style like this exemple: http://www.japanszwaard.nl/zc10.html

Hi Milt, what is the reason for people do not appreciate bungo swords!!!??

hello Jacques, thanks for your opinion.... it´s interesting, I think to that this could be from that period.. when I bought this blade it have it´s original tsuba and a piece of the wood tsuka (I think the sword comes from european collection before the 19 century) and that tsuba looks a 17 century owari tsuba (I will post it later)

Hi Joseph, yes , I outline the hamon and boshi on the blade, I´m cleaning it, but is possible to see the the outline of the hamon (actualy have more detail than my outline!!!!) when I bought it it was cover with black rust( but not deep rust), but the geometry of the sword is very well preserved ( but I can´t take bether pictures ) Sergio