Higo-san

See you there, Michael!

Thank you, Steve and Malcolm! Any chance to decipher the rest of the text? Best, Chris

Dear all, I bought this hanging scroll at a flea market in Kyoto and would much appreciate a little assistance in order to translate it. There was a reference on the box to the Daitoku-ji (大徳寺) temple. Many thanks! Chris

Dear Tony I am not aware of the exact chemical reactions behind it. But let me give it a try (everyone feel free to correct any mistakes made): shakudo is basically made from copper and copper produces a protective surface over the lapse of time or due to patination (which we call patina and which is no longer pure metallic). This patina (and not the metal itself) can be damaged by touching the surface with bare hands (due to the sweat which contains salts and water). You can easily see the results of such chemical reactions between human hands and copper when looking at modern copper coins. The shiny patina gets lost and the copper turns greenish/brownish. Enjoy this piece and I am very glad that there are still collectors willing to pay high-prices for high-quality tsuba! Best, Chris

Tony, congrats! However, I recommend not to touch a shakudo tsuba with bare hands. And you may find this helpful: https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/tsuba-%26-kodogu/t167-dont-transport-tsuba-tsuba-box. I am not sure about the construction of your box, but it looks like one where the center post is held by two nails.

Thank you for bringing it to our attention, Uwe !

Agree with Logan - I have seen similiar menuki in Japan on sale for around 75.000 Yen. Therefore, be careful, Luis (all is not gold that glitters - even though it may be gold in this case).

Thank you very much!!!

Dear all, I would be glad for a little help on this one! Many thanks, Chris

Looks like a very promising Owari - maybe even late Kanayama - tsuba to me. Well done, Dave!!! Best, Chris

I do not want to go into details out of respect for Thierry. But I would not be too sure about that, Steve... Source: https://matcha-jp.com/en/886

Dear Pietro this is a standard practice at many auction houses. It’s intention is to start a battle between bidders. On more than one occasion, I have witnessed items which would have been withdrawn without a single bid at the starting price, but after the auctioneer reduced the asking price, two bidders would jump in at the same time and the race began. It is all about human psychology . But it if the reserve price is not met during the auction, it is up to the owner to decide whether or not he/she wants to sell for the achieved hammer price. Best Chris

Speaking as a tosogu collector, I think that the prices at yesterday’s Bonhams auction were rather moderate and not at all overpriced. Real problem seems to me that the number of high-class tosogu collectors is either decreasing (at least in Central Europe) or that more and more collectors tend to buy directly from Japan (not because of a lack of quality but rather because the amount of high-class pieces offered for sale in Japan is obviously much higher and you are free to choose a subject you are particularly fond of rather than to take what you get). IMHO you could have made some real bargains at that auction.

Dear all for those who have not seen it yet: https://www.hermann-historica.de/en/auctions/detail/id/448 On the second day of the „Antique Arms & Armour, Hunting Antiques and Works of Art, Antiquities“ there are a couple of armor, swords etc offered starting at Lot 1895. Best Chris

Thank you for the additional pictures, Jason - I would place this tsuba (according to Sasano’s classification of sukashi tsuba schools) within the Kyo Shoami group, early Edo. Best, Chris

Then I do not see any traces of Akasaka work on Jason‘s tsuba. A kaku mimi with ko niku would - together with the rather thin ji-sukashi, the shape of the hitsu-ana/seppa-dai and the overall mokko shape - point towards a Kyo workshop.

Dear Jason could you take a picture of the mimi (rim) or describe its shape (rather square, round etc)? Judging from the pictures provided, I would lean towards Kyo Sukashi early Edo. Kind regards Chris

It is actually an excellent exhibition - I am sure that Uwe‘s comment was meant as a joke. Best, Chris

See above

See below

No. 8 reads Ishiguro Masatsune (石黒政常).

No. 1 is a tough one... my best guess: 後藤光?（花押) = Gotō Mitsu? (Kao) 十七?代 = 17th ? generation As the 17 seems to be a reference to some kind of genealogy, the Mei could read Gotō Mitsuhira. Best, Chris

Hi Dirk, thank you for the reply. A very interesting kantei and obviously the NBTHK shinsa‘s opinion is far more educated than mine. BTW, I did not say that the design on your tsuba was not a design invented by the Hayashi school but rather that Hayashi designs were copied by other (including later Higo) schools which is proven by the fact that this very design appears in the Kamiyoshi Ehon. Best, Chris

Dear Ford, a very nice video - however, I do not believe that this is a Hayashi Tohachi tsuba. The piece lacks the very typical koban-shaped seppa-dai which can be perfectly seen on the reference tsuba in Sasano‘s book. Secondly, the elongated hitsu-ana is very untypical for Hayashi tsuba and reminds me of Tosa Myochin or later Higo pieces (again, the reference piece in Sasano’s book shows more typical Tohachi hitsu-ana). Last but not least, I cannot see (or imagine) a typical Hayashi tsuchime on the piece in question. Your kantei seems to be based primarily on the design - however (and I am sure you are already well aware of this), the mere design can be misleading as Hayashi designs were copied by many other schools. This is not meant as criticism but as a contribution to kantei. Best, Chris

Thank you again, Piers! All the best, Chris