svarsh

I have no idea. Well.. I have a slight idea that it may be an origami crane, but I am so far from being sure that I am asking the community for help. Anyone? Please! Sergei

I have two tsuba possibly made by the same artist/school. Both unsigned. Motif is the same on both of them: Gama Sennin with his toad and Tekkai Sennin - exhaling his spirit on one tsuba and already in the body of a beggar on the other. They are pretty large: 91 mm high. Nicely carved and with some details in gold zōgan. Does anyone know what's the school/artist made the two? Thanks. Sergei

Thank you Kyle!

There is a strange tsuba which I own for a few years. Though I did not manage to understand the school, neither the artist name. Any help would be appreciated. Sergei

Goshu Hikone no ju Mogarashi Nyudo Soten sei

OK, "Gen" is olso "hiko"!, so we come to "Hikone".

Tom, I give up. I managed Gōshū (Omi province), and "gen" something (must be "hikone", but I don't get it, I get GEN... insted) -"jū" on the other side. You kind help would be really really really appreciated.

Thank you, Tom. There is a Soten (I managed to decipher So-Ten), but there is much more written here. May be you help me here as well?

I am making progress! Learning is never too late... What about this one?

Now, I am checking my learning abilities. This signature to my reading must be Hidetomo. Please let me know whether I am right or not.

Nara Shigeharu... Got it!

This one was beyond my talents... Please tell...

Oh, it's a kao!

OK, let's try. I read this as Masaharu (probably the guy from Nomura school in Edo, mid 18th century). Am I right? But what's the strange thing below "haru"? Any clues?

Thank you, Uwe. I found the guy. Yearly 19th century. A look alike piece is in the Hartman Collection, 1976. I'll try the next one, but if it has any kanji that were not on the previous pieces, I don't expect a success:-). Sergei

I get tremendous help from community, thank you guys. One more signature is here. Please continue your support. I really appreciate your help. Sergei

Thank you Uwe! I found the guy. It was a signature of one of the last Jingo masters: Chisokutei Amatsune.

[What about this signature, school, age? Please help. Thank you. Sergei

Thank you Kyle so mush indeed!

Thank you very much Peter and Bob for your invaluable help. I will post more pieces for identification and deciphering. With best regards, Sergei

Would anyone help with this inscription? Thank you very much in advance. Also, an insight into school/age would be of great help. Sergei P.S. There will be more soon, please stay tuned:)

Tachi and naginata seem the most probable versions to me. I forgot to tell: Size: diameter 81.4 mm, thickness 4.7 mmat seppa-dai, 4.0 mm at rim. I also forgot to tell the provenance: Pabst Collection. So, we may exclude some suggestions as unlikely. Thanks everyone! Sergei

I recently acquired a Yoshiro tsuba with an unusual nakago-ana for the time and school. What may cause such a form? I wonder whether the opening was altered later, and if yes, for what reason? Or the tsuba was mounted on something else rather than katana? Any thoughts? Sergei

Luis, I am perfectly fine if someone buys cheap and sells for more. What I am against is selling things that do not belong to the seller. What these guys do, they find a piece, still the photos (copyright of the original owner) and put these photos in their shop. What happens next is that: I find the pice at their shop, and when I buy it then they buy it from the original seller and sell to me. If the original seller already sold the piece or simply does not want to sell to them, these guys respond: Sorry, the item has been already sold.I simply do not think it's a good practice. eBay is made to make fair people sell to fair people.

I was under impression that japaneseswordgallery / eBay is selling things that do not belong to japaneseswordgallery. Now I know is it true: This tsuba: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tsuba-Japanese-Samurai-sword-Katana-Koshirae-guard-crane-in-the-nest-openwork/263413526924?hash=item3d54ab718c:g:8k0AAOSw~AVYvNVGis actually listed at http://e-touken.com/?p=1985 by ©2014 Tamayama Meishitou. japaneseswordgallery's price is: $8,300. Tamayama Meishitou's price is 450,000 JPY (roughly half). I am sure that most of their other pieces have the same issue. This is definitely not good. I blocked japaneseswordgallery on my eBay, however, they return from time to time. I reported them to eBay. I don't think I can do more. Sergei