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johnnyi

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Everything posted by johnnyi

  1. I left an example like this out on top for the trash men a few weeks ago. These things have been around a while (I obtained mine exactly like the one in question about 20 years ago) and they kind of fall into the souvenir category more than one that's an attempt to fool anybody I think. Of course its selling it as real which is the problem here.
  2. Thanks Steve. She's my 89 year old mother in law who is Japanese and lived most of her life in Japan. Her eyesight is failing though, but mind sharp as a tack. That being said, I'm sure your translation is the correct one, but as far as she is concerned that is our little secret as she had so much fun doing this Thanks again John
  3. Hi Steve, My wife brought home her translation last night (such as it is) Does this jive with your's? First skinny tag (knot at top ) "Sai Tamaken Hikogun kon shiuku ima ha mura" then Daizu shi (soybean) or Daimaru shi (circle) Vedashi (city) matsu oma tchi (store) address Ya (store or dept.) sio ten (business store) oroshi bu (distribution center) Some of the skinny tag she couldn't maake out due to the crease. regards, John
  4. IF it is a hidden Christian symbol and if the tsuba is genuine, then you would look up Christianity in Japan and find when Christianity was outlawed. I think for the most part it was roughly around 1600 to 1630's. Regards, John
  5. Right on the money Steve. My wife had my mother in law translate this over the weekend but she won't arrive home with the translation until tomorrow evening when we can compare notes. I think your's will be more complete, as she's 89 and had difficulty reding the old roman that was crossed out. She said over the phone the exact same thing as you though , "shop tags" with names of stores, prefecture, etc. .
  6. Grev, you took really great pictures. What lighting did you use? John
  7. Thank you very much Surfson and Guido. I'm going to try again to post better pictures, but the mei is well-worn. One of our expert members on Owari thinks this is Owari, or at least Owari iron. Do either of these makers fit in with perhaps mid-Edo Owari? Regret my library of mei is scan and have neither of the names mentioned. Thank you John
  8. Thanks Rokujiro. Yes, it is a challenge to try to capture any of the mei as it is so worn. Here's another try, but as you can see it will only be be elements of a whole that are visible. Hopefully the style, age (if discernible), size of hitsu-ana, and the forging can narrow possibilities down a little bit? By the way, it is fine iron with nice ring. Regards, John
  9. Hello, this might well be an impossible task, but hopefully the style might be a clue to the maker? Tsuba is forged iron. There is a delamination of metal between hitsu-an and nakago-ana (not shown in photo) which shows the metal was folded at least once. It is mokko gata with raised mimi. Well worn shigure yasuri and overly large hitsu-ana. There is much tekkotsu. Size: small, 6.07mm high x 57.7mm wide mimi thickness 2.2mm (what appears to be a curve to the right of mei is in fact a curve and part of the mei, and there also seem to be three faint vertical lines at top.) Thank you in advance for whatever insights you can lend to age or maker. Regards, John
  10. Please count me in for a color copy. John
  11. Hello Dennis and group, please you and the group forgive me for not having any pertinent information to offer; but nonetheless I'm compelled to say how much I particularly enjoyed the way your questions were posed with these fine pictures and interesting story. Now to sit back and read what I'm sure will be some good answers. Regards, John Irwin
  12. Absolutely wonderful and inspiring! I'm very new to learning about tsuba, and this film has radically changed my appreciation of this art form . Thank you
  13. Wonderful and inspiring story. Thanks for posting it. John Irwin
  14. Well done Wales. Forget about promoting international peace and nuclear disarmament, that's far too political, far easier to win the adoration of the masses by making sure the last remaining remnants of poor old ellyfants and skilled artists are lost for ever. Well done. On a "happier" note...the Chinese are now collecting Okimono and regardless of laws will pay through the nose for a nicely carved piece of old ivory. Sorry tcat, but your's is a totally offensive post on more levels than "political", and I'd be cowardly not to state it here, I being a new member or not. John Irwin
  15. As this is my first post, I'm glad it is a post to thank you, Mr. Kazushige Tsuruta, for the message you've written here. The spirit and the poetry you've expressed so well have been what has drawn me back to this interest, and it is a particularly comfortable feeling knowing that there are people who look at what they are selling with a deeper devotion than were they mere objects. Thank you, John Irwin
  16. Hello everybody. I am new here. I renewed my interest in swords when a few weeks ago I wondered what I'd done with my humble aquisitions of twenty years ago. Well, I finally found them, and discovered quickly after looking at them that I was in fact the famous Jack in the beanstalk guy who trades beans for cows. Oh well. The good thing is that now, thanks to this forum and a growing pile of books, I'm starting to actually learn (I hope). Thanks for having me here. My name's John Irwin I'm 64 years old and I live in New Jersey
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