Markus

I have to agree with John and Franco. For Renjo menuki with an origami of 2 gold pieces, I honestly would have expected more. Probably the condition is just too detrimental to a clear grasping of the workmanship, or the origami does not belong to this pair of dragons ...

Just one thing to complement: "Chûtatsu" is the Japanese reading of Shibai´s Chinese "nickname", namely "Zhòng-dá" (仲達).

Yes, this would be a possibility too, but then, I think the problem is exactly the missing context. Why one would make or have him made a kozuka which reads "run for your life"? The Sangoku-shi, the legends of the Warring States in good old China, were among standard samurai education, and I think, an educated hanshi understood such an allusion.

Hi Mark, I´m glad to be of any help. Here we go again... Tomoyuki - Yamato Senjûin school, signed with a niji-mei. Moved later to Bungo´s Mine fief. - Genraku period (1184-1184) Tomoyuki - Buzen Usagû Tomoyuki. - Tennin period (1108-1110) Tomoyuki - signed with "Genryô Nyûdô Nobukuni Tomoyuki". Buzen, - Kakitsu period (1441-1444) Tomoyuki - Bungo Takada school, signed with a niji-mei. Descendant from the Tomoyuki of the Genraku period. - Shôwa period (1312-1317) Tomoyuki - "Bungo Takada-jûnin Tomoyuki", or also "Bungo no Kuni-jû Tomoyuki", there are date inscriptions on the ura of the second year Kenmu (1335) and the second year Bunna (1353). - Kenmu period (1334-1338)

Hi Mark, Here we go... Tomoyuki - signed with "Bungo no Kuni-jû Tomoyuki saku", and there exists a mei on the ura of the fourth year Bunna (1355). First generation Tomoyuki, eldest son of Tomotsugu, died during the Jôji period (1362-1368). He is also regarded as founder of the Takada school (as first generation). - Bunna period (1352-1356) Tomoyuki - second generation, signed with "Hôshû Tomoyuki saku" and "Bungo-shû Takada-shô Tomoyuki". For his dating, he uses mostly the Southern Imperial calendar. It is also said that the was the son of Tomomitsu. With the honorary title "Echizen no kami", he changed his surname to "Nakama". He was granted the family name "Fujiwara" by Ôtomo Sadamune. This was the beginning of the Nakama family. - Shôhei period (1346-1370) Tomoyuki - third generation, signed with "Hôshû-jû Tomoyuki". around Meitoku (1390-1394) and Ôei (1394-1428) - Ôei period (1394-1428) Tomoyuki - there is a signature "Bungô-shû Takada-jû Fujiwara Tomoyuki" and a the date "Jôji ni-nen" (1363) on the ura, and also "Shitoku gannen" (1384), "Hôshû-jû Tomoyuki". - Jôji period (1362-1368) Tomoyuki - signed with "Bungo no Kuni Takada-jû Fujiwara Tomoyuki". Suguha, ko-midare, gunome-midare, ô-notare and so on, counted as wazamono. It is said that he lived in Buzen Kokura. Called "Yoichibei". - Kan´ei period (1624-1644) Tomoyuki - he resembles Sadayuki but is inferior. "Buzen Kokura-jû Tomoyuki". - Kanbun period (1661-1673) Tomoyuki - signed with "Buzen Takada-jû Fujiwara Tomoyuki". Was called "Takada Kôsuke (also read as Yukisuke)". Worked also in Edo/Musashi but lived later in Buzen Nakatsu. - Genroku period (1688-1704)

Hi Henry, Just alone, the combination of the two characters "hashiru" (走る, to run) and "ikiru" (生きる, to live) makes no sense, but IMHO they allude to the saying "shiseru Kômei ikeru Chûtatsu o hashirasu" (死せる孔明生ける仲達を走らす, about "the dead Kômei makes the living Chûtatsu run away"). When Kômei (孔明), leader of the troops of Szechuan, was confronted with Shibai (司馬懿) of the Wei, at the Battle of Gojôgen (五才原), he got very ill, and seeing his own death coming, he had him made a life-sized wood statue of himself, mounted on a chariot. In the meanwhile, Shibai got informed that Kômei has died, but when he ordered a major offensive, he caught sight of the statue, thinking that Kômei is still alive and the entire attack is a trap. He lost his head and fled. The saying above was then applied to dependants of persons which were very powerful and influental when still alive, and who are afraid of the latter (or their ghost) also when they are already dead. [Just edited to delete some typos ...]

Not when waiting to do a phone-call to Japan (which is now done and bed is waiting)

Hi Brian, The kantei-sho reads: It would be nice if you could provide us with a picture of the menuki (just for the archive called "brain").

After a quick seach for "Matsushiro-goshirae", I´ve got the following link: http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/0810_3012syousai.htm E-sword states that this term refers to a koshirae made in the Matsushiro fief of Shinano province during the Edo period. So the english term "Matsudai" is IMHO just a wrong reading of the characters, because the "Daimyô no Nihon-chizu" (大名の日本地図, "The Daimyô Japanese Map") gives clearly "Matsushiro" as reading for this fief. However, I haven´t heard this term before but the similaritis of the koshirae are striking so I think that´s the answer.

Hi Guido, Thank you for being so full of praise for my person :D Remind me (at the latest) at or rather after;) the DTI this year that a free beer for you becomes due.

Hi John, I can´t decipher the last two characters, but apart from that, the signature reads "Noshû-jû Shizu Saburô Kaneuji XX" (濃州住志津三郎兼氏), meaning "Shizu Saburô Kanuji, resident of Mino province". For me, it looks like an amateurish "attribution" and was IMHO probably carved later onto the blade. For your information: Shizu Saburô Kaneuji is a big name and therefore such an "attribution" has to be taken with a grain of salt. Maybe someone is able to decipher the last two characters, so this may put a new complexion on this matter.

Hi Ken, This was actually my intention And also avoiding the naturalization of "wrong" readings for beginners as for the advanced. I hope not to be dubbed as the schoolmaster of the board. [申し訳ありません]

Sorry for being correct to a dot here, but the reading of the term (京金具師) is "Kyô kanagu-shi".

Hi James, I haven´t heard of a gilded same but there was - although not that often - a kind of "artificial" same for decorative purposes which was made of gilded copper (or even made of pure gold or silver). This kind of "same" is called "uchizame" (打ち鮫) or "uchidashi-zame" (打出し鮫) because the metal plate is embossed (uchi-ide, 打出).

There isn´t much more to add to "Sôshû Hirotsugu", except that it is a mumei naginata-naoshi wakizashi measuring 37 cm, and that it was designated as "hozon-tôken" on the first of april 2003.

At least the going-to-fade sayagaki reads "Namu-myôhô-renge-kyô ?-michi ??", probably stating "Yoshimichi". FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimoku

Usually the Japanese stick to their predecessors, which means in our case to transcriptions of the first classics like the "Sôken-kishô" (装剣奇賞) from 1781, the "Kôto-kinkô meifu" (江都金工銘譜) from 1810, or the "Kinkô-tanki" (金工鐔寄) from 1839. Those works base upon genealogies submitted and researched by and from the artists themselves. Here and there, some furigana are noted within these records. So when a furigana for example of an on´yomi like "Kôjô" was given for one artist of the family, then the previous and following generations were also quoted in on´yomi. But the "problem" is not so present in Japan because they "think" in characters, that means they first and foremost remember the character, the actual reading is of "secondary importance". Experiences in Japan had shown me that it is truly not that bad when one reads a name (especially an old one) in the "wong" reading (i.e. kun or on´yomi). This is much more the problem in the west because we can´t avoid to transcribe the name in any way.

I agree with Jacques that the signature in this case is gimei. Brian, when you take a look at the examples provided by Stephen and Jacques, you will see that the authentic signatures are always made up of a uniform width of the chisel, whereas the vertical stroke to the left (the second strong when counting in stroke numbers) on your "Sa" starts thick, becomes thinner around the center, and grows once more thicker at the ending.

I agree with that. Usually, here are two leagues: kinkô (金工) and tankô (鐔工), whereas Ko-Kinkô, Umetada, Kyô, Daigorô, Kyô-Shôami, Higo, various Shôami from other provinces, and of course Ko-Shôami and Shôami are classified to the first group. The second group is made-up of Kanayama, Owari, Akasaka, Nobuie, Yamakichibei, Hôan, Yagyû, Tochibata, Ko-Tôshô and Tôshô, Ko-Katchûshi, Myôchin, Saotome, Ônin-zôgan, Heianjô-zôgan, Yoshirô-zôgan, Kamakura and the like.

Wow, you live and learn. Thanks for the link. So far I was only aware of THE Ômi-hakkei. Probably they are the most famous?

The "eight views" are completely called AFAIK "The Eight Views of Ômi" (Ômi-hakkei no zu, 近江八景の図). The motif bases on eights scenic views of China which were adopted by the Japanese some time about the Kamakura period for their Biwa lake. Later in the Edo period, when woodblock prints gained popularity, the Eight Views made their round as postcard-like motifs (single or as a whole).

Nice work! It´s always a bonus when nothing rattles along the koshirae. The habaki looks quite massive, would be a great deal for 5.000 Yen if it was made of solid gold

Hi Brian, As you/we have expected, its not a Hoshô Gorô Sadamune. The NHTK attribution reads: "Den Heianjô Nagayoshi" mei: ubu-mumei kitae: dense itame-hada hamon: suguha with ashi bôshi: yakitsume horimono: bôhi on the ura nakago: two mekugi-ana, katte-sagari yasurime remarks: hira-sankaku yari, around Meiô (1492-1501)

Hi Jacques, It´s definitely "tetsu" (鐵), the old kanji for (鉄).