Vermithrax16

Thanks Steve M, great read. EDIT: With new info I think the mei is no good. This is the Boston MFA piece I think: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11862/tsuba-with-design-of-oni-no-nenbutsu-in-otsue-style?ctx=d25ea88f-22c0-43e0-b989-e8594d942847&idx=6 Just really different workmanship.

Hi Bill, hope all is well. I have to think this is Mitsuaki, son of Mitsutoshi? Of the Kikuoka School? The Goto Mitsuaki works there are no mei that are comparable to the work above, but I don't seem to have any examples of this Kikuoka maker in all my books (weird) and cannot find any online. Will keep digging.

No. I would suggest as you are in LA to get in touch with Mike Yamasaki. He can help you out.

I won't guarantee it, but if I had to bet money, he will sell it for around $800 and maybe we see it here with someone asking questions after the fact. That would be the market he is thinking of.

Kunisada, Sukesada, just pass is a good idea.

Box is amazing! Will be looking for batch 2.

Thanks JohnTo. Yes a somewhat common theme, but always fun to see works of it.

Maybe a candidate to test the raffle idea we talked about a while ago.

No idea the school, appears Edo period. Ground is what caught my eye. The ants seem well done. Any ideas?

I would agree as well.

Tsuba by Jiryusai Tomohide, son of Miyake Terumitsu, Yokoya School. This one came with a hakogaki by Shibata Mitsuo. Hakogaki lid outside: Jiryusai Tomohide tsuba Hakogaki lid inside: Motif of pines and cranes Polished shibuichi, round shape, sukidashi-takabori relief Iroe color accents, two hitsu-ana – Masterwork Signed: Jiryusai Tomohide Keiho + monogram January 1968, year of the monkey – Saizen [pen name of Shibata Mitsuo] NBTHK Hozon The waves are the main theme IMO, impart a slight tilt to the landscape and 3-D feeling: A pair by Tomohide, one in shakudo, this one in shibuichi:

It seems inspired by the tsuba in this blog post (About 2/3rds way down): https://omamorifromjapan.blogspot.com/2015/04/minogame-turtle.html Did you copy the Aoi listing info? That would help figure out what they thought of it.

I use the option for the seller to send to Buyee warehouse in Japan to be packed, they use boxes and do a pretty good job.

Rabbits tend to multiply:

Thanks for the response Robert, I like to find out what motivates a chase and you stated it well.

Robert S, what did you find pleasing or attractive about this piece?

Robert, What I do is ask Markus Sesko for a translation so I can better understand the provenance of the work then buy if I want to. Like the tsuba by the way!

Yen 260,000 is about USD $2500. Kinmichi is a somewhat popular maker so that price seems like the offering needs more scrutiny.

Before we bring out chemicals, sonic care, and tools, why not find out what the TH menuki are made of and make sure about what we are discussing. $25 to Markus Sesko will translate the papers. Easy enough. Well that would help.

The moon was made by the nunome-zogan technique, seen here:

The eye of the rabbit is in fact fine gold wire, super thin, in laid into the iron. A super nice touch and I would imagine very difficult. The only scary part of the process was the beginning of the patination process. Here are a few pictures of both along with how the flower gold and silver inlays are planned out then made:

Thanks Ken, I can understand that!

Has to be a market for intact wax seal documents, no? Would love to see one all intact.

Well Obviously:

Well lets see how it was done, yes?: