Bugyotsuji

An artist more concerned with realism than traditional symbolism?

Another friend says more likely Goto work… but he is surprised by the mix of seasons.

What about Fumiko’s bag?

Wow, brilliant, so we are not alone!

I have a Kiyomitsu Tantō in a good Koshiraé, just short of 30 cm. Although the blade looks legit overall, it is signed only Bizen Koku/Kuni Ju Kiyomitsu (no date, and without Osafuné). My sword sensei reckons it is from around the Eisho period. It would be interesting Kevin to compare Eisho Kiyomitsu signatures. Overall

The tapered point takes me away from both Aoi and Inome, so I would say neither, but possibly an artisan’s interpretation?

Yesterday my sword sensei was looking at a blade and commented that it needed uchiko, so I handed him my old, discolored but trusty uchiko ball. He looked disgusted. “Use some decent stuff!” he said, unwilling to even touch mine. Later on I bought a refined uchiko ball prepared by Yokoyama San, a Bizen Osafune Togishi, sold in the Osafuné Sword Museum shop. The package, so light in the hand, set me back ¥8,800…but somehow I felt it was worth every grain. NB To be used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

Jussi, you did just fine, with your vocabulary, eager understanding and open heart. At critical points in the discussion you dropped in important background information, such as dates and names of associated smiths etc., like rabbits out of a hat. Mr Koike understood these at once and nodded sagely. (Glad to have been a cog in the well-oiled machinery! )

Just yesterday morning Jussi and I were admiring a joint Katsumitsu Munemitsu dedication blade at the Hōnōtō exhibition at the Okayama Prefectural Museum. Our guide was explaining some of this background. Wishing I had read this excellent article beforehand! Dang… Documentary movie one day?

岸 also seems possible, though it may not help.

Wow, yes, you must be correct Moriyama San!

Hmmm… looks like a Christian pointed trefoil symbol.

May be the classical story of the horse appearing from a gourd. Hyōtan Kara Koma 瓢箪から駒 in Japanese.

Recently a friend commented “This looks like work by Shōami Katsuyoshi.” At the time I thought it was an odd comment, but he does have a huge collection of valuable artefacts, so it was an interesting insight. 正阿弥勝義 Later I discovered during some background reading that Katsuyoshi was apprenticed to his father as a tōsōgu and Tsuba maker long before he became famous for his finely-detailed metalwork objects into the Meiji period. Here is the Wakizashi sized iron tsuba, kind of aorigata, with sakura, pine and ginkgo themes in silver and gold. Front Back

That’s visionary. Thank you Lewis.