Martin

I am open for offers Jason :D

Bamboo and sparrows in nice chocolate iron still for sale viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7300&p=58268#p58268

Nice box

Hi Jason, time to marry it with this Tsuba viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7300 Cheers,

I think this is a late Akasaka piece. Kantei points for me are the full rounded rim, the Tagane marks on the Nakago-Ana and of course the geese theme. Compare to this Tsuba from Andrews page: http://www.nihonto.us/tsuba.htm

I think Brian is closest until now... :D

Hi Henry, I guess Reinhard is referring to the sometimes unusual shapes of the Seppa-Dai in early Akasaka work (tapering to the top or elongated and slender in shape).

Here is the link: http://www.seiyudo.com/TU-08081.htm ++++ okay, Mark was faster ;o) ++++

Thanks Pete, your help is much appreciated. Best, Martin

Thanks all for your information. Grey, I think it is a good idea to email one of the "silver-backs" for the dates ;o) Best,

Many thanks for your input. I have also found some information in the meanwhile: http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sw ... se_sword_8 It would still be interesting to know where the Shinsa was held (at one or more sword shows maybe) and at what date(s). Thanks & Best

Hi all, could maybe anyone be of help to determine the dates of the NBTHK Shinsa in the U.S. in the 1980s. - Were the Shinsa held at multiple dates and locations in that year? - And was it the only year that the NBTHK offered a Shinsa abroad? Any help on this would be much appreciated. Best,

If you compare someTsuba from Sasanos first edition of Sukashi Tsuba ("Early Japanese Sword Guards") to the 1994 edition you can clearly see that some Ji-Sukashi Tsuba were overcleaned and their Patina almost completely polished off. I heard, that Sasano (or his relatives) let some obviously inexperienced people take care of the Tsubas when he was ill. Some of those people have exaggerated the "care" and used abrasive materials to polish the pieces. Cheers,

Hi Jason, I hope I did not sound too harsh or disrespectful in my previous post.... It wasn´t meant to disparage your taste or something - it´s just that I and I guess many others have experienced the urge to buy something without thinking too much about it´s place in a collection. Try to look for quality and go and study as much good Tsuba in hand as possible. I guess the sword shows in the U.S. are a great place to do so. Best,

Hi Jason, I can only second Ray´s thoughts. As a beginning collector (I think you once mentioned you are one) one has to be patient and strong to withstand the "urge" of buying something. At least this is my experience. If you aim to build up a collection it is better to buy one good Tsuba instead of 3 or 5 "low quality" pieces. I can also recommend not to forget to invest in books (http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/reading.htm). Best, Martin

Hi Henry, what does the Mimi look like? Does it show any linear Tekkotsu (Senkotsu) or evidence of folding? This would not be an indicator for any specific generation, but would be a nice feature to study. As for the generation - I think this is hard to judge because there are so many exceptions from the rules... The shape of the Seppa-Dai created by the first generation tends to be elongated, narrow and gets pointed towards the "Ha"-side. This is due to the geometry of earlier Saya that broaden towards the Mune of the blade. The connection points of the Sukashi usually get wider when they meet the Mimi. From the second generation onwards the Seppa-Dai tends to get wider in shape. The thickness of 0.5 cm fits to the early masters but the majority of the early pieces is quite thick (> 0.6 cm). I have also seen a Ko-Akasaka which was 0.4 cm in thickness but then had a diameter of more than 9 cm. As for the Kebori, we can observe many, fine and well preserved carvings. Pieces of the first generations of the Akasaka school usually show a rather faint Kebori. My guess would therefore be second/third or later generation Akasaka. Hope, my thoughts help a little... Cheers,

Hi Paul, I added a picture of the catalogue. Unfortunately it is not in my library... but maybe someone else can jump in. Good luck Is there maybe a picture of the Tsuba available, that you might want to share? The Akasaka school is actually my favourite one at the moment. Best,

Hi Andi, I second Mariusz´s thoughts here. This Tsuba has suffered from severe rust which has changed the whole surface of the piece. Tsuchime cannot be seen here I´m afraid. As for the Ko-Tosho call - I would expect less Sukashi elements (Ko-Sukashi) in early Tosho guards and would therefore go for Edo Tosho. Here is a similar example at AOI art: http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F09406.html Also the shape of the Hitsu-Ana don´t corrspond with the ones found on early Tosho guards (IF it is original to the piece that is and has not been cut out later). Just my 2 cents.

Hi Paul, Owari wouldn´t have been my first call either I suppose. At least not the classical Ji-Sukashi style of piercing that we usually associate with "Owari" school.

Dear Paul, many thanks for showing a picture of your fine Tsuba. Without the translation of the motif description, I would have thought these were 2 butterflies arranged at both sides of the Nakago-Ana. Is this just me? Best,

Dear Paul, may I ask if it is possible to see a picture of the Tsuba? Best,

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag from me too! Hope you had a great day. But remember: The older you get, the more your birthdaycake looks like a torchlight procession :D

Many thanks Lorenzo and Dave. In the meanwhile I am convinced that this is a modification of the Hanabishi Mon. Cheers,

Hi all, could maybe anybody help me with this description of a Mon? "...the lozenge-shaped hachiman-bishi-mon." I have not been able to find any information about a Hachiman Bishi mon on the Internet. Or is it maybe a typo and should read Hana Bishi Mon... :? Here is a picture of the piece.

Hi, BTW, does anybody know why Tsubas are often photographed "upside down" (with the Kogai-Ana on the left instead of the right side) on older NBTHK papers? Just wondering...