Curran

You beat me to it. Shinno: Chinese God or Early Founder of Medicine. Probably George can lay down the true info bomb, if the information isn't reliable on the Internet. I was just looking at a kozuka the other day that has him depicted. Still on the fence about buying it. He often seems depicted with those little horns or nobs on his head?

Probably you have seen this: https://wakeidou.com/pages/640/ Ichijo work. His student Ikkin could do this sort of design even better, though he kinda worked to the level he was getting paid. Thus, some stunningly detailed Ikkin works, and some kinda mailing it in. This is an example of "mailing it in" : Is yours Ichijo school? Hard to know. I would say No. I understand @Rivkin point that it might be Meiji work. The focus is more on decoration, less on detail. That does point more towards Meiji.

The fittings would either get attributed to "Kozenji' (late Edo high level Owari Kinko) or Umetada. They only distinction I have ever noticed in the NBTHK attributions to Kozenji vs Umetada work is that the Kozenji work often has a trace of silver or shibuichi. If I were to second guess the NBTHK, I think they'd go Umetada on these fittings. Beautiful sword, and some very exceptional lacquerwork too. Imagine the challenge of doing the keyfret in shakudo on the fuchi, kashira, kogai, kurikata, and kojiri, Heavens, that is a lot of work.

Cool thread. I was thinking that you were hinting at the Egg shape of the tsuba, but it isn't that unusual given the maritime and foreign influences. I didn't think to look through the sukashi. I thought it might have a goldish backing, but I would never have guessed the other side was was fused brass sukashi.

That is shitte. @#$%^&! Sorry. Busy week traveling, and I'm thinking about work tomorrow. I figured I would check in on NMB before bed. This is ____ news. Brian- Thank you for letting us know. Yet, I'm angry about it. We've had some painful losses over the years, including Jeremiah last year. I cannot believe Brian (Winchester) is gone. He and I had some fun correspondence and too much in common. We traded a few things, just to play. I have two Benchmade pocket knives from him- one for home and one for car/field, that I traded for a tsuba just to have some fun. I didn't know that he was younger than me. This is wrong. Condolences to Sarah. He is certainly missed by me. He was fun, and correspondence from him was welcome any time. I will miss it.

Why? If he wants to shotgun sell it, maybe. If he wants to learn more about the pieces, he'd do better here or with the help of some of the private forums that exist around. Ed is more likely to help him than Bonhams. I have the greatest respect for Jeff Olson at Bonhams, and I have sold with him both there and when he was at Christies. When you walk into an auction house to sell something, you should really know before hand what it is that you are bringing in.

agreed. Like the offspring of a Haguro tsuba and a Namban. Definitely more on the Namban side with that seppa dai and general execution.

The kozuka with the large tiger on it is in Sekibun's style. It is probably signed on the back with a sloppy looking signature. Ie. Not as neat as the signatures on the back of Hamano kozuka.

Welcome to the Tosogu section. That is quite a mix of kozuka. There are several nice ones in there. Personally, I like the Edo Goto one of black [shakudo] crabs. There are also two or three Hamano, a Kaga kinko, and one or two others. Signatures on the back might help produce more information, though there were a lot of "added signatures" done in the late 1800s to make them sell better to the visiting foreigners. Still, we can judge. If you feel like going through them one at a time... Some of us welcome the challenge. Also, visiting Ed M. over in Louisiana should give you some quality answers. Curran

Great observation. I was going to say that the shi-shi menuki had a more complex mane than most I had seen. Then you linked it back to a Ko-Goto set with similar complex mane. Good example of later generation pulling from earlier generation example. I have a good example of 7th gen Kenjo copying one of his father's (Tokujo, the 5th gen) designs. Very similar, with small differences.

I disagree with that. While there have been several big mumei ones like the Miyamoto Musashi tsuba and the Hayashi Matashichi, there was also a huge signed one that someone managed to buy before auction ended. I think there is a fair chance that one will make Juyo next year. Unfortunately, not mine, so it has to stay at that for now. I've papered a few signed ones like Jochiku Murakami. Like Norisuke, Ikkin works seem to be at whatever level someone was paying.

There are some very well curated tsuba in there. There is one I very much want, and 4 or 5 that I might lowball. If the Tariffs weren't in the way, I might have a much better chance of getting what I am after.

They've been around a very long time. Widely respected, though their site hasn't changed much in nearly 25 years. They post less items each year, so I worry about their age. While I don't think I have every bought from them, I have seen some purchases from them. Usually it is pretty good stuff. I am still trying to buy a tsuba from someone who purchased it from Tokugawa Art. I wish I had seen it and bought it when they had it listed. One of my neighbors beat me to it. Every now and then, they surface some gems.

Cheers back at you. I was surprised to see an older thread pop up. It is nice to have the continuation now. Best wishes.

The cost of NBTHK papers just went up recently. Not that it matters much in this small financial debate about the restoration of a Yagyu. I have seen them cleaned up before, worked on a bit, and then off to NBTHK for papers.