Curran

Up for Sale in Japan: http://page6.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f106032944 This is one I was considering bidding on myself. I have another financial priority for now, but it does tempt me for a long sword.

Looks like someone wiped their boogers on it.

I assume you are joking. They have no Morimitsu on display.

As Ludolph said, "Hamano Naoyuki" with Kao (personal mark). I have not compared against reference signatures, but Naoyuki is a big name. His work is usually very crisp. First impression of the signature is that it lacks something. Your tsuba has seen some abuse and abuse, but is a nice enough tsuba. Workmanship is better than many we see on NMB, but not what I would expect of Naoyuki. The signature is probably gimei, but still respect the tsuba.

Chris: Oops. My fault, since I knew better. Markus can share some of the blame, since I was typing from notes he originally provided. Bob...,I am glad to see you here. I had wondered if you or John Stuart might manage to find some literary passes that fit the theme. While I have read a a good number of Basho's poems, I don't know my Japanese lit very well.

Flying Cranes is the only Manhattan place I can recommend. There is also Ogawa-san with his small shop in the Antiques Mall, but I don't know him to have any Akasaka tsuba or many fittings for that matter. Very nice gent with whom I've had some discussions regarding trading volatility futures. His wife is a professor at Columbia U. Are you referencing him or the museum curator? The Met Museum's collection on display has rotated again. They had some good helmets on display and some nice Hirata fittings. The display's are obviously knowledgeable and while I was there I listened to a woman give a well informed mini-presentation to a museum guest. A few things are always mislabeled. The most noticeable this time was a beautiful (hypnotic) signed Rai tanto that was attributed as "Bizen Morimitsu". Were it open market, I would gladly have paid the price of a Morimitsu for that tanto as fast as I could get the cash.

I opened this topic for fun, because it seems slow on NMB and I figured it might be a small fun educational thread. After some of the points made here, I am a bit less sure of the conclusion I was going to share. I am going to prune it down to some basic info. Smith: Nishigaki Kanpei He was the younger brother of the 2nd gen Kanshiro (Nishigaki master). Active period was basically the same as his brother's (b.1639- d.1717) , perhaps lagging by a few years. Lived to a similar age, but date of death unknown. Lived to at least age 76 (signed tsuba) Influences: Like his brother, Kanpei was influenced by the literature of the time. Influenced by Ihara Saikaku, Matsuo Basho, and others. One of Matsuo Basho's better known poems: (**Nijiko is an area of the Yoshino River known for powerful rapids.) Petal by Petal At Yoshino River the mountain roses at the riverbank in the blowing wind even the reflections in the depths are scattered. Now then, Mountain Rose does not = Sakura They do come in several forms in Japan and Korea. The most distinct being the yellow variety, but also see picture of Mountain Rose. So, nothing conclusive.... but I like to interpret this design which was often done by Kanpei as his visualization of Basho's poem. There are other poems about the stages of the life of a flower (as Brian highlighted) that allude to the cycle of life and transient nature of samurai lives. To sum it up, if you see this design with the flower indenting the kashira ana and the rapids... seems to be a favorite of Kanpei that I have not seen in any other school (yet). *** On signed ones.... point to look for is that Kanpei seems to have had a quirk where he liked to have the down stroke of his "pei" character curve left a bit and point straight at a continuation stroke in the "saku" character.

I wondered if this might interest you guys: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/150227686 The fellow also has some other seemingly circa WWII Japanese items.

Brian: Basically, Yes. Sakura (or other flower) on high. Then on the water. Then under water. Guido: Given the active period of the smith Marc suggested and Peter seconded, does a search of any of the poems put up a well known match? (This is something I thought a given, but am now unsure of as I have read different translations. However, I have seen before tsuba from this school and time period that are taken directly from this poet's works.)

Curtis, That particular box went for about $85. Knotwork was interesting. It was a pleasure to see Tom's 3 tier older example. I am sure the lacquer katana-kake received more respect, but my small wood kake is dated something like 1753 or 1756 from a carpenter's shop on the bottom and has certainly seen a century or so of active wear. It has given it a beautiful old patina like that of a preserved antique violin or cello, but the kake had taken hundreds if not thousands of small dents. From a distance you cannot tell, but up close they form a repetitive pattern like that seen on many ko-kinko tsuba.

Marc, If you are able to post a scan, please do so. Otherwise, I will when I return home after the holidays. Mine has no goldwork. For now, here is another one for comparison to the one I own and the tsuba you reference in the Nishigaki book.

And yet another one: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/150224568

Marc is closer than Mark. Check the other Ito-san books. Please keep looking, as at the end of this exercise I can reference 3 or 4 of these. They sometimes show up unsigned, signed, and signed and dated. I have seen at least one of each. There is also a quirk to this artists signature that is worth learning (just as there is with Shozui and with Tadashige.... a quirk that allows relatively strong affirmation of signature without even having to hit the books). Guido, please explain further.

Alright... Part of this I have known a long time, and part of it I recently learned: This tsuba is signed by the maker on the back. It is one of his most popular designs and can be found attributed to him in a few books. (#1) Identify the maker (partial credit for school) Now the hard part: (#2) Identify the specific theme and (historical, literary, or religious) reference associated. If someone hits #2 solidly, I will donate another $10 to the NMB in that person's name.

Ugh. The short answer, as Timewave said, is "Yes". I've had one for almost 10 years, and use it. It was probably 10 to 15 years old when I purchased it from another collector. Works well and has taken on a nice patina over the years. Buy a good paulownia one and enjoy its clean lines.

Ludolph, There are so many conflicting interests on eBay, in addition to the seller's desire to make a profit. I once had a Victorian Scottish baskethilt up for sale, and some guy kept emailing me that it was a well made copy from the early 1970s. I was concerned enough that I looked over his scanned photos from 1970s magazines. While doing so, an experienced collector hit the Buy It Now and was happy with the sword. I am pretty sure the sword was correct as I described it, and the new owner confirmed this. I don't know what objective the guy who contacted me could have had other than believing he was giving me true advice. Perhaps he was misguided, or perhaps he knows that which I and the buyer of the sword do not know.... that it was a very good fake made by a certain party from back in the day. I have not the time to "Tilt at Windmills", and this person probably chooses not to believe you until eBay removes his auction. Even then, he might hold you under suspicion of being responsible for its de-listing. Unless it is clear he is intentionally misrepresenting or defrauding, do not Don Quixote yourself.

Early Edo example.

That one hit a few branches falling out of the Ugly Tree.

fuchi-kashira: Design is unusual, but not unknown. I forget the term for them. Sometimes they are two tone, or done in a way where the deep carving reveals mokume layers. Signature would be on the outer (public) face of the fuchi when the tsuka is taken off the nakago. It is most likely they are unsigned, but I figured I would ask.

Hirado Kunishige-esque work inside a namban type plate? What is the diameter on this tsuba? I thought the Namban was cupped initially, but the tsuba doesn't look as thick as it would be if it were inserted inside a cupped tsuba. The silver is nice, and I wonder what that face looked like when it was all intact.

He is getting too good. They have sent the ninjas for him.

Nice habaki. Interesting fuchi-kashira. Is the fuchi signed?

Mike, If by "meeting this weekend" you mean the NYC meeting, I hope to be there. Introduce yourself. Otherwise, follow Ken's advice. It is possible to do what you currently want, but difficult for any quality. If in the USA and it ever proves easy, go to a sword show. My only add on to that is that if you go to one like the Tampa show this February.... make your schedule flexible so you can have a day at the beach or otherwise vacationing as well as looking at the sharp ancient art pieces.

Brian, I am willing to do so, but I have not been a volunteer part of a shinsa team since 2006. Even then, they've got me doing the filing & cross reference record checking as I rubberneck all the nice fittings passing by. I guess that is what us numbers guys are suppose to be doing. Lord knows I'm helpless with the photography part of recording fittings. Also, according to my last conversation with the elusive Jim Gilbert, the format for NTHK shinsa seems to have changed a bit. In other words, my viewpoint is that of a half educated tourist. Someone like Tom Helm would certainly do it better and with more authority. I also hesitate a tad on the basis of not knowing what the NTHK would or wouldn't want me to say about the process. I definitely paid more attention to the fittings group appraisals than the separate group handling blades. If you want me to give it a whack, I will. Just give me a clue what I should add or delete. (PM me).

It would seem "Tall Tom" Helm is helping a good bit with the shinsa. Half way down the page that you linked, for shinsa questions there is another link to Tom Helm's website. Also, this email is provided: NTHK2012@toryu-mon.com Sho-shin basically means "authentic". A list member known for being a harsh judge when it comes to whether a signature is authentic has spoken up and said he thinks it _at initial glance_ is authentic. That is a good thing. If NTHK deems it authentic, then you have a very green light for going to get it polished. Please, please, _please_ use a qualified properly trained professional. If the NTHK ~pink sheets~ it, ie. fails the signature as not authentic.... then you have a dilemma. ***I warn you that getting a pink sheet is NOT a guarantee it is a false signature. My first sword ~pinked~ at NTHK shinsa, but went Tokubetsu Hozon at the NBTHK shinsa (another authority in Japan) Basically you go and pay $125(?) to submit the sword. It is taken in by the handlers, information taken down, and goes before a panel of experts from a well recognized Japanese organization. They give it the thrice going over, and basically vote on authenticity. The handlers process it further. Measurements and a rubbing of the tang made. Then eventually the handlers call your name and you find out whether your baby passed or failed. If it passed, you pay an additional amount of money and eventually official _Papers_ of Authentication are sent to you months later once they have been done up by the organization in Japan. If you have ever dealt with diamonds or things like that, think of it as the equivalent of GIA grading and certification. Others are most welcome to correct me. I am just trying to provide an introduction to what it will be like from your viewpoint as a newbie at his first shinsa. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.... as when I got that first ~pink sheet~ years ago.... I was hoppin mad. If you get a pink sheet, keep your temper better than I did. The expense of $250 or so, plus trip to Tampa and whatnot ..... .... is easily worth the thousands of dollars wasted on having a professional polish on a sword that is not authentic. From what others say, it sounds yours has a decently well recognized artists name.... so papering it is doubly wise. As with paintings, there were many attempts to pass of forgeries of the works of greater artists. Hope that helps. Good luck. I'll be in Tampa and probably at a table in the showroom. Curran