Curran

Kyle- The other members please correct me, but I believe others have implied that the first tsuba probably has a gimei (false) signature. The second tsuba has a rather beautiful signature. Also, the design is simple but somewhat elegant. There are books and sets of books mostly in Japanese for photo referencing and comparison of the deemed "authentic" signatures of the relatively known and better known artisans. I usually go to the 3 volume set by Wakayama-san when I am curious enough to look up a signature and compare for consideration of authenticity. As John Stuart referenced, Robert E. Haynes is a very long and well respected American student of fittings. In 2001 ? he released a lifetime's work of cataloging and cross referencing his notes on Japanese fittings artisans. His 3 volume set guides most of us here to quickly be able to look up in english many of the artisans and see in what Japanese and some non-Japanese texts we might find more information. It is a very significant work to which even the Japanese establishment are finally tipping their hat. You will probably be hard pressed to find a physical copy for sale. Even the CD version sold by this dealer has jumped in price: http://www.nihonto.com/5.7.09.html The image should give you an idea of a standard entry on an artisan. Imagine 12,500 of them. Haynes estimates more than 20,000. Over the years I have only added maybe a half dozen to dozen skilled artisans not in his text that were linkable to other artisans of note. As noted by Grey, very few museums have staff that know how to care for these items. There are some notorious instances in which museum staff have absolutely decimated them. With the fade of the Japanese economy, many museums no longer display these items. They are increasingly de-acquisitioned. Hope your class goes well.

Slough's book. Absolutely no doubt.

Looks like a David Hofhine polish? Cresentmoon: please follow forum rules of etiquette and use a true proper name.

Last time I was there, the museum had almost all its swords in storage. I think only 2 or three were in small display with other items. Practically shot past it, even though I was looking for it. Looking at the big Boston Museum book, it is quite the collection they have. I wonder how much of it they still have. Is it J. Earle's responsibility to care for the items, or left to someone else at the museum? I'd be surprised to learn if Ogawa-san was still caring for them, but then some nihonto collectors in the north east imply that he may have taken many of the items with him back to Japan.

There are at least 15 to 25 other fittings collectors in your area (Phili/NJ/NYC). Be surprised! Some great collections in that area, but many of the collectors are quite established and keep to themselves. You can meet a few at the NYC club meeting. (from the guy who lived in Jersey City and Phili for 11 years). There is so much stuff there... you just don't know about it yet. Might take you a few years. Pace yourself.

It isn't always as simple as A or B. You get to choose whether it is Ab or aB or something C entirely. I have a ko-kachuchi where the iron says mid to late muromachi. The oldest tsuba I own. Yet it has gold and silver brocade nunome on the face. A year or two ago: under serious magnification it could be seen that the gold and silver brocade was nunomed onto the plate later (the nunome runs oddly through pores that had developed with age, skipping some deeper pores), and the kozuka/kogai cut even later through the nunome. A faint signature was added on top of it all, and nearly lost with time and age of being mounted. So what is it? Ko-kachushi or a Higo/shoami tsuba after the nunome was added? One of the other board members has a decidedly late muromachi / earliest edo ko-tosho that had sukashi cut in it later. I think they papered it as 'Shoami' which was a laugh. From the work on Dr. L's tsuba, even if the plate itself is older.... it might draw Higo or other papers. Sometimes papers simply tell you the last known interpretation of classification. Not what it fundamentally was or predominantly is. By western standards, if a Japanese painter painted a kabuto on the Mona-lisa (then signs it)... it would still be an italian painting. By some Japanese papering methodology, it would be a modern Japanese Mona Lisa work. I can see both sides of the logic. ... and maybe Mona Lisa would look even better in the right kabuto?

I figured it was silver too. I thought I was the only one here who actively liked Kunitomo and Hazama tsuba. A friend recently pointed me at this page here on them: http://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/m/201010 Scroll down to see the blog posts from Oct 1st to October 12th. I believe there are also some Hazama in the September posts to the blog. I own the tsuba in the Oct 5th, 2010 post. Long ago I tried to buy the one posted on Sept 28, 2010 ... but someone beat me to it. There are one or two for sale in Japan now.

John: I'm not actively collecting any more, but did always want a good Kaga or Kaga Goto piece. You and I talked about your before, and I haven't looked at it in a while. I'm glad to see it again and find my reaction is the same. I hope you enjoy that one for many years. Marc: I initially followed Mark's Kyo Goto book lead and must say the signature *does not* look good to me. My confidence interval on Goto is lower than others, - for a variety of reasons. But there are too many strokes just the wrong way or not right given the comparison mei in the Kyo Goto book. This morning I got out of storage some of the other Big Goto books and am going through them now to make sure there isn't something in the Waki-Goto that might be a fit. I've tried several times to get a working knowledge of the waki-goto uploaded into my memory, but it doesn't stick well. Let me try to dust off and see if there is anything in the waki goto.

John: Always liked that Kaga Goto kozuka of yours. I tend to avoid dragon themes, but something about the perspective on that one has caught me. Marc: There are others here with much more Goto knowledge, but I do have many of the Goto books and a very good batting average (for a non native) on confirming signatures. If time allows tonight, I will try this one for exercise.

As Keith said, it is a calming influence to some of us and it does work. But it also has its own hazards, like remembering you have it in your pocket or having it take a tumble out of you pocket. In one or two instances, I'd say it had a best result on older tsuba getting them to look healthy again after some cleaning and TLC. I would consider this for older Owari tsuba. Still, not a habit for just anyone. Best to get some undyed cotton / flannel and rub it while watching the TV or whatnot, as long as it doesn't annoy the wife or significant other. Don't be in a hurry.

Small steps ... small steps ..... Please remember she is an anthropology student in Midwest, probably Chicago area. Not a curator in Japan. As much as we would like to see it restored, I doubt they have anyone 'in house' who knows what they are doing- and would probably hesitate to pay to have it done by someone external- even if someone of skill offered to do it free to help the museum. As Ludolph has done in the Translation section, we would probably do best to just help her ID items and answer any follow up questions she has.

Tiffany- You came to the right place. Post and ask about specific items (swords, fittings, etc.) and people should give you some very serious answers once this thread catches fire. Have a little patience with us at first. Too many people come here asking questions just so they can sell the items on ebay or elsewhere. The Soten tsuba looks nice, but is very much in need of a restorative cleaning before it deteriorates further.

I know the seller, though I haven't spoken to him in years. Didn't know if he was still in the hobby. He seems to pull relatively unique items out of a hat some times. Don't know how he does it. So which was worse: Temple of Doom or the Crystal Skull?

I have not owned such a sword, though remember some impressive tantos over the years that were made by relatively insignificant or Unknown smiths. In my experience it happens more often in fittings. I have a tsuba that I think is by a samurai turned arrowhead maker signing "Kuniyasu". It is done as a Go stone, and about as simple elegant and as well finished as some of the early generation Higo tsuba. The tsuba isn't worth much on the basis of name, but I ran it past Hagihara-san many years ago. It was his favorite of my collection at the time, with his second favorite being a signed ko-katchushi/katchushi with a signature that doesn't logically match anything in Wakayama, Meikan, or the Haynes Index.

I believe the original poster's question was answered: Yes The Uesugi Kenshin example being most famous. I believe there are quite a number of examples in the uchigatana book. Question: Peter, I thought the sword used by Kenshin was a rather long tachi Ichimonji. Would it be considered uchigatana? Never mind. I went and got the book. The 3 or 4 color photo examples of this koshirae list them as 'uchigata' yet the swords in them are all described as tachi {Ichimonji, Ichimonji, Nagamitsu, etc...}. So Peter is correct {as nearly always} in saying this is uchigata koshirae. Not tachi koshirae. Aside Question: Kenhin gave Takeda Shingen a "sword of importance" as a gift later in life. Anyone know what the sword was? If I ever knew, I've forgotten and haven't been able to dig it up this morning.

Other than 2 years of kendo at university, I have never much been a practitioner of Eastern fencing. So I will leave that to you guys to debate. From a cognitive point of view, this is one of the most interesting threads I've read in a while. Ford, thank you for keeping the gray matter alive. Try not to kill off too much of your own with Guido in Japan. I'm not 100% sold on the bones of the hand idea, but I see it and really hope that it stirs up some of the Japanese. I cannot remember the name of the Japanese painter that has the skeletons in kabuki poses, but given did remind myself of other early skeletal perspective like this one by V. Van Gogh: http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.j ... 28&lang=en Not trying to hijack the thread here, as much as remember who other Japanese artists were that worked with 'animated' images of skeletons and bones. Again Ford.... "most cool". Keep it up, and have fun in Tokyo. Curran

More elephant menuki- this time in shakudo:

I would agree. Nice tsuba that doesn't require much cleaning. It reminds me a bit of one of the Shoami from the Sasano books. Theme is different, but feel of the design perspective is the same to me.

Ford, If Malcolm's answer is the correct one, it will be very interesting to see illustrated. Looking forward to it.

Very common actually. Or at least they go all the time on Yahoo!Japan. What surprises me is that someone paid for it what they did.

Chris, Thank you for explaining. Got my brain determined it was a place, and went charging off that way. If it were entirely in my control, I would set about considerably more time studying the Japanese Language and practicing Cello. In my relatively novice understanding of both, there is the greatest respect for those of you who know so much more. If you tell me you play the Cello well.... then I doubly humbled. Thanks again, for the Kishu assist and this.

*Sigh*. I was reading the description of a tsuba as best I could (hence the sigh... for what Japanese I learned and how much I have forgotten, -shame on me...) The description says "桜花の図". Going through my list of Kuni, I did not see this one. Given my recent experience with the alternative read for 'Kishu', I guess this is another where I need ask for help from the better students of Japanese or the native readers. What kuni is: "桜花" ? The tsuba looks like Higo derivative work, but it isn't quite up to snuff in terms of execution. Curran

I haven't been able to find the thread where Morita-san says that the use of the 10-stroke 'Ki' is an alternate read for 'Kishu'. Morita-san also seems to currently be on vacation or MIA. Photos should be attached. One photo is mid-clean up. After a bit of minor cleaning with ivory- I think Chris is right that the second character suddenly looks a lot more like "-shu" to me. Not sure what cleaned off, but my eyes see it differently now. Anyone else able to suggest a different reading? As the tsuba looks like a little late Edo Bushu-Choshu mix of work (like Kiyotaka or such work), I am wondering why it is signed 'Kishu'. If Kishu is the final vote, then I need to take it to the Kodogu discussion section and reason out why it looks nothing like the Kishu examples I've been able to find. Anyone have more information about Kishu work? I only have two sources.

Kinai would have been the easy answer, but tsuba hardly seems kinai to me. I could be wrong as it a school I tend to avoid. Will try to post a photo tonight.

Chris, Thank you for the clarification. I had not seen the previous discussion by Morita-san. The second character is hard to imagine as 'shu'. It is basically a deep cut two stroke character with the second stroke being a strong J. I will try and take a picture of it.