Curran

It doesn't seem I have any photos of my Bell Owari. @Ed would like that one. I've been meaning to submit it to shinsa for a few years now, but I'm not so keen on shinsa time and opinions these days. To further encourage the love for Ono tsuba, I'm posting an old favorite Tokugawa mon Ono. It is one of those with narly woodknot shaped tottetsu along the mimi.

BOOK INFORMATION REQUEST: does anyone have a copy of "Kamiyoshi-tsuba ehon" or able to help me track down a copy? I mistakenly thought it a Kamiyoshi only book, not realizing it documents a lot of the Hayashi school. It appears I own two tsuba in the book, shown side by side on a page. It would also help in the study of the evolution of a certain design down the schools for 8 to 9 generations.

For a bokken.

I bid on that one. Quickly outbid by someone else.

A yari. Weight alone would make it wrong for an arrowhead. ...Or a very large arrow head for a bolt shot from a ballista. Don't know if the Japanese every had or used ballista, even in naval warfare. And why such a quality head on a ballista bolt? Therefore: A yari. __________________________________________________________________ Looks nicely made too. Grooves reduce the chance of suction. Easier to stick, unstick, and stick someone else.

There was a time that the best buys were found in the USA. Last few years, it seems the best buys are in Europe. Congrats. What is the size (in cm) including thickness (in mm)? And yes, straight up classic early to mid Edo Owari.

Hi Johnny, You should include the measurements. Sado Island tsuba are often robust nice tsuba akin to 3rd gen Akasaka. Given the mines and the shipping there, the iron is often harder and richer in a cold earthy way than Akasaka iron. Very distinct. They are outside the Pantheons of Higo, Owari, and Ko-Goto/Ko-Mino that interest me most, but they have a tactile appeal to them that is very pleasant to me. [edit: ah, I see that Haynes already mentioned the hefty circa third gen Akasaka aspect.]

SOLD

Tsuba Box Sale: --5 Mulberry edged "Deluxe Boxes" w/ pillows. $250 for all five or $57.50 per box individually + shipping from USA. These boxes were once more common, but have gotten scarce and pricey. ----I have some fitted boxes coming back from Japan and am just clearing out these higher end spares. -See photos-. Ask questions and PM. Preference is to anyone buying these as a lot.

wow. Seriously impressed. Work on practicing your signature 1000 times before signing that one. It deserves a signature to match. Hard to believe this is only your 4th go at it.

Great thread. I tend to focus on Higo and Owari, so will offer up an old Kanayama as my contribution. Interesting in that it is somewhat concave on one side. You can see it in the second photo, thought it would be more evident if photo was in winter light. That would seem to be a kantei point for some of the 1500s Kanayama.

Shodai Shimizu. Founder of the Jingo school. Ref: published in Ito-san's books.

Mountain wasabi by the stream.

@Matsunoki I didn't figure you to be one accepting of obvious gimei, but a prop has its place now and then.

Very good same too. Incredible that this was your first time through a custom koshirae. That made my day. I've been dealing with some pinhead stuff at work and in correspondence today. Seeing a nice custom job like really shines a positive light through the day's fog. Respect to your wife and the dealer-agent who brought this together.

Whomever did the ito on your koshirae did an incredible job from the braid behind the fuchi to the crossover of the menuki, and the fidelity-marriage knots at the crossover of the ito. Very feminine with a bunch of custom work behind it. Exceptional custom work. If I ever make another custom koshirae, I'd love to know your agent/dealer and who the heck did that Ito. Someone went above and beyond. You may not even know that.

Well, that was fast. Friggin cute Futagoyama tsuba.

Thanks. It was a large and Lovely tsuba that came +1 with another tsuba I wanted to buy. It was a nice honking hefty example of manly armor maker tsuba. Armor maker tsuba mostly aren't my cup of tea, but I didn't mind having this one around for a year or two. I have an ubu late Nambokuchu or early Muromachi Ko-Tosho that I should get around to selling, but it won't be nearly as cheap as this one. Still, a bargain price once I get around to photographing and listing it.

Please do so. I somehow missed this sale while busy with life. There are two or three I'd like to pick up once I clean out some shelf space.

Earlier than that. I have a ko kat and ko tosho that are late Nambokuchu to earliest Oei, which is the time period of blades I prefer. The earliest kinko tsuba I have are a mid muromachi tachi tsuba and a mid muromachi kogatana tsuba with one of the earlier shaped kozuka ana (tall thin domed one) without a corresponding kogai ana.

I don't know how many kinko Ko-Shoami papers you can see unless someone with a database chimes in. I may go looking later. It isn't easy to define Ko-Shoami kinko. Most of the ones I have seen that were NBTHK papered were sort of [mountain-copper] base with a shakudo fukurin. Various shapes. Some had textured surface, and most had the use of inlay of either gold or shakudo in a way that looked somewhat Kaga or Umetada. The one RKG owned could have easily been mistaken for a very early (Higo) Hirata school example.

While similar to Kaga and to Umetada work, my feeling was: kinko Ko-Shoami Kinko Ko-shoami are much much more rare than iron works. RKG has or had one I really fancy. I've never actually owned one myself. Not many paper that way. Usually NBTHK can just be lazy and say 'Ko-kinko'.

Hi Morita-san, For me, it was just a "Study Challenge", but I could not figure out who made it or who it was to imitate. It was For Sale on Yahoo!Japan. The seller could not read it and seemed to know little about tosogu. The design was not for me, but the materials and workmanship were very good. The theme was ducks [or water fowl] by a stream. The design was not typical Ishiguro. It was "minimalist", but very good shibuichi, gold, and other metals. A strange puzzle that I could not solve. I did not save an image of it, and I cannot find the former link to it.

Is the kozuka unsigned? I've seen many snake tsuba, but I do not think I have ever seen a kozuka with a lady-bug on it. To me, that is the most interesting part. What design are the menuki?

SOLD. NMB contribution once I get it mailed.