Curran

Iconic Higo design usually associated with Shimizu-Jingo line. There are one or two amongst the hundred(s) the Boston Museum and I think one of the NMB members owned a signed 5th gen of this design. Design is debated, but Ford's interesting conjecture was that it mirrors the bones of the hand. "Butterflies" is another. I prefer the bones of the hand. There are also many non Edo period examples around. If you really want our peanut gallery estimation of age, please provide more photos.

As John indicated, this one could lead several ways. I thought I might come up with nothing. However, see Haynes 09668.0 (Teruyuki). Cross reference it to the Baur Collection and see the signature for Teruyuki on page 438 of the Baur collection. Lower left hand corner signature example #556 of the fuchi/kashira depicted as D 918 (page 274) The Teruyuki part doesn't help us much, but note the particular strokes of the "Shoryuken". His most rightward downstrokes are particularly long and end in a sharp looking right-thumbed fish hook barb. [i don't know how else to describe it]. I see this in Junichi's signature too, but maybe it is just my eyes. Otherwise, not much else in common. I went through a few pages of other signature references in the B.C. signature photo reference and reviewed the signatures of about 150 other artists. While a few have the right hand downstroke long habit, none put that same sort of small right-hand fishhook barb that Teruyuki does and that I feel I see on Junichi's kozuka. Hardly conclusive, but best I've found in my first pass at it. It is weak, but better than nothing. Will give it another try with further books tomorrow.

Was going to hit the 8vol. Wakayama myself, and see if the Baur Collection or some of the other books didn't present a clue.

An interesting challenge. Life is wicked busy at the moment, but this is worth stretching and taking a crack at as the week goes along. PM me if you don't get a response in the next few days. We'll see what the library and my current level of reading Japanese can turn out.

Moderators: No table flipping please. The thread has its merits. G's naming names was just the Captain Obvious. Not having seen the blade, nor really caring to do so, I never asked the polisher of anyone. Didn't need to do so, as it was rather simple fill in the blank.

Dating stands is not easy. I bought this one because out of an antiques shop because I liked the wood and the simple lines of the design. Had it a long time and never though to translate the bottom. I just assumed late Edo, though the Japanese red oak was nice strong and light. Turns out it is probably from 1754. Had quite some miles on it, but it wears well as a patina and looks phenomenally better now after wife took special care to research how to clean and care for it.

John, I do too. Always something too learn from this translation section. Thank you Kunitaro-san for the translation.

The clouds are high above, the ocean wet, and Ed a good individual to deal with. I take it for granted that such things are known. I didn't realize Ed wasn't in the list of names, but I've been guilty of forgetting he is technically a 'dealer' with a legal business entity. It never feels like business with him. I bought a much needed set of menuki off him years ago and am still praying to find another set like it. I've long enjoyed dealing with him. Had a nice conversation with him in Tampa this year and hope to get up to where he lives and visit him some day.

Omiya. Definitely. Sometimes you will get a remarkable kozori work, but up close more of the Omiya are remarkable. This is not to say that you wont see some weak Omiya pieces like this one: http://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/a00280.html More often, you will see Omiya that are stunners and yet affordable. Two or three years ago there was a nice Omiya Bizen Juyo offered up on this board. The kozori are largely the 'also ran', with a few exceptions.

Didn't see the Akihiro. I spoke to one of the other attendees today and guess I agree with him that the show was the most fun one either of us had been to in a while. Why? Hard to say why. I guess it was a confluence of events. Quite a number of people showed up without being snowed out as happened the former year. I am sorry to those like Prof. Bleed who were snowed out. Perhaps it was recovery from the Great Recession, but the mood was lighter, the conversations many, and cash changing hands at fair prices for fair items. Lots of people brought and shared good items for display. The social time was rampant. Had a few meals with people I often correspond with, but rarely see. Hung out a bit after hours with one member that I still owe a few drinks or otherwise treat him. The atmosphere was relaxed. The ko-kinko lecture had a perfect cross-section of examples, including a few stunners. Most everyone sold, traded, and bought something of interest for themselves. Being more of a fittings collector, I was surprised by the volume of swords changing hands. While Ando-san was there doing business, it was other individuals doing a volume business. Two fellows having bought over 100 swords together and another having bought 19. In conversation, they expressed that the USA remains the best bargain place to buy swords and sell them to international clients. When a newbie, I didn't like the idea that everyone hid the good stuff behind the tables. Unfortunately, this is still true and I am guilty of it to a degree. But people like Mr. Clark were willing to put quite a number of nice pieces out in the open. Also, from another collector, how often do you see a Sadamune openly on display complete with daimyo plaything koshirae? Both commercially and socially, the show had a lot more velocity than in prior years. Kudos to the collector that picked up the really interesting 'Enju' with koshirae. Elegant sword and I don't think any of us would be surprised if further papers gave a different opinion. Quite the kantei challenge.

It happens. Different generations of the same school would make the same design from their books, or another school might copy a design. Sometimes someone special ordered a tsuba and more than one was made at the time. Theoretically, the best one went to the owner and the other(s) destroyed, but more likely sold later. I have a complicated gold inlaid Kozenji tsuba purchased from a privately owned Philadelphia museum and doubted I'd ever see another like it. Then one day I was flipping through the Boston Museum collection, and there was its twin or mate sitting unidentified in their collection.

After 30 years, Benson's Bushido magazine article still remains the best illustration of this little school's works.

Looking forward to what Captain Jack shares. I've seen some of the other pieces to be there. A few people are turning out some fine pieces from their safes. I didn't know we had this caliber of examples in the USA.

I was logging on to thank Lance for posting the link. It was good to see the NBTHK papers for the set to Hizen. The similarity to Jean's is considerable. The Tenold one needs some rust control / preservation, but the iron on these can be a devil to work carefully. Probably best to just give it the horse hair brushing now and then. Seeing it with matching f/k also supports my gut instinct belief that these might have been ordered sets to do personal en-quite koshirae. I suspect there is a matching f/k for Jean's out there in the world, possibly in its own box. Hopefully in the same state of preservation. Jean's is remarkable because the state of preservation is extremely high. It is so clean and well cared for that, that you could eat off it. One of the recent changes with NBTHK seems to be stricter standards on condition. From 2013: in addition to making Tokubetsu Hozon mandatory for Juyo submissions and raising fees a bit, they also seem to be saying now that they will not paper unsigned fittings unless state of preservation is at least "X". Ie. things that could have gotten Tokubetsu Hozon in the 1990s now won't make Hozon if not preserved to some arbitrary standard. I saw an example of this over the weekend that stunned me a bit.

I've always been curious to see their (famed?) running attack for which they somehow draw the saya out of belt. Heard it described, but not seen. Always hoped Tanobe-sensei might give us an example one day, if encouraged with a little sake. If I were to own a Shin-shinto, it would probably seen a Motohira. I've seen two that stole my breath for a second or two.

If I may:

It was a double edged question. I logged on to remove it, since I didn't think it fair to you. You replied before I could pull it. I showed it to you before papering, but you said that we were wrong. I gave you the answer a while back, but you seem to not remember. You did get Nishigaki this time. Closer. It proves your point though, that it is tough to do kantei over the web. I bought it via the web thinking it as you originally did. 50/50% between two possibilities, though there is a design element that makes this a slam dunk. I just didn't know enough at the time. Ito-san and one of our Brit members got it from photos, and I only made up my mind 100% when it came out of the box. The one you gave Steve is sort of a loaded one. Easy to be one thing, but also sort of generic that it can be several things. I threw out something much easier, but would just as soon strike it and leave this between you and Steve. Other people are invited to give a guess too.

Quid pro quo. For Mike. Those who know, please refrain.

Generally respected. They do a lot of volume. Lower margins. You get part of the savings, though sometimes he totally misprices things on the high side. Sometimes he slips you a surprise or a dead fish, but mostly it is the sort of thing that is simply a mistake or oversight of him doing high volume. By the same token, once in a while you will get a screaming bargain. FYI. He's posted to this board before and sometimes gives NMB members a 10% discount on non consigned non auction things.

That was unexpected. Pricey too.

Curious to hear the conclusion on this one.

Increasingly, papering of fittings is financial folly. Add to that Agent and shipping fees. If the cost of papers, Agent, shipping, etc are >= 50% of the value before shinsa or >=33% of the value after shinsa; then probably a waste.

No- that one is squarely in the Namban classification.

There is both Dr. L's work and the small paperback Namban book in Japanese. Both apply a taxonomy to the various namban tsuba out there. Non iron seems to be much more rare. I foolishly sold a nice shakudo one I had, only to see it float through 2004 NTHK shinsa with high papers. I also owned a close cousin to one you shared and seen a similar in both the Japanese book and the Birmingham museum. I think mine passed via a dealer to Dr. Bleed here on the list?

I guess I am going to do a shout out here. Since we are discussing 3rd gen Hayashi [Tohachi] a bit, here is another one. Hayashi tsuba aren't my first pick among the Higo schools, but this one belonged to an older friend before he sold it to Fred W. a while back. I regret not buying it first. Then Fred put it up on his website at a fair price and someone grabbed it before I knew it was available. I'd be interested in tracking it down, if the owner is on this list or anyone knows him (or her).