Curran

Wrap is nice. Menuki design is interesting. The tsuba is perhaps worth more than the rest. I'd link to a similar but (my opinion) overpriced one on Aoi-Arts, yet site seems to be down at the moment. A little mismatch, but we get hung up on matchy-matchy in the west. As it is, the koshirae was probably rigged up this way long ago.

Please show the kissaki (tip) of blade, before we can comment. If kissaki is broken, it requires geometry shift of polish- which may increase expense. Others must comment on veracity of the signature. I have most koto references- very few shinshinto references.

That nakago. Cleaned within an inch of its life. Painful lesson to learn.

Brian- I was impressed by both BaZZa's and your guessed. The Ichijo students seem to command quite the wide spread of amounts, depending on which student and what theme. I didn't have a value in mine, though had seen 1 set of gold ones before- but on one of the higher mark-up sites. _A long time ago_----- I sold a hozon papered tsuba by this smith to one of the big dealers for about $4000. It had two family mon on it, and I got the impression (right or wrong) that the dealer wanted it for the mon as much as/ more than the maker. Otherwise was not a particularly good tsuba example of what this smith can do. Regarding Mike's: I wouldn't have guessed sub $3000 for signed, papered, boxed, solid gold ones that look in decent condition.

Fooled me. I was thinking Yasuchika having 'mailed it in' a bit on a doldrum week. Wasn't too sure because of the chidori being more (different) than I remember of Yasuchika. But I don't have the Nara San Saku or Yasuchika book, so didn't really check. If you say it is someone doing en suite with an existing Yasuchika work, makes sense. In other words, someone blending in? --------------------- (edit) I see Ford posted while I was typing the above. No idea then...

(( AH, c'mon. Why the Ford delete of the Youtube Hamlet Cigars link? That was funny stuff, even if off topic. Think I've had a few of those moments too. Particularly Custard's Last Stand. ))

Decent, but not great. Skilled individual not really taking any chances or pushing it too much. I'm curious if the other side has something more grand, so would turn it over right away. Take a shot in the dark here and say Kyoto / Nara area smith. Not really cracking open the books on it. Possibly one of those where the signature is make or break point in terms of value, just as some signed Ichijo f/k can be a bit boring. So flay me if I am horribly wrong. I'll join Mariusk as an archery target for the slings and arrows of opinion.

I'm interested in buying a particular ensuite original tanto/wak koshirae up for auction in Japan. The complicating factor is that the koshirae has a shin-shinto blade of about 12 inches length in it, for which the koshirae was probably made. Koshirae is probably worth more than the blade, but I wouldn't separate the two. I don't think either of the services I have used before can or will deal with the export issues on a blade. How would I best do this? Anyone have a bidding service or a person they can recommend to handle it for me? Feel free to PM me privately with any help, or post here.

What a sad bunch of broke bums we are these days. I'm still recovering from the April meltdown in Gold and Silver prices. Going to get me a Cardboard Sign, a dark crayon and write "Will work for Tsuba!"

On the contrary, the Umetada school is held in decent to high esteem. Shape changed a lot over the years. The early work and the more intricate work is extremely highly valued. Even the mid school work can be very valuable if an excellent example of what the school is most known: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.c ... pper-zogan That one sold fast at that price, with several back up buyers. Towards late Edo they went a little overly commercial, as did many schools did. Their earlier soft metal examples are a bit more desirable. The cheapest softmetal one I've seen in a long time is here: http://www.nona.dti.ne.jp/~sword/tuba/t0423umetada.html but it is kinda a strange and weakly inlaid design. The later Edo Umetada iron ones are a bit more common and often signed, but I find many of them appealing. The supply vs demand is just such that they are not overly expensive. If I didn't limit myself to a strict # of tsuba, I'd probably own several examples of flower or vine designs by them.

Henry, I'm confident on the Umetada call for this one. Hamish probably doesn't know me any better than he knows Ghandi, so he can believe whomever is kind enough to speak up. Hamish- I have a strong disposition to nature themes in my tsuba collecting. Many years ago I owned a signed late Edo Umetada similar to yours. Someone had gone to the trouble of prying out about 80% of the silver, so I eventually sold it. By my reckoning, you overpaid a little. Not a lot.

gonna go with 'kodai Umetada'. Ie. Late period Umetada. Often they are signed by lesser known or near unknown artists identifying with the Umetada Ke. Sometimes not signed. Tend to be simple nature centric. Flowers, leaves, small streams, insects, bits of color of a another metal sometimes. Opinion is based off similar signed pieces I have owned, the texture / hammering of the tsuba, the sort of shoe shine grey-black slight gloss reminiscent of them, and the hint of what probably where little silver beads in & lost out of the tsuba (see small round craters) to give it a watery, slightly wet feel to the carving of a stream or water trickle.

That would be 4:30 AM my time? 'No honey, nothing wrong, just getting up early to bid on some tsuba on your day off.... go back to sleep'. Not a good way to begin the day. I've been trading up / selling down the past few years. I'm trying to behave, though things like this make it difficult. There are some good items in the sale, including a kozuka that is a steal if the signature checks out (probably doesn't- they don't have a photo of it..... but workmanship is darn spot on for the smith). We'll see if I waver. If you guys don't hear from me, I died a violent death after bidding on kodogu at 4:30am.

Taking a much needed day off and enjoying the NYC weather for a bit, an international phonecall came in to let me know that there is a Monday Auction in London with several dozen nice fittings hidden in the back of it. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20790/ I certainly wasn't aware of it before the tip off today. Most are unpapered, but there are several where the work looks right for the attribution. It may be too late to bid, though at least two items caught my eye. If they had photos of the signatures on the kozuka, it would be several more. If any of you have a Bonham's account or the ability to bid tomorrow, you may want to give it a look.

Took me a while and lot of reading to know some of the kantei points. I'm pretty sure Peter knows more about them than I do. As is, Tomei's own 'students' didn't get it right either. He must have been pretty squirrelly with the ins and outs of how he did certain things. My understanding is you did not mean to directly compare the menuki millet you made to Tomei's? While they are beautiful in their own right, one of the easiest kantei points for Tomei millet is very wide of the mark, therefore I interpret it more as you showing your version of working the millet for another of your design. I've admired your millet work before and from a biologist point of view like it as more natural than Tomei's "petite count" menuki. Ford, the work and articles are out there. Have been for many years. Peter or others might point you at some of them. The depth and breadth of your knowledge with regards to Tosogu far exceeds most of ours. Yet given the size and complexity of the field, there must be some limitations. As much as I know of trading operations, markets, and equities and options trading after 2 decades of it in a profession that usually kicks people out after 3 years...., yes I can trade Uranium futures. I also easily acknowledge that the significant personal experience in other areas may not make me a defacto veteran able to wade into a Uranium futures trading pit and lay about chunking lemons at the heads of those taking the other sides of my trades. You've recently publicly derided a few people and their studies where I happen to agree with the other side of the argument. Your veteran position is more than respected. Less lemons, onegaishimasu. I would agree with Peter that you seem to be getting into the Michael Jordan years of your game.

The pros please double check me. Right to left columns: (1) Oburojin-ji _(? carved?)__ (2) Iroe mumei (3) Ezo (4) Muromachi period (5) (20th century date of hakogaki) (6) Kanzan Sato (?)

hint2.0: last I knew, he didn't own that site. Or it wasn't entirely his. Whatever. Doesn't quite matter. Several of the oldtimers and dealer say he is an avid repatinator of Stickley, Arts & Crafts, and other early items. He comes by some quality papered items. If an item rejoin the community, it often enjoys a new aesthetic for its special time receiving his patronage. People regard him with quite the spectrum of opinions.

Bruce Kirkpatrick?: http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/v ... =yfp-t-101

Coming to this hobby from a background in painting, sumi-e is hard to resist. I have two tsuba that I would consider part buddhist religious items. One is a "Haguro" tsuba (NBTHK to "Haguro" or Mt. Haguro priests). It is closely associated with Shugendo, and is a favorite. The other is a large ko-katchushi similar to this one: http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/BM%20G ... 0Tsuba.htm I wouldn't interrupt the course of this thread. Just thought I would share images.

more aerodynamic? (joking) no meaning, that I am aware. Some schools like Jingo, yes.... the shapes sometimes has meaning or is a kantei point. With yours, I think it is just the shape.

Most most most enjoyable reading. The part about the Ichijo saku ensuite kowakizashi koshirae was the bonus for those of us focusing on fittings collecting. I am curious to see the koshirae.

or Bushu. Sometimes it is just splitting hairs. In years past, basket weave pattern and certain iron would get a 'Bushu' call from NBTHK. With the zogan being what it is, probably safer to say shoami . Yes, late Edo

Tembo tsuba. Google some images. You will see.

Koshirae (outer fittings or wardrobe around the blade) looks real, though components may just be late Edo copper or horn pieces. I recognize the semi-generic kozuka & kogai. More detailed photos will be required. Others will advise you on the blade itself.