Ray Singer

Hi all, I am having a hard time understanding the sugata of this sword. https://www.aoi-art.com/auction/en/auct ... 1213703271 The shape is incorrect for the time period, unless the sword is a nagamaki/naginata naoshi (which I am assuming this is not). Is there a precedent for other such swords from mid-kamakura with a sugata we would ordinarily kantei to Nambokucho? - Ray

Hi George, if memory serves that is the same mei. It was an ichimonji utushimono and described by Tsuruta-san as being Shibata Ka's work... - Ray

Hi John, I was looking through a friend's copy of the Kinko Jiten when I saw the kao. Unfortunately I am back home now and don't have that reference, otherwise would send a scan. I was looking under both Ikkin and Ichijo when I saw the kao, so perhaps someone here has a copy and could post an image of that page? Best, Ray

I recall that the last Ka sold on Aoi Art had the Mitsuoki mei. Nakago and date were otherwise typical of Shibata Ka... - Ray

Thanks John, I checked but was not able to find a match for Ikkin. I did see some examples of Goto Ichijo with what appeared to be the same kao though. Was this kao used by anyone else in his mon? Best regards, Ray

Hi all, would greatly appreciate translation assistance with a tsuba I found last night. It came in a deluxe, fitted box with hakogaki. Please see photos below... Thank you, Ray

Even within their Soshu works, Sadayoshi and his son did not always produce such a flashy uzumaki-style hada. Here is an gassaku katana I used to own, which had a much tighter itame hada (than the ebay example) with just a few smaller pools of mokume mixed in. http://www.swordsofjapan.com/SadayoshiSadahito.htm

Although I have never see one and I am sure this is a legitimate Sadayoshi, I would not assume we won't see a gimei example come on the market. Last week I met with a disappointed collected who found that the Shibata Ka tanto he purchase on Yahoo Japan turned out to be gimei. There is also a gimei Kasama Shigetsugu hocho tanto here in Miami. That one also came from one of the online Japanese auctions (I believe that it was Bidders). Unfortunately I think it will be more common to see gimei and fakes being sold out of Japan, aimed at less experience collectors. There is one such dealer on Ebay that is selling reproduction yari, kogatana and yanone, mixed in with authentic, low quality swords and kodogu. The nakago are aged, photo quality is poor, and the vague description states 'looks a little old'... John, I would love to see more photos of the tanto you posted. I have had three swords from the Enomoto family and while I like their Soshu works, my favorite are those done in the Yamashiro-den. I have see a couple of tanto by Sadayoshi which were Rai utushimono and absolutely wonderful. Is yours one of these? He also did a beautiful copy of the Shintogo Kunimitsu tanto in the Sano Museum, which I regret being unable to purchase...

Here is a scan of the oshigata from the Juyo Token Nado Zufu, which clearly shows the boshi we have been discussing...

Just FYI, it is interesting to see some of the documents which have been digitized for Google Books and are now available online. For example: Transactions and Proceedings of the Japan Society, London November 24, 1897 Japanese Sword Blades (page 185) http://books.google.com/books?id=o-oVAA ... q=&f=false

I was just reading about this sword last night in Han Bing Siong's article on the Festing collection. According to the article the Nobuhide previously belonged to Sir Festing, but Robinson insisted on a trade for his Masayuki (Kiyomaro) daito...

Hi Grey, I also have seen an NBTHK papered blade. My understanding is that they did issue papers for star-stamped blades in the past but no longer do so. I would be interested to hear if anyone has a recent experience submitting such swords... - Ray

Hi Klaus, Just to clarify, the NBTHK will paper a traditionally made Japanese sword by a gendai smith who is deceased. There are two Tanigawa Moriyoshi in collections here in Miami (a special order tanto originally from Aoi Art and a special order hirazukuri wakizashi). Both are papered. The NBTHK will not paper a blade with a showa, seki, star or other stamp which indicates the sword is not traditionally made... - Ray

Hi, all three of these are authentic Tanigawa Moriyoshi. He went through a stylistic change, aiming more for Kiyomaro in the later part of his career. All of these blades have the sotoba style nakago of his earlier swords with a pointed nakago-jiri (reflecting his origin in the Kongobyoe tradition). The nakago of his later swords were modeled more on Kiyomaro. You can see a beautiful example here... http://www.samuraisword.com/nihontodisp ... /index.htm - Ray

I remember Jim Kurrasch expressing this sentiment in a similar way with regards to a Rai Kunimitsu tanto he owned. Superficially, the jigane showed a extremely thick layer of ji-nie which took on a greater density towards the mune forming nie-utsuri. He was able look though this and see a secondary layer of activities within, with a pattern formed by many small chikei throughout the sword...

Hi Eric, thanks for posting the additional Enju examples. I wish that the NBTHK would offer pages from the Juyo Token Nado Zufu rebound according to school/tradition, so one could compare all those great reference examples at a glance. I suppose if someone had the entire series they could do so on their own. The Rai Kunitoshi is a really interesting sword... isn't that is the ju-to ko-dachi sold on Aoi-Art? If so, I remember that the sword no longer had a yokote when it was listed for sale. I wonder if it would still have been attributed to Rai Kunitoshi if it were unsigned. A slender shobu-zukuri blade of ko-wakizashi length is very unusual for the time period. They have one more listed on their site now with a more typical ko-maru boshi. http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/wakizashi/08701.html

Since we are discussing Enju, I have loved this sword for a while. The hamon is thin in places, but still it is a signed Kunisuke and retains much of its original shape. It also has utsuri visible throughout, which can be seen in the oshigata. http://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/a00120.html

Hi Paul, these are not great photos. I am relying on the camera in my iPhone this week. Hopefully these images will give a sense of the workmanship in this tachi. Thanks for sharing your Enju, do you see any areas which look like nie utsuri in this piece?

Thanks Ted, I really see what you mean. There is a different feeling of nagareru in places. I always have a hard time evaluating steel color, I am sure it would be much clearer when compared against another sword to see if there is more of a whiteness in the steel. It is also interesting to look at the boshi in this tachi. While the sword overall does not have nijuba, there is a strand of nie floating above the boshi which is crisp and bright like a line of kinsuji which has floated above the hamon. This is only visible on one side. As far at the nie activities in the ji, they seem independent of the kitae. The nie utsuri does not follow along with the pattern of forging, but rises and falls like a midare utsuri. I really need to scan the photo from the Juyo Nado Zufu, which shows this well (or if someone had volume 49 handy, they should be able to see this piece). I have a tanto which also had this same dual attribution. It was originally papered by Kotoken Kajihara to Rai Kunitoshi in older polish. The sword was evaluated at the NBTHK, who said it was a high quality Yamashiro sword and should go Juyo to a Rai smith. After polish the sword received Tokubetsu Hozon to Enju (and will not paper higher). I can see easily in this sword why the attribution went to Enju. There is full length nijuba on each side, very similar to the Awataguchi Kuniyoshi tanto in the beginning Rai show catalog. Other Enju I have seen are very similar. The hada is more itame nagare compared with the tachi, but I think this is due to the steel being less healthy by comparison..

Thank you everyone for your feedback on the sayagaki. It is interesting, considering that Rai and Enju worked in two different geographic locations, that there would not be a more distinct difference in the jigane. Did they really use different base materials or did the Enju import their tamahagane from Kyoto in the early days of the school? Kunitoshi was a versatile smith, especially if you agree with the theory that niji kunitoshi and rai kunitoshi represent the long working period of a single smith. It does not seem out of the realm of possibility that he would occassionally vary his boshi. I am surprised that the sword did not receive an attribution to Den Rai Kunitoshi, or perhaps there are other Enju features not mentioned in the sayagaki? The sword does not have the prominent nijuba I have seen in other Enju, but it does have a very vivid full length nie utsuri. I will attach a few photos below...

I would greatly appreciate help with one additional sayagaki. Prior to receiving juyo (and before I owned it) this sword had a Honami Koson kinpun mei to Rai Kunitoshi. This sword did not pass (I am told due to the o-maru boshi). The kinpun mei was removed and the sword was resubmitted, passing as Enju.

Thank you Franco, the polish was done by Kuroda-san, a mukansa togishi. The activity in the ji was brought out beautifully, with bright chikei throughout the sword. My photos don't capture this at all. As for the yokote, this was present in the previous polish...

Curran, I think you are right about a third generation working prior to Oei. I went back through my papers and Tanobe's original letter (pre-polish) states that the sword was made in late Nambokucho and would be a work of either the second or third generation. It is interesting that the sayagaki seems to include the shodai as a possibility...

Hi Paul and Veli, Unfortunately I neglected to take photos of the nakago before leaving town this weekend but I will take some when I get back. The ken horimono is original. The two hi formed by the sides of the ken continue in parallel with the soe-bi, running deep into the nakago. The suriage is very old, at least mid-muromachi, and the nakago is well finished in kurijiri. You can actually see another example of this style of horimono in another posting in this forum... viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5678 What I am fairly certain is not original though is the short bo-hi in the ji. My feeling is that it was added to excise some kizu in the blade. Actually, this is the main reason I am not submitting for juyo. The sword is otherwise flawless and very healthy, however I am certain that this piece of ato-bori would keep the sword from passing... - Ray

Wow Stephen, you have an excellent memory . It was 1999, and the sword I found in Tampa was a shodai Hizen Masahiro. Unfortunately I had to sell that piece along with a few others to purchase a very special ju-to Enju tachi being offered by Bob Benson. I will post photos of the Enju later in the week. The next owner of the Masahiro had a nice Higo style koshirae made. It recently sold on Mike Yamazaki's website: http://www.ricecracker.com/japanese_swo ... a/sk16.htm