Bryce

Thanks Bazza, Do you think that by including this stamp, Sadakazu was further reinforcing the fact that he made this tsuba? I have never seen this stamp on any of his blades. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, AOIJapan recently had a Gassan Sadakazu katana for sale dated 1866 with what looks like it's original koshirae. The koshirae includes a tsuba signed by Sadakazu. The tsuba is decorated with hot stamps including Sadakazu's familiar "sada" kokuin and another stamp which I think may be the Japanese kanji for kanshudo or manufacture in English? Am I right? Cheers, Bryce

AOIJapan currently have two fantastic Gassan blades with horimono for sale. A katana by Sadakazu and a wakizashi by his son Sadakatsu. The Sadakazu horimono (top) is entirely contained within the bohi, so is only about half the size of the Sadakatsu example below. Cheers, Bryce

Thanks Alex, There doesn't seem to be any consistency with the "open/closed mouth" and tail type. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, I have heard people talk about male and female dragons in horimono and have noticed that some dragons have a spiky tail and some have a ken tail. Can anyone shed some light on this? Cheers, Bryce

Looks like most of the blades didn't sell. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, The description for the Norikatsu has now been changed to masame hada. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Neil, My favourite smith Gassan Sadakatsu almost always finished his mei with a kao, but occasionally he left it off. I don't really know why. His father Sadakazu on the other hand often didn't sign with a kao. Sometimes he did include one, sometimes he used a kokuin instead and sometimes he included a kokuin and a kao. No real pattern to this I can discern. Also, when students signed for their master, they also incuded the kao. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, I see they have dropped the opening bid for the Sadakatsu down to 16,000. Bargain. I also noticed they have the hada description for Lot 58 the Norikatsu, as "pronounced flowing itame", when it is actually masame again. Let's see if the description changes this time? Cheers, Bryce

Yeah, they have changed the description to masame. Someone must have pointed it out. Maybe they follow the NMB? Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, Am I missing something here or are these estimates a little optimistic? This blade by Gassan Sadakatsu is a little longer than average, but isn't anything special, unless the Inoue Shiro family are especially famous? Also they have described the hada as ayasugi, when it is clearly masame, as backed up by the Tanobe sayagaki. A katana | Signed Osaka ju Gassan Sadakatsu kinsaku (respectfully made by Gassan Sadakatsu, a resident of Osaka) and kao [cursive monogram] | Taisho period, dated Taisho hachinen juichigatsu kichijutsu, Omi no kuni Inoue Shiro ke judai no tame (an auspicious day in November 1919, for the successive generations of the Inoue Shiro family from Omi Province) | Art of Japan | 2024 | Sotheby's Cheers, Bryce

Thanks for your help Steve. Cheers, Bryce

Thanks for your help John. Cheers, Bryce

G'day Guys, This is on the tsuka of an early type 98 shin gunto, with a Bizen Yokoyama Sukenaga blade. Any ideas? Cheers, Bryce

G'day Hamish, A similar thing happened to me last year, but it wasn't Jauce. I think you just have to be patient some times. Cheers, Bryce