kaigunair

thanks. the dou is a reproduction. I believe there may have been a matching half that is missing. The red rope may have tied them together. I guess the two could have been used for drinking cups. but was thinking there was a name for these things other than an unusual inro type thing.

Curious to know what this item would be called that hangs from the rear right side of a dou (modern reproduction, but must be something fairly common to be included). This one appears to be missing a half, so curious what would normally be carried in here. Thanks in advance.

$400

In the same vein as hidden Christians, there were a number of domains that were anti-tokugawa during the entire edo period. If any warrior wares would express hidden messages, these daimyo's and samurai's wares would have. its interesting that little to no research is done on studying tsuba symbolism from these domains for anti-tokogawa themes. For all the same reasons that have been raised about the dangers of being against the dominant authority (the shogun and note the emperor), any such themes would have to be at the level of any hidden Christian tosogu, and even more hidden than the overt/obvious machibori expressions of shogunal dissatisfaction and the social class that originally was intended for.

count me in for pdf and hard copy.

These tsuba are for sale, with prices listed and background given. I am surprised at the editing. I had thought that 2 years would be sufficient time for things to get properly resolved, but recent forum posts made me realize that was a false hope. And it looks like being patient and considerate is not looked kindly upon when discussion a problem with an "esteemed" member...was never final and done on this side. These two tsubas are for sale, lovely though they may be, because they leave an extremely bad bad taste in my mouth every time I go though my collection. So I want to pass them on to someone who will enjoy them for the pieces they are and not the negative experience I associate with them. It also helps to explain the greatly reduced prices. The alternative would be to cut them up and scatter them to the wind. I hope to find the former. I hold that character is connect to a man's word, so here is my guarantee for the purchaser of either of these tsuba: I guarantee 100%, forever, that these items are what I say they are. Buyer has 7 days from date of deliver to return for any reason for a 100% refund of purchase price minus the cost of shipping but the item must be returned in its original condition as was shipped out (in the case of tsuba, no cleaning or polishing or messing with it). If, however, something is not as I state it is, then the refund is 100% including full refund of any shipping costs. Since I was not around when these items were made, in addition to the 7 day inspection, if at anytime in the future an item turns out to be something else beyond a reasonable doubt, say modern if I represented edo, then the 100% refund plus refund of shipping applies if the item is returned in the exact same condition as I shipped it to you. This is guarantee that I also list in some for on the very rare times I ever list anything on ebay. Doesn't necessary apply for these two since one is papered and one is modern, but if I make a promise of papers for an nihonto/tosogu item that has none, that promise will lasts for 2 years after date of shipment and you will have to go through one of 3 dealers I personally approve of and know to be honest men, to have them papered in the condition I shipped it out to you (nihonto.com, tetsugendo.com, yakiba.com, perhaps a few others I trust) - a 3rd party to keep all parties honest and happy when the results come in. I will not submit it, and you cannot submit it yourself. If it comes back without papers when I said it would paper, I will also pay $100 towards your shinsa costs upon return of the tsuba in the same condition as shipped if no papers were issued. I will pay 50% of the shinsa costs if the papers were issued differing from any explicit guarantee I make regarding what it will paper to, and the papers are included in the return. If you keep the paper or don't want to return the item, then that is a different situation altogether. Also this is the reason and need for the 3rd party shinsa submission. Hamfish - you sure it was me you bought your photos from? Maybe I've sold a few jpn pilot photos in the 16+ years I've been mainly buying on ebay. But my user name isn't kaigunair or kaigun-anything on ebay. But if it was me, let me know if you have a complaint about any photos you bought - as I've made the same form of this guarantee as far back as 2005 if not earlier. And BTW, you'd be the first as I've never had a complaint or anything I sold returned....but I've also mainly be a purchaser not a seller (I also have a bad habit of over packing and eating shipping costs). Hamfish, if you've mistaken me for someone else, then perhaps an edit and apology would be appropriate.

Tsuba #2: This tsuba was represented as a Haguro or buddist prayer bead. It was guaranteed to paper "Hozon". Like the first, it was submitted immediately to shina through the seller...and returned without papers. he insists that the shinsa team got it wrong, that there is age in the form of soot on the tsuba from many years of exposure to candle dust filled air. I purchased this for $1500 but since it did not paper, it is most likely a modern made tsuba. Price: $500

These are two tsuba I purchased directly from a seller back in 2014. I purchased them with certain guarantees and promises that they would paper a certain way, and had him send them in for NBTHK papering directly. Tsuba #1: Ono School tsuba including NBTHK papers. I purchased this looking for a solid ko-akasaka study piece and example. He promised that this one would paper ko-akasaka, with a side bet that it would paper to the 2nd or 3rd akasaka master. Papers came back Ono school, but he insists the shinsa team was incorrect and that it should be an early akasaka master. I paid $1200 plus cost of shinsa papers. Price: $1000

I'd actually refine that comment to members who have been around for a long long time in the larger sword collecting community not just on this forum; collectors and sellers who are known and have established themselves and their reputation in the larger sword collecting community and not just online. Just because a person gives out lots of free advice, doesn't mean he won't take advantage of new collectors given the chance. Buy books first! Lots of good lists of which ones to chose from. The good books show you the best pieces - then you can compare what you're finding online to the good stuff and decide if you like it yourself, and formulate better questions regarding what you're seeing.

and yet, there is something called a "railroad watch" because of its origins and use, it following a sort of standard set by its typical user.... but perhaps this type of tsuka held a jitte vs some sort of modified bokuto, or maybe a teppo. most bokuto examples seem to be only koshirae.

Congrats! Lovely piece and looks like it was worth the wait. good talking to you at the show too.

Love that movie, one of the best samurai flicks out there... "The farmers have won. We have lost." - Shimada

Looks like I've hit a nerve. By equating the bushi class to the nazi regime is what one would consider an extremist view of history. That you use vitriolic, condescending, and ill-mannered language to do it speaks volumes of what your idea of a gentleman is. It is a lesson on how dissenting views can be dismissed through intimidation and ridicule - the nazi and fundamentalists alike would be proud. Getting past your emotional responses, I see why you would hold such a view: you have repeatedly chose to put the chonin culture on some sort of pedestal. I can see if you're angling to connect your work to the lineage of these Edo period artists. Since you like to goggle definitions, look up chonindo and try to provide a historically accurate and bias free report on its origins and connections to the bushi class. Its nice to see that we both feel we're speaking to a brick wall. No historical support? What about the historical examples of the tozama samurai and their involvement in the overthrow of the tokogawa shogunate. This was provided to counter your opinion that all warriors could be lumped together with the Shogun, and therefore all were an uptight bunch. What an insult to all those tozama domains. Subversion for centuries is clearly evident in tozama samurai; any disagreement is not based on historical fact and is an uninformed opinion. What about kikusui themed fittings? Interesting how you conveniently left any comment on that out. That you disagree with the other examples (Monkey and gourd is not the same as catfish and gourd when it comes to subversive themes) doesn't mean these aren't subversive, but only you don't see them as such because of your interpretation of them, which is part of the problem for subversive themed tosogu - IT ISN'T OBVIOUS, DUH! What about the parallel idea of judging the number of Christians in Japan based on "acknowledged" Christian themes? Because this analysis fails, it implies there is some sort of problem with the current understanding of tosogu themes. A hypothesis as to what is wrong and how to correct it would be appropriate, but when you're dismissing any evidence that doesn't already lead to the established dogma, its impossible to meet your standard of limited evidence. You seem to like to make sweeping generalizations, remaining silent on inconvenient truths, then stating that no support has been offered for an idea that runs counter to yours. Working with youth for many a summer, I am familiar with this method of "debate". Your ideas about the bushi and Iki are completely unsupported when you look at the outlandish costumes (and I would include tsuba themes) of the momoyama era. They also run counter to the kabukimono (again bushi) which pre-dated the kabuki culture that I'm sure you'd have a lot to say about. These points being that both chonindo and kabuki had a very much love / hate with the bushi, not the hate/ hate view you would like to re-interprate into history. I have yet to read any body of literature that purports the idea that machibori tosogu artists of the Edo period were drivers of culture. Theater actors, screen and woodblock artists, tea practitioners, yes. machibori artists, no. The art in machibori tosogu is normally derivative, taken from some famous scroll or print or story, often times a xerox cropped and scaled to kozuka format. We do have records of real artists dabbling in tosogu, but this was usually a secondary hobby and not where they "made their bones". And according to the chonindo, neither creativity nor originality nor rebellion was a central tenant, but catering to the customer was if they were to get paid. So it would be more correct to assume any piece of tosogu was a made-to-spec'd order by a craftsman hired to carry it out vs the western idea of an artist creating pieces only when inspiration hits, and hung in a gallery waiting for just the right buyer (there are always exceptions). It was firstly a means to put gohan on the table for both Iebori and Machibori alike and the best way to do that was to please the consumers. Therefore, implying or stating that machibori tosogu artists are the source and bastion of subversive themes in tosogu is not a logical conclusion. The source of the themes would have been the customers, and for subversive themes, we should look to tosogu made for customers who would have held the most subversive thoughts and motives against the tokugawa - the tozama bushi. It is this last point where I see we can have a gentlemanly disagreement...or not.

Brian, I'm good with this level of "confrontational". Anything interesting should illicit strong emotions, but it is nice to attempt to keep the ideas and topic focused to the main arguments vs the person offering the counter opinion. I am offering up an untested idea, so I can appreciate some of Ford's head slapping and frustration while trying to ed-u-macate another hobbyest bumpkin with a another cockamamie idea... Hopefully you're ok with this level too, but this is your sandbox (and thanks for trying to keep out the poop)....

Ford, Actually this started off because I was pointing out your one dimensional characterization of the bushi class. What you see as illogical is based upon your assumption that I am offering up a researched theory, when what I have been offering is a testable (i.e. not tested) hypothesis. And yes, all hypothesis are based on underlying assumptions and presuppositions, which I can see you clearly don't agree with. And a hypothesis is formed usually because something does not conform to the accepted dogma of the day. Why make an ad hominem attack when you don't agree? Arse this and arse that - Just say you think I have my head up my ass with my ideas. Be more bushi about it. Or how about a machibori approach: As to defending my hypothesis, some areas of study towards suggestions regarding subversive themes: Kikusui themed items. Monkey and gourd themed tosogu. Satsuma fittings on "Fuji", where the mountain cap is rendered with 3 separate peaks. Meaning behind Choshu landscape themes. goto mod 1.isimage.zip