Toryu2020

Fukunaga Hajime?

i personally dont believe the miniatures we see that are scaled down katana are not Boys swords or Boys day items, Iwas taught that upon the occasion of his genpuku a boy received full sized swords, and if he were still small he wore only rhe wakizashi till he could wear both. i have posted this before but here is a link to my article - also the childrens toys depicted are all part of the New Years Day celebration probably favored for their auspicious associations... http://toryu-mon.com/Toryu-Mon/Archives/Entries/2010/11/8_Boys_Day_or_Tango_no_Sekku.html

Oleg my guess would be late edo - poor condition. not typical tosho. i would really spend time studying tosho and i think you would see the differences. its a cool design but not early and not in the best shape. -t

Really thought I had better pics of this - Ko-Goto kozuka and menuki Few things I own would be considered high quality - the shakudo here is much richer in person. I think there are more photos on my website in the galleries but I can see I need to get some professional shots of my little beauties... -t

to answer the question - absolutely! this blade is exceptionally beautiful, in hand one can see all the features of nanbokucho Bizen. it reminds one of the work of Kanemitsu rather than anything that came out of kozori later. ubu in every sense, with the marks of a hard life still intact. whomever carried this sword cherished it from the day it got damaged - it was papered in this condition. after pouring over the blade, remove the nakago and find it is signed and dated! not only beautiful, not only proven, but rare with historical evidence. it may not be pristine but to me it is perfect! i should be so lucky to one day own such a sword!

Kokuho koshirae - Juyo Bunkazai Nagamitsu tachi

Kokuho koshirae and sword - Ko-bizen Masatsune

i have the book, next time i step into the library i'll pull it for you and post the highlights here. -t t is for Tom or Toryu...

The book does not cover all of the swords being held by the shrine but all of the better ones. Very few color photographs. These koshirae are still in the collection and are sometimes on display in the Kokuho-kan, the small museum that holds the treasures of the shrine today. A very small museum but still worht a visit if you are at the shrine. -t

George are you willing to show us the whole image? there may be more indications of his rank and origin than we can see in the two close ups. -t

Wonderful piece - my guess would that this is meant to be a (Jin-) Kasa a straw hat. Love this!

Looking forward to more pictures of the Yasutsugu if you pick it up, I have a similar example among my pieces, -t

Given the hasty and random nature of some of these oshigata - it is my feeling that these are "notes" from Kantei-kai or a student of the sword who saw many fine swords in his lifetime. Polishers and others collect oshigata, so I would not be surprised if he was some craftsman of nihonto associated arts. -t

a real loss.

The other thing you will need is a generation of scholars studying the work. Currently modern makers and modern swords are not part of the curriculum, unless the student has an interest in that area or is a current craftsman himself. So the work of the NBSK and others is really laying the foundation of the shinsa team of the future. When a preponderance of collectors are seeking certifications for their Gendaito you will see changes made. I would think that we are twenty or so years away... -t

a great piece either way. -t

no listing for anyone signing "kyudai" in the meikan, i would focus on the blade and approach the mei with caution... -t

Marcos Youll want to post photos of the bare blade if you have them and examine every detail of the hada and hamon carefully. Usually that amount of sori indicates a re-temper... -t

Thanks for that John, Terrific stuff! -t

This thread should be titled "Why is kantei so pleasureable?" If you choose to study only Shizu blades look at the wonderful variety, the terrific shapes and quality. I want a "Shizu" channel on my tv! -t

Either a presentation piece, as has been suggested, or a "Yari-jirushi" - an oversized blade for use in an over-sized saya to make a statement in a Sankin Kotai procession... -t

Alex - Since the papers have a standard format it is relatively easy to determine the crucial information like artists name - if you have kodogu say that can be more challenging. However as Mark has stated, there is often much more detail on the worksheet and this we at the NTHK do our best to translate for every customer. If there is anything baffling you, we have scans of all the worksheets, I am always happy to help, so feel free to send us an email if it is one of ours, -t

His patron was the Kawakita family of Hikone han in Omi. In theory you could do a study of the history and culture of Omi and Hikone in the 1700's and from that you might infer the tastes of the people around him while he was working. You might discover how his work became popular in Edo or if there were any custom pieces made for Hikone samurai. -t

Busy weekend for me so just getting back to this - You dodged a bullet here Bro - the close-ups of the mei do not look good. Especially the judicious placement of rust pits that look like they were made with a punch. Nice work but not a good signature. -t

sometimes a light acid wash is used in polishing - if this is not neutralized properly you will see rust appear all over the blade no matter how many times it is cleaned and oiled. I think a solution of baking soda and water is the answer - someone here is sure to have the formula, -t