Toryu2020

It is my belief that many so called katanadansu are simply long-drawered storage boxes. A proper katanadansu has the fittings in the drawers. Many I have looked at show the shadows and staining where the fittings once were but these have been removed either by Japanese families who found better uses for the tansu or by Americans who couldn't figure out how to get their wine into the "racks." Took me 25 years of looking but I finally found this baby, a very late very rough piece of furniture but with all the fittings intact... -t

Heres a sketch of the doorman at my favorite sushi bar...

Ouch! Ford - I can see it working either way, however even in your photo the right thumb and index finger are more open, from the front if you had x-ray vision the bones would appear "flatter". As someone else pointed out there appear to be one or two bones missing. Now if you flip it, and imagine the left hand gripping a saya, not only would the hand be tighter around the saya, so that you are looking almost straight at the top of the fist, you can count the four bones of the index finger, and two bones for the thumb, and most important, the long bones in both the thumb and index finger appear exactly where you see them in the hand, no need for artistic interpretation. I suggest "Natsume Han-tamago" or "soft-boiled summer egg" which is the term in Tosa Eishin Ryu for the proper grip on the koiguchi... -t

"the original is actually signed on the ura..." The experts are not artists and artists may not be swordsmen; the grip shown with the right hand would not be correct in Kendo nor in any of the schools of Iaido I am familiar with (from my own limited experience). However given the original design and placement it would be correct for the left hand on the saya prior to the draw. I love this idea but I am highly dubious. I am looking very much forward to bouncing this off of some Japanese heads to see what kind of sound we get. Ford - do let us know when you've something like this up for sale. I like it in copper but love it in iron! Very nice work indeed, -t

Mighty big crabs you got there Ray! And speaking of menuki, we usually see the three crab combo in gold or shakudo copied from early kinko works. This is a very refreshing example, a single crab and of considerable size - I wonder if the one on the reverse gives any indication of being male or female? -t

In Japanese there is a practice called ate-ji - the use of kanji that can be read with the target sounding. Thus 中心 two common characters are seen as Chushin for most Japanese readers but as the first can be read "Naka" and the second "Go", among sword enthusiasts we see them as Nakago - and in fact this rendering has become the common kanji used. While it makes an odd sense these kanji may have been chosen simply because they "sounded" right. So then we can see 双子矢間 双児家魔 蓋後山 双子山 All these could be read futago-yama but only one may be an actual place name, the rest nonsense except sounded out they have the right sound. That may in fact be all that the maker was after with his use of the kanji in question. I wonder if the person was not someone unfamiliar with actual signatures of Norisuke and only sounded out the signature using these characters... -t

Barry - almost gives it an Umetada feeling, very nice. -t

Thanks Malcolm - I see Ian's take on this question, I wonder if anyone knows the origin of the Satsuma appellation... -tom

Or so we are told- Is there any evidence or original reference that identifies these swords as definitively made for/during the Satsuma Rebellion? Pieces I have seen are typically poor quality swords, with poor quality fittings very roughly made and usually lacquer that seems to have been a few coats shy of a full job. Some but not all are clearly Satsuma koshirae which is all I think these things are, just poor quality Satsuma koshirae. Hence my question - has anyone seen reference to these in Japanese sources? What are they called in Japanese and what is the rationale for assigning these to the rebellion specifically? -t

http://tinyurl.com/2chqd35 Don't overlook the sale at Bonham's - nicer armour... -t

Jamie - Alternately, you might post photos of the sword and perhaps we can help you understand the findings of the shinsa team. This is where real study begins - use all of your resources to see if you can confirm their findings and if not use them to confirm other hypotheses. In the end greater understanding of swords is the goal and you have a terrific opportunity for learning. -t

Rare stuff, Not a lot of works coming out of Harima. James you should post photos of the blade if you get the chance, -t

Ebay says 61cm your "paper" says 59.6cm... -t

Or other of our tsuba experts; How does one cut the hitsu-ana? Below I have attempted to attach photos of a tsuba which I believe to be Satsuma, very simple, iron roundel, nice iron IMO. Upon close inspection one can see the outline of a kozuka hitsu. The metal inside this outline is no different than that of the plate itself. The outline can be seen on both sides of the plate. Not sure the photos can show this but what are we looking at? Is this the beginning of a hitsu-ana that was never cut out or has the maker somehow cut an opening and then filled it with the same steel as the plate? Curious as to your alls thoughts... -t

Malcom - Very nice video, thanks for that. Especially enjoyed seeing the work of Ko'Etsu. I don't know if I would say that "mottainai" is an aesthetic term. As the wiki says it means "what a waste" or "what a shame", interesting that some are building a movement around it but I don't believe the Japanese think of phrase in quite the same way... -t

Perhaps there is some confusion between the Unomaru and the Torikubi (U no Kubi) no Gyoken?

Labelled as Kakeya Rangaku - Which I would translate as "wood-mallet rangaku" or wood-mallet and fence or a fence of wooden mallets? Not sure exactly but I like the idea of a pile of stakes and mallets as a barricade. A Rangaku btw is a type of castle defense, a barricade made by driving stakes into the bottom of a shallow moat and then tying a stout rope to them in a random pattern. Meant to trip up men and horses as they assault the castle walls. While I appreciate Goto artistry, I have never much cared for their works mostly because of their subject choices. However when I saw this set I fell in love with it because of the unusual subject and the deep black of the shakudo. (sorry the photos do not do them justice) I was only able to find one other depiction of this subject and it too was early Goto work. Hows this for rare?

Now if your owl is auspicious then he is sitting on the hoe hunting for all the field mice that will be out and about with the harvest. or The tools are for grave digging and the absence of the owner does not bode well for him... -t

The question was asked beforehand, would they consider a star-stamped blade for papers? The answer was, "if it is hand-made", this blade was indeed not only hand-made but also well-made I am glad we got the chance to see it. good on you! -t

Yes! Several folks, lucky enough to already be at the hotel, have expressed interest in submitting items. We will be taking registrations from walk-ins but as we have stated Friday is full and your choices for Saturday and Sunday are becoming limited with each new registration. We will no longer be able to respond to email after this. Come see us in the SHINSA ROOM located on the lobby level of the hotel in their "Bayside meeting room" - anytime after 1000 tomorrow if you want to see about registering for a timeslot. Please remember this is a cash only enterprise and we have to give preference to those who are pre-registered. Thanks to everyone for their support, looking forward to seeing everybody this weekend! -t

Jamie - in the image Jacques so kindly provided, I never would have come up with this so fast BTW, you'll see two signatures; one from TAIEI (1527/8) and the other from EIROKU (1567). In the text they ask the question "was there a first and second generation or is this one man?" Not sure what other sources say about this smith but your guy could be either one. Do you have a signature to compare it with? Be interesting to see what you find out. -t

For those of us who don't use Hawleys can you let us in on which Masachika you are thinking of? thanks, -t

Keith - I think of things the other way round, Buke perhaps were "chaste" but everybody else was going at it. Japanese sexual mores being much looser than here in the west. @Ray take a look at the back of Ladies Home Journal, they call em "personal massagers" but the shape is unmistakable. Nothing in the rule book says she has to use the fat end... -t

It's a vibrator! -t

Justin - Pre-registration closes tomorrow. You might contact Moses at nihontoantiques.com he was offering a for fee service for some of his customers. Also Bob Benson of Bushido.com was doing the same but he of course is located West of here! There are still a few slots open for Sat and Sun, -t