Ludolf Richter

Thanks John!Ludolf

Goto Ichijo was in fact no typical Goto-artist.They never made iron Tsuba and their style and motifs had been quite conservative.G.Ichijo made what was en vogue,often using paintings.It's strange that he didn't dare (?) to sign his iron pieces with his Goto name,but used one of two other Go.Ludolf

To my German co-members.If you are interested in Kunisuke:at the Lempertz auction "Asian Art" at Cologne on December 11 there is a Katana signed Kawachi (they wrote "Kashu" in their online catalogue) no Kami Kunisuke (lot 528) with limit Euro 2500.There is no pic of the tang.If I would be in West-Germany I would look at that sword ("good polish"):maybe a "Schnaeppchen" if it's from Shodai or Nidai!Ludolf PS.There is also a Shinshinto-Katana signed "Kofu ju Minamoto Nobushige tsukuru kore" (Hawley NOB 468),dated 8th month of bunkyu (1863):Lot 529 limit Euro 2000 (very good polish).

Hi Marc,from the pics in my database this mei was not chiselled by Okawa Teikan:Gimei.Ludolf

Hi Marc,the Mei reads Nyomura Yoshinao,Haynes H 11943.The additional text should be translated by our experts.Ludolf

Action completed:no success.I have checked all the relevant Go in Haynes with my Sosho-dictionary.Three possibilities: 1.He used a GO hitherto not in Haynes 2.Two kanji instead of one as to Yimu 3.He chisseled a Sosho-character different from the normal writing. After the amount of time I have spent already,I am not going to check all entries in my Sosho-dictionary.Yimu thanks for Your link!Ludolf PS.By the way,the potential seller claims the Mei to read Kazumitsu,but that's definitely wrong!

I have started my search with the Ichi/Ikk/Kazu-artist in the standard books:no result in my Sosho-dictionary.The second step took me some hours.I looked for all the Ichi-and-Ikk- guys to be found in the Haynes-Index (some with very doubtful entries!):again no success!It's to late to resign now,so I am going to check all the Kazu.s from Haynes.I hope his Mei is not a fantasy one or otherwise atypical for grass writing.Ludolf

Hi John,I have checked all the Kazumasa- and Ichiga-guys in my database and in the Sosho Dictionary:no results.The same applies to the 1688 Kanji in Sosho-writing in Japanese Art Signatures by James Self and Nobuko Hirose,1987.(Highly recommended to Nihonto-friends trying to find the meaning of a Mei plus dating!). I hope one of our other experts will recognize the Kanji,otherwise I shall have to spend hours to go through my Sosho-Dictionary (Otome Daniels,Dictionary of Japanese-Sosho-Writing Forms,1947).Ludolf

Hi,i cannot read the Go of this 68-years old artist.Any suggestion?Ludolf

My assumption with kizamu vs kitau was quite wrong.The meaning of "kitau" is only "forged",only used by swordsmiths.Ludolf

Hi,the 1st reads Terukazu,the 4th master of the Omori family school.He was active in the 2nd half of the 18th Century.The Mei (plus Kao) differs from the one I have in my database.He came from Morioka/Mutsu and went to Kanda/Edo.The Kanji following Yoshikata in the 2nd Tsuba (a very nice piece!) is probably an old writing for "kitau" (kitau kore).Ludolf

The Wakizashi-girl,Kitana Baker,was Playmate of the Year in 2003!Ludolf

Look at my statements in the translation-help-section.Ludolf

Hi,I found 2 nice pics.Ludolf

Hi Tiffany,the signature ("mei") reads Goshu Hikone ju Soheishi Soten (Hikone in the province Omi;Soheishi is read by some authors as Mogarishi and a few read the name as Munenori,but "Soten" is widely acknowleged,the normal "sei"=made,following the signature is missing). Father (Haynes index H 08942) and son ( H 08943) worked in the first half of 18th Century.The high-relief-carving invented by Soten I is known as Hikone-bori and was very popular.There are only a few pieces existing that definitely had been made by Soten I and II,the vast majority (auctions/museums/private possessions) are forgeries,while some better Tsuba my have been made by students of the above masters.Ludolf

Hi Chris!A 100% Chinese faked Tsuba,like so many on Ebay.Ludolf

Thanks Franco!The student,"my" Kazumichi,has learned a lot from his master!Ludolf

Thank you very much Markus.I didn't recognize the Ryu-Kanji because the artist omitted one and a half strokes of the "box",which is now open to the left side.Now,when looking in the books,it's clearly Tanaka-school,as you said.According to Joly there had been more than 30 students ("...most of whose names are not recorded in Zanko Furiaku,published when the school was in its zenith."). Hi Brian,I like this Tsuba (6.0 x 4.6 cm) too:a very detailed chisseling of the waves,fishing vessels and the fishing nets with the gold inlayed chidori,the tree and the ropes of the vessels.I payed Euro 170 (ca.US $ 200).Ludolf

Hi experts, I just got a Tanto-Tsuba signed Kazumichi.There is only one in the Haynes Index: H03006 - Kazumichi (or Ichidou) from the Ozaki family at Edo,around 1750.I believe "my" Kazumichi is either not recorded or it is a hitherto not known Go from a known Tosogu artist.I need help to decifer the 2 Kanji above Kazumichi.From my Japanese dictionaries I found only a "Yuiga",but it may be a "Tada-...?".I was unable to get the meaning of the 2 Kanji from the backside.Ludolf

Hi John,I believe it's Sadanaga (Haynes H 07752,although there are 4 generations).Look at the pics from my Tosogu-database.Ludolf

The Mei reads Inshu ju Suruga saku If the Tsuba is genuine,than it may be made by a member of the Haruta school at Tattori in the Inaba Province.According to certain authors the 3rd generation Haruta sometimes used that Mei without his real name (Takatsugu,died in 1788).Others believe that 3rd to 6th gen.may be possible.There are variations in the known "Suruga"-pieces:i.e. they were made by different persons!.It's not known why these Haruta artists either used their name or the above anonymous "Suruga".My personal opinion is those pieces were made by students.Ludolf

Thanks Markus!Ludolf

Hi experts,Masatoshi who made this tsuba is from Sendai.Is Sanfu another name of Sendai or is it a quarter of the town?Ludolf

Thanks!No Toki_xx fits.Maybe not an unknown artist,but a known one with an alternate Go,not yet recorded?Ludolf

Thank you very much.It could be an hizerto unknown artist because there is no Tokitoshi with these Kanji in the books.Ludolf