Ludolf Richter

I thought you purchased that Tsuba at the Lempertz-Auction.The results-list is not longer online.Ludolf

I was interested in that Tsuba at Lempertz/Cologne Dec.7,2013,but the starting price of Euro 1000 was to high for me.Ludolf

Your Motoshige is not recorded in Haynes,Kokubo,Wakayama,Sesko and my Tosogu-Database.I believe,it's not Gimei but a hitherto no recorded Go of an otherwise known artist.The Kao is not to be found in Joly's.The use of the Omori-Teruhide-waves is common for the 19th Century.Ludolf

From an internet research,it seems that there once was the 14-stokes-kanji for "Toshi" only,later to be changed in the 7-strokes-version.So if an author has no pics or other knowledge how the artist wrote his Go,he was going to use the "modern" variant with 7 stokes.That would explain why Wakayama has so many entries with the 7-kanji one,when he had no examples for his 3-volumes "Bible",for some of them I have pics in my database with 14-kanji.The same applies to Haynes,who used the Wakayama entries.Ludolf

Hi,Haynes and even Wakayama often used the wrong Toshi-Kanji:I have a lot of examples in my database,but I have only one Toshihide-pic,which came from a different artist,who was a Swordsmith :see pic.Ludolf

Hi Sergei, the Tsuba was made by Sekino Nobuyuki,H 07301: nothing about him in the Wakayama-books.Ludolf

Hi Thierry, tsuba0130-01 (Choshu Hagi Tomonobu) was probably made by the Inoue guy (H 10018),although there is no 100% fit.Ludolf

Here a Kozuka with a similar fish,made by Kikuoka Mitsutomo.Ludolf

Here is a pic with similar motifs by Goto Ichijo.I have some doubt about your tsuba,when I look at more than 20 examples and the signature in my database.The missing seppa-dai is typical for Tsuba of the Meiji-Era,made for export:Gimei.Ludolf

Seal + Mei Tsûjô,like the Nyûdô-name of Gotô Mitsunaga?Ludolf

Hi Andi,here is a pic with some Hamano-Yasuyuki-examples.I have no examples with his alternate Go Naonori.Ludolf

It's definitely not Hamano Yasuyuki (h11367,1763-1837),who used Naonori as an alternate Go,so it is probably-if not Gimei- Haynes h06750 Hamano Naonori,who is not to be found in the Tosogu-"Bible" "Toso Kinko Jiten" by Wakayama Takeshi.I have no examples of this artist in my database.Ludolf

There are 4 more Tsuba,at least three of them doubtful:see pic.Look at their guarantee:"We at ( I have omitted the real name of the Online Auction House.Ludolf) value trust the most, which is why we provide buyers with a 25-year guarantee of authenticity on all items put up for sale with us. Every item in our auctions and online shop has been thoroughly examined, valued and verified to be genuine by our experts."!?.Ludolf

Hi,there are two nice Tsuba at a German auction to come.Both with big names:Issando Joi,the other with (Nara) Toshinaga,both dated:see pic.They look very similar to me:a 19th Century-Gimei from the same artist?!Ludolf

Hi,there is an interesting Tsuba at a German auction to come.If not Gimei,it might be a rare piece made by "Sakura" Kichibei.The catalogue said "Ôshû Yamayoshibe".Someone had wrongly translated from a Japanes magazine!I have already told them the correct Mei.From my database and the literature I own there are very few pieces by that artist existing.Because of the sakura-stamp he is called Sakura Yamakichi resp.Yamakichibei by Wakayama and Haynes.It will be sold for Euro 1.000 minimum:too much for a Tsuba without a paper for me.Ludolf

Hi,here are some pics of his work.Ludolf

Hi!I have a pic in my database,also with a tiger.There is not much to be found about Mototaka of the Taizan-Family from Mito/Hitachi,not even a date,but I guess it's 19th Century.Ludolf

Hi Marcello,the Mei reads "Goto Unjo" but it is definitely Gimei when looking at Shoshin-Mei pics of that 17th Century artist (Haynes H 11062,died 1691).Ludolf

Hi, #2-Ichirobei Sukeshige,H 09009 #3-Toshiyuki,H 10663 or 10665 or 10666 or 10667 (no Mei-pics available),but not the Nara guy H 10664 #4-my guess would be Hisatsune,H 01544 or 01545 or 01546 or 01547 (no Mei-pics available) #7-Sashu ju Toshiuji.I have a pic of this Sado-Island-Tsubako with identical Mei. Ludolf

Hi,I just found a paper by David Fuller from 1997 about Nio-School: http://www.sword.ndo.co.uk/nio.html Ludolf

Hi Jean,there are probably 5 Nio-Kiyosada (one 14th,one 15th and three 16th Century with 50 points from Hawley to the last one KIY 438).The NTHK-Kanteisho does not specify which one. I found only one sword with description: "Meibutsu-Japanese swords and sword fittings in American collections-Token Taikai '79"-#42 (with Mei Nio Kiyosada). NIHON TO Koza-Koto Kantei mentions only the one from the 14th Century. Nothing for me to be found about the school under the last three Kiyosada.Ludolf

Very astonishing!"When Den is used like this, the work may be considered to have a small number of features that are over and above the expectations for the smith, or it may be missing a small number of features".So "my" Den Nio Kiyosada Katana could in fact have been made by him but also by another swordsmith of that Sue Nio School?That definition excludes students,but what about a son and later successor?Ludolf

Thanks Chris!The NTHK Kanteisho is a little bit disappointing:why make it "Soshin" (genuine) and Den Nio Kiyosada,if this swordsmith had no special style ,distinguishing him from others of the Sue-Nio-School.Den Suwo Sue Nio sounds better for me.Ludolf

I need help.I am interested in a Mumei Koto-Katana with a NTHK Kanteisho-paper.What means the Kanji Den 伝,followed in this case by Suwo Kuni Nio Kiyosada?Is this an attribution to Nio Kiyosada (there is only one in Hawley's) or "in the style of" or?.It certainly can not be a school-attribution because that would be Nio or Sue Nio.Ludolf

I own a Tsuba made by Goto Teijo which is nearly identical with the one from Haynes "Gai so Shi" on page 89,although there is a lot more Gold,the Daisho probably made for a high-ranking Samurai.Ludolf