sabiji

I had a sukashi kanayama with constrictions at 3 and 9 o'clock, not at 12 and 6 o'clock as is so often the case here. Officially, the papers said Ryo-Mokko-Gata, but an expert told me that at least my tsuba was based on the shape of the Kemari ball. That seemed very plausible in my case.

For the most part, yes!

As always, this kind of topic irritates me and I ask myself whether I am living in a parallel universe? I don't want to start again with the old stories about how the situation of a collector 30 years ago compares to the current situation. I still had to make decisions based solely on paper photos that I received in paper mail, taken with cameras that were universes different in their technical capabilities from a standard cell phone camera today. And of course, at certain sums you have to get off your ass to look at a sword in person. I wouldn't do it any differently today. So with all due respect, this frequent “the market is dead” whining is absurd. And it's not the poor Tsuruta-san's fault either! For many years, he was one of the few opportunities for the “average collector” to acquire a sword in Japan without having any special contacts there. And I have also seen a few blades bought from him recently, where I was honestly deeply impressed and enthusiastic, at prices I would not discuss at all. Of course, I know the buyer well. He has an excellent eye and knows exactly what he is doing. And that is why I would say that it has never been easier for collectors like him to fish out good and attractively priced pieces from the market. But that's just my opinion.

but instead sabi...

Ono

You and limited knowledge? Typical Japanese understatement from you...

Ko Shoami

Oh Florian, don't always blame everything on the poor Shoami. They can do it better and more elegantly. Maybe Kinai.

I'm planning to go to Japan again in 2025, in the fall of course, and of course this time to the DTI.

Oh, sorry. That's fine then.

Mmmmh, what were your intentions when you bought this blade? Was it a typical Mino work of the Muromachi? If so, in what style? I find it difficult to recognize typical Mino in this blade. Of course, it is difficult to judge from photos anyway. And I can only partially recognize the Yakiba, just like the Nioiguchi. Tsurete, i.e. a uniform coupling of fairly identical Gunome, is not an invention of the Mino and became more common at the end of the Kamakura and in the Nanbokucho. You can also find it in Osafune, or in the Kozori. A Sanbonsugi is a Togari Gunome with a very identical repeat. Repeat is used more often in Gunome than many people think. It brings a certain pleasant aesthetic when the repeat is varied. That is why a pure Tsurete Hamon, or a very identical Gunome repeat like Sanbonsugi, looks strict, even boring. (Even though such a perfect and flawless Hamon is of course quite demanding). I mean that only from an aesthetic point of view, not a technical one. But what are our roots here? It is not a Sanbonsugi, and I cannot see any Togari anywhere. The Yakigashira all look very round. But it is not a Kenbo-Midare either. I recognize a coupling of Gunome groups mainly in combinations of two and three. These are connected by round Tani. The sides are relatively steep, some a little flatter, which is somewhat reminiscent of Koshi no Hiraita. A Bizen invention, which was also copied and interpreted in Mino. But if we come anywhere close to the Koshi no Hiraita here, this Hamon seems far too stiff and "intentional" for a Muromachi/Momoyama work. And I certainly cannot detect any Yamato influence. That is just my opinion.

Ko Shoami, Blüte und Ginger

I see a dark future for Nihonto in other ways. There is the tightening of gun laws in many countries. More and more shipping service providers are refusing to ship swords. And another thing, the collector scene is not getting any younger. I really can't imagine a “sell-out” of swords in Japan.

Georg, we had to thank you! Your Masayuki/Kiyomaro is an impressive sword with an excellent polish! In addition to the master, we were able to study two of his students: 2x Saito Kiyondo and 1x Minamoto (Suzuki) Masao. There is also a sword from the Hamabe school, the school where Kiyomaro was trained at the beginning of his career. Enclosed a bad photo of the table only (so as not to show any people...).

At the risk of being burned as a heretic, I see some pretty rough welds in the circles... ...fine chains of black Nie I think I see scattered all over the blade.