Grevedk

Good evening Akaei, You have a very nice, original and quite old Kozuka in your hand. As shown on your photos it’s Mumei (without inscription / name of maker) which often make it difficult to place maker, school or period accurately. Material is apparently on a Shakudo-Nanako plate with a motive of a samurai fighting a storm / strong wind kami “Kamikazi”. Your Kozuka could well be from the Goto-school and made in the late Edo or early Meiji period (just my guess). The design, materials and carving indicate a capable artist. It is in a fine preserved state, and I would therefore not recommend that you make any alterations or repairs on it - unless you truly know what you are dealing with. And very few of us have that knowledge. Congratulations on a super flea-market find - well done👍 All the best Soren

Hi John, Enthusiastic amateurs are we all (maybe with a few exceptions). People like yourself who willingly and consistently engage in sharing experience, opinions and knowledge is just the true “backbone” of this community. I’m constantly amazed of how much thought, time, experience and accumulated information this forum contains. If someone, some day and somehow find the opportunity, ability and time to sort and index all the information this forum has accumulated - then I believe it could be worth of the title “ Nihonto World Heritage Site” / NWHS PS. The NMB title is by the way fine as it is 😎 /Soren

Gentlemen, In may search on this magnificent forum for Akimoto Akitomo I found this post (quoted) wich includes both wonderful pictures but also some very competent translations of names. All the best Soren

Hi Aaron, I believe that both first and second generation Shigeyuki used the prefix of Bungo Fujiwara. Both smith’s are rated as above average. Quote: Nihonto Club https://nihontoclub.com/smiths/SHI745 Shigeyuki (1st gen) ID SHI745 Province Bungo Era Kanei (1624-1644) Active Period 1624-1644 Lineage Image / Interactive Source Rating Reference/Page Hawley 30 SHI745 Signatures: 豊後國高田住藤原重行 bungo kuni takata ju fujiwara shigeyuki All the best Soren

Hi Peter, That set has a look and a patina as well as a feel of both age and real use. You may well be looking at a set that is quite old (pre Edo or early Edo period). Personally I could be inclined to “honor” their maker and their original purpose in using them in a re-wrapped quality Tsuka. When ever you handle your Tsuka you will enjoy the connection that is transferred through all that time that has passed. In April 2022 the tread below discussed similar Menuki. All the best. Soren

Good evening Colin, Lovely and rather cool tsuba. I really enjoy your postings, taste and the invitation to flex one’s mind around the art of tsuba. And this one with the design and motive of a Tiger-fish got me to remember a another design with a rather cool Tiger-fish Kabuto (helmet). Could be the beginning of collecting a full set of Tiger-fish armor, armaments and fittings 😜👍 All the best Soren

Good evening Jimi-San, Very cool website as well as superb pictures of the items for sale. Very professional 😎👍🇩🇰 Soren

FWIW - I believe @Spartancrest is spot on 😎👍 /Soren

Received mine today - both Katana and Wakizashi stand. Very nice work, and a nice and esthetic way to present them. Safe and easy shipment (besides Danish customs) - so fully recommended 👍👍 Thank you Lukas, /Soren

Dale, I like and enjoy your work, and I appreciate that every bit of both knowledge and understanding very often comes from the hard work, the capacity of endurance against difficult odds and the willingness to share “knowledge and understanding” by someone - like you. Asking relevant questions like Dan @Dan tsubaand others, and having them answered by the sheer knowledge of the accumulated NMB (and you) - is simply a “Treasure Stove”. First mover’s, scouts or whatever we call them are often taking the risks (“of getting fixed in someone’s cross sight”), but I believe most survive that ordeal with the understanding that they actually made a difference 😎👍 /Soren

Good afternoon Colin, In the hope that I can supplement your own memory - then the statement below is from the tsuba collection in the “Metropolitan Museum of Art”. Design is slightly different, but motive (without insect any 🕷️ 🦟), as well as the story could be related to your recent acquisition. Text: “The entire plate of the tsuba is carved to resemble a dead tree, with a spider web and threads inlaid in gold nunome-zōgan. A spiderweb on a dead tree combined with an openwork design (as here represented by the small ko-sukashi towards the bottom and the two hitsu-ana) alludes to a famous scene from the Genpei War (1180-1185). In 1181, Taira warrior Kajiwara Kagetoki (梶原景時, 1162-1200) was sent to pursue the fleeing Minamoto no Yoritomo (源頼朝, 1147-1199). Kagetoki discovered Yoritomo hiding in the hollow trunk of a fallen tree but as he was switching sides, he did not reveale Yoritomo’s hideout. A spider had spun its web over the opening in the trunk since Yoritomo had crawled inside and so Kagetoki pointed out to his men that no one could be hiding therein as that spider web was intact.” All the best. /Soren

Good evening Dan, Again citing: “Tsuba in the Cleveland Museum of Art” revised and edited by D. Raisbeck (leading scholar into the world of Tsuba 😎👍), and showing my own feeble attempt to take a picture in poor light: I think that the stated conclusion is very close to a possible truth. @Spartancrest All the best Soren

Good evening Colin, Nice tsuba and a fine choice of motive. Another Shoami tsuba with a slightly different design but with a similar motive from : http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237/10350 And be careful - collections tend to grow fast, and just as swords, Tsuba tends to become an addiction 😜 /Soren

Hi Colin, Very fine photos, and a very intriguing Tsuba. There is definitely some kind of carvings that look like leaves and maybe even signs of some earlier kind of groundwork for inlay (zogan). Unfortunately I’m unable to neither identify it or even show you in which direction to look. I have however read somewhere that Akasaka Tsuba often has a smaller Kogai-hitsu ana than the opposite Kozuka hitsu-ana. Yours look more alike in the dimensions. And I might well be wrong. I am sure that some of the boards real experts will be able guide you further. Best regards /Soren

Hi Luca, A similar design from the Cleveland Museum of Art. @Spartancrest might be able to expand both photo and information as the wizard he is 😎👍 Hope that help a little bit in your search. All the best Soren

Jeremy and Bruno, Thank you - your input and perspective is much appreciated. For one - I hadn’t seen the raised mimi as an indicative sign of the Hamano school. So - again a little wise through the sheer accumulated knowledge of other’s 👍😎 All the best. /Soren

Hi Jeremy and Bruno, Thank you for taking the time to respond. Is it the ura side (carving of the tree and branches) that makes you suggest Hamano? All the best /Soren

Dale, That is very clearly “Daikokuten” in all his might and opulence, holding mallet, sack of goods and sitting on the bales of plenty 😜👍 Won’t ask you where you found that one or where the yellow’ish color comes from, but if you keep it long enough (say a few hundred years) it might end up in a museum with someone writing a book about it 😂 All the best /Soren

Dear NMB fellowship, Once again I hope to draw knowledge from your experience and expertise. In my little quest to get wiser on the subject of Tsuba I have found my self buying different kinds of Tsuba (e.g regarding base materials, design and schools). This time I found a much used brass (Shinchu) Tsuba with the design of the Japanese deity “Daikokuten”, God of fortune and wealth (among a lot of other traits) and a child apparently playing with spinning tops. It shows clear signs of having been mounted (probably on a Wakizashi). Measurement’s: 7,2 x 7,0 x 0,5 cm weight: 130 grams Material: brass with inlay of other soft metals. Mimi is a ring of soft metal that has the feel and look of shakudo (but I am in doubt). There is no iron in or around the Tsuba. Design: Daikokuten with mallet and sack / child playing Mumei School: my own guess would be Mito school? 🧐 Period: probably late Edo period to early Meiji period I would very much appreciate your thoughts on: School and if possible a suggestion on maker Design and carvings Possibility of restoration of patina (looks like a previous owner may have tried to polish the surface with a rather “heavy hand”) All the best Soren Omora side Ura side

An old tread with some interesting snakes as well as information on their creators. Shows again the depth and value of this NMB forum. By just reading some of the post’s here I constantly find my self enriched with new knowledge. Knowledge I didn’t even know I needed in the first place 😂👍 /Soren

Angry snakes that appear to favorite tsuba seems not to have been that uncommon. This snake found its way to the Dutch Rijksmuseum - scary close to you Okan 😜👍 Artist: Munemasa Shinoda Height: 90 mm Width: 87 mm Depth: 15 mm So a small (angry and maybe deadly) snake locked in a timeless symbiotic relationship with a tsuba 🐍😱 /Soren

This NMB Forum is full of very useful information and visual art (photos, drawing’s as well as technical diagrams). And - some extremely well versed experts on the subject of Nihonto 😎👍 Real pleasure to follow…. Mister Gilson - what a find your family made. All the best into the art of restoration and be careful, as you might get smitten by the “Nihonto Bug”. Can be quiet expensive. All the best /Soren

Hi Marco, Very cool website and very professional pictures - an inspiration. Thank you for sharing👍😎 Best wishes for the New Year /Soren

Hi all, Horse Menuki hiding in the Tsuka Ito belonging to a Wakizashi (Nagamaki Naoshi) sword. Merry Christmas and the best wishes to all for a Happy New Year 🎅🏻 /Soren