Matsunoki

Have you looked at the Tomkinson collection? ….or the Edward Wrangham collection? (See Bonhams past auctions for this one)

To recognise a fake you first need to know what the real thing looks like, all the component parts, blade, fittings etc.You need to understand quality and artistry. That takes time and determined study. Or you can deliberately study fakes…..there are dedicated topics on this forum for that purpose. Once you have done that you will be able to tell the difference. It takes some effort. Every component of your sword sadly screams fake from the rooftops……but only when you know what you are looking at.

Potentially that was very cheap. Can’t really tell from the images.

Very often the plugs are not one solid piece but instead are two plates, one inserted from each side although lead ones are more commonly one piece (and much easier to remove) Also how “robust” is the tsuba. Delicate sukashi with little support to/around the ana or more substantial? Removal can be as simple as tapping it/them out if the tsuba is robust. Use a wooden dowel and support snugly and firmly around the ana underneath. If the tsuba is delicate then great caution is wise! How good are your drilling skills and equipment? It all depends on the plug material and the strength of the tsuba

What are the plugs made from?

That is very surprising because when you look at the bare tsuka you can see remains of what appears to be a backing paper of some sort and lines going around as if something had been wrapped around it. Are those lines in the bare tsuka scratched/carved into it? What do you think their function was? Is the inside of the “sleeve” lined with anything…..the remains of the paper still stuck to the tsuka. Don’t suppose you can get an image looking into the “sleeve”. Really unusual and makes no logical sense whatsoever…..having something capable of sliding off would be dangerous in use with no apparent benefits.

I do not think that the “tsuka maki” was ever intended to slide off the tsuka. The fact that it has survived is a miracle because I think it is simply a continuous thick cord or twine wrap that was originally glued to the tsuka and then stabilised by a coating of thick lacquer. Possibly several coats that have then created a very rigid structure. For some reason the glue has given way and it has slid off. I have owned similar wraps on tanto…..but never had one come off!

First glance it’s not a million miles from shobu-zukuri (iris leaf) and it is rather elegant. As a stabbing weapon it looks extremely efficient and having watched several Samurai films etc recently there seems to be a fair bit of stabbing involved when there is no room for swinging a longer blade or as coup de grace after battles. Creative way to aesthetically save a (probably) ugly damaged blade. Maybe not one for purists.

Correct. It isn’t that unusual…..many swords were rehardened following assorted damages.

Looks fake from these images. Show image of nakago without tsuka and habaki.

Probably re-hardened if the hamon finishes here?

Excellent advice from Geraint. It’s so easy to make things far worse and then wish you had never started.

👍🙂 Either way …..I’m enjoying going back through those nice pieces that came from you John. You don’t see many of this quality nowadays except maybe Bonhams ….and they have relocated to Paris. UK is a bit of a wasteland, sadly.

Fake.

This explains why I have never really bothered about Mei but instead tried to concentrate on quality!!🙂 This is the Haynes entry that I found……just a couple above yours John. All too confusing for my ageing brain🙂

Hi John, nice to hear from you. Yes indeed I think it did come from you and yes it is Shoki. Really fine kozuka but maybe time to move on again. Can’t quite make up my mind!

Hi Jean, many thanks. Much appreciated! I am sorting out my kozuka collection with a view to selling. I had not remembered that this one was signed until I sat down for a “proper look”! Time to get organised I think🙂 Best. C.

Persistence pays off maybe……is it “Denryusai Yoshiyuki”? (from a aha mani school kozuka of Shoki)

I think I can get “Yoshi” but I’m not getting any further. Many thanks in advance, apologies for my poor Mei skills. All the best Colin.

Sadly you are correct. Unlikely to be Japanese, more likely Chinese. Not a true netsuke.

Images designed to make it look dramatic without really showing anything (as Uwe says above). That alone makes me very suspicious. Also the black finish on the shikoro does not look like old lacquer. Also the “gold” plates on the shikoro are heavily worn but the lacing looks brand new. Also the missing rivets holding shikoro to hachi suggest it does not fit correctly…..possibly a marriage? I am also a novice collector of armour and my opinion is worth little but I try to look closely at images to spot things that make me nervous. To my uneducated eye this looks highly dubious. Parts may well be old but………

Could you also show images of the kissaki/boshi please?

One of my favourite subjects in Japanese Art is the depiction of hawks, falcons and other birds of prey. I recently acquired this pair of large scrolls (from Japan). They appear to carry the seal of Kano Naonobu (1519-1592ish). They are said to be two paintings from a now lost Kano hawk byobu screen that were remounted as scrolls in 1914. Do we have any Kano knowledge on our Forum? Does that provenance seem possible? Certainly the paintings are older than the scroll mountings and they look “right” to me but really, I bought them because I absolutely love them. Any opinions anyone? Many thanks.

Blimey, that image brought back long buried memories. We had these on the farm where I was born. As a kid I used them to cut hazel spears and arrows in the wood. I think their intended function was to trim sugar beet and mangolds when harvesting was largely by hand. Gentler days.

I guess it is like any niche subject…..only a comparatively few people will be interested and even fewer will take the time to study the artistry, skill and mythology. Collecting stamps and coins is far easier! However the financial values of fine Japanese metalwork including sword fittings has increased massively in the last 10 - 15 years so I guess some heavy hitters are taking some notice worldwide. I’m not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.