Soshin

Here is an orphan fuchi I have in my collection made by Tsuneshige (常重) who belonged to the Nara School during the late Edo Period. I have seen similar fuchi-gashira sets by him. All with similar signatures. I don't think he ever used (Nara 奈良) as part of his signature like the example provided by @Mantis dude, but I could be wrong.

Yes, the (光山) "Kozan" mark you have in your photo does looks exactly like the mark at the bottom of my bowl. Thank you, this is really helpful, and it does also confirm the time period of production of the antique bowl.

Hi @John C, I will look at it, thank you for reminding me about Daruma Magazine. I remember when that magazine closed a few years ago. I have a few issues on my bookshelf as well to check.

This month I have been researching this antique Satsuma-yaki style decorative bowl for listing on my website that I had added to my collection back in late 2022. I did find some helpful information here: Japanese Satsuma Pottery. It has a hand painted kiln mark on the bottom of the bowl 'Senzan (先山)’ which is the name of the workshop that made the bowl. I am thinking it was made after about 1880 CE, likely during the late Meiji or Taisho Period. The decorative bowl measures 15.5 cm (6.1 inches) diameter and 7.0 cm (2.8 inches) high. Any additional information or online resources would be helpful. A respectful and polite discussion of the Japanese art item is also welcome. Thank you.

I had just a few interactions with Paul Davidson, but all were great over the years all at the NBTHK-AB presentations and lectures they had different Japanese sword shows across the USA. I consider myself lucky to have a genuinely nice hardbound book (112 pages) detailing his collection ART OF THE SAMURAI THE PAUL L. DAVIDSON COLLECTION provided by Mike Yamasaki and Darin S. Furukawa, as well as the board of directors of the NBTHK-AB.

Hi @Al_KRK Rafal, There are some good books about Japanese sword making and polishing (traditional conservation). Check out this online bookstore specializing in Japanese sword books: Sword Books Archives - Japanese sword books and tsuba. He will ship internationally to Poland. I think you also need to do a series of extensive interviews and make detail notes and recordings of all your interviews with a professionally training Japanese sword polisher (someone who has also won polishing awards in Japan) willing to spend time to talk to you. This would take him/her time away from polishing Japanese swords therefore I would expect you would need to pay him/her for their time so having a research budget is necessary (also to purchase topical books). You then can wirte your own specific documents that you can then use as a reference after citing professionally trained Japanese sword polisher and any books you have used as references. I hope this is helpful.

I am a bit late replying to this topic. Yes, Danny is a great guy! I would recommend him and his website and services at Nihontocrafts.

I checked my references, and you are correct. I had the wrong Kanji on the Koshirae Gallery webpage but the correct ones on the write-up of another standalone Jakushi tsuba. Thank you for the correction.

Hi @Jack Zacao, I wanted to share some thoughts about your statement. In my opinion, it isn't entirely accurate. I have a wakizashi fittings set in my collection that features a Chinese style landscape motif. These intricate designs were created in very limited spaces on the smaller sword fittings used in wakizashi mounts. They're not as uncommon as you might think. Feel free to check out the fittings set (koshirae 拵え) on my website for more details (link in my signature). Based on my study, your menuki set was likely made during the late Edo Period to early Meiji Period, before the public wearing of Japanese swords was banned. The design reminds me of the Chinese style landscapes done by the Jakushi (杓子) School in Nagasaki (長崎). I hope you find this information helpful and encouraging for your future study. Note: Checked my website and the fitting set are listed as being for katana but the sunagi (wooden blade) "cutting edge" size would technically make it a wakizashi and not a katana.

Hi @Jack Zacao, Nice menuki set! I've seen other menuki sets with similar two-character signatures before. However, I'm not very familiar with Hamano School menuki works in general, so I can't judge your example or identify the specific artist. Relying solely on Bonhams Auction and one website as references provides too small a sample size to draw identifiable characteristics for Kanei. You would need a more rigorous study of the prolific Hamano School of the Edo Period. If I were you, I would keep looking and seek more educated opinions. I am still studying and trying to learn more about non-tsuba Japanese sword fittings in general myself.

@Steve Waszak I have transitioned from collecting Yamakichibei tsuba to exploring other groups and schools, specifically in the Owari, Yamashiro, and Higo Provinces. My interests have also expanded to include a variety of Japanese arts beyond the sword.

@GRC I submitted two tsuba that @Steve Waszak sold and they both came back as gimei. I purchased them both from @Steve Waszak circa 2017. I don't think I ever posted them on NMB but they were listed as having failed NBTHK shinsa because of gimei on my website. I sold them in larger group of other tsuba a couple of years ago when I was reducing my collection after closing my Japanese art and antiques business. What you might be referring to be another Yamakichibei tsuba I had that I picked up from Bob Benson. The @kissakai Grev UK., This one was once my tsuba. I remember buying it from Grey Doffin back in the day. Funny how it makes it way to the UK from the USA. I never got around to submitting it to any shinsa when I had it. Here is my photo from when I had it in my collection.

Hi Grev UK, I like Yamakichibei work and have an authentic tsuba made by the third generation Yamakichibei that will be in my collection long term it has NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper. Are you referring to the works made shortly after the time of (nidai 二代) second generation with fake signatures (gimei 偽銘)? This was way before the time of the third generation Yamakichibei. I know Steve from San Deigo, CA USA who is on NMB did some articles in the JSSUS Newsletter that talked about subclassifying these gimei works as there was some patterns to their signatures and workmanship.

Hi @Robert S, Thank you for enjoying my website and taking the time to reply to my post. I have since branched off from my tsuba study roots and gain an interest through study of other Japanese swords fittings (kodōgu 小道具), Japanese swords, and other types of Japanese fine art.

Here is my personal opinion only. I don't see anything I like that would facilitate me buying the whole lot of seven rather unremarkable tsuba based upon a single rather poor-quality screenshot of a photo. One tsuba in the lot would at a minimum need to be absolutely "golden" so to speak to justify the purchase of the whole lot at $2,750 USD.

This is quite a common thing now a days on ePrey (eBay). I would not even consider biding on a Japanese sword like this on ePrey. I will down vote this post as this unsigned Japanese sword is not, I would be interested in collection especially after paying such a premium on total of the normal retail price.

Just some minor points while I wait this evening. shrines = Shinto (jinja 神社) temples = Buddhism (ji 寺) The practice you are referring to is mostly associated with pouring fresh water over the head of Jizo Bosatsu using a wooden ladle typically in the temple courtyard outside of the main temple hall. Sweet tea is also poured using a smaller wooden ladle over the head of a statue of the standing Bady Buddha around the time of historical Buddha birthday which celebrated in April in Japan.

@Iaido dude Steve, did more checking here a tsuba that was once in my collection and later sold in December 2016 via the Internet that I attributed to Kanayama that have the rectangular shaped hitsu-ana. I do remember it having very noticeable iron bones along the rim. I hope this example is a bit more helpful to your study.

To summarize (Ko-Kinkō 古金工) attribution of my menuki means the NBTHK though that my menuki was made by an early (sometime before the Edo Period) goldsmith (kinkō 金工) of unknown linage. From what I can see in your two photos provided I don't see anything that makes me think they are modern cast reproductions. I have seen many of these modern cast reproductions before in hand on martial arts training swords and look at their backside it becomes fairly noticeable, they are cast reproductions. To me your menuki look like Edo Period examples that are smaller and likely mounted on a wakazashi or similar sized sword's handle.

Here is an example that is a bit different than the examples you already have. The tsuba is no longer in my collection. I listed it in my write-up as being the work of an unknown school. It measures are: 7.7 cm X 7.8 cm 4.0 mm at seppa-dai, 4.0 mm at rim. It sold quickly to another US based collector at the Chicago show back in 2019. I hope you find this example helpful to your study.

I have read and/or heard the same thing before, not sure how accurate that that statement is. I have these NBTHK papered Ko-Kinko menuki that are large (4.5 cm) show a significant amount of openwork, but the shakudō base plate is much thinner overall than your menuki. Notice the quality of my photos, this is what I think @ROKUJURO is talking about. I have had these menuki for a while in my collection (circa 2017) and my current photography skills and technology are a bit better.

@Jack Zacao Not completely sure how well the thickness of base plate correlates with the age of the menuki. Comparing the thickness of the red copper (shakudō 赤銅) base plate of your menuki with examples in my collection yours are characteristic of menuki made during the mid to late Edo Period. I have and once owned a set of apprised menuki by the NTHK with a similar thickness base plate that was dated to the late Edo Period. I currently own an NBTHK apprised pre-Edo Period (Ko-Kinko (古金工) menuki set with a very thin shakudō base plate. I have a few other sets I want to submit for appraisal down the line that have similar thin base plates made of shakudō. I enjoy collecting menuki almost as much as I enjoy collecting tsuba. I can post a few apprised examples, but I don't want to dominate this thread.

@martialarts Jacob, I would try to pace yourself in your study as @Shugyosha John J., suggests. Understand more about Japan and its language, history, and culture give you a broader and deeper context to your study of tsuba. Also check out my website here: Tsuba Otaku | Reflections of a Not So Empty Mind. It is noncommercial and full of lots of free information (no ads) about Japanese sword fittings and other types of Japanese art. I also try including a good list of other websites that you might also find helpful and some photos of my many vacations to Japan. Enjoy.

Just wanted to update this thread from last June about this sword one last time. I was finally able to do some scans of the NTHK papers I received in early December. The attribution was to "Kodai Kanemoto (後代兼元)" meaning a later generation of Kanemoto that was still working in Mino Provience around the time of the Tensho Era (1573-1592 CE). I will be adding this additional information to my write-up about the sword soon. P.S. Just notice that my scan of the oshigata of the nakago was not complete as it is long being a katana and an orikaeshi-mei. The oshigata of the nakago is complete just a bit hard to scan it with my printer.

I finally got around to creating a Japanese art gallery webpage on my website mostly focused on Japanese swords and fittings. Here is a direct link to the gallery: Japanese Art Gallery | Tsuba Otaku . It is a still work in progress and more will be added later as I have been collecting Japanese art for many years and once had a Japanese art retail business. I hope you enjoy it. Polite and respectful discussion is always welcome, thank you.