Soshin

Hi Richard George, The original attribution made by Skip H. was Hoan, early Edo Period. I asked Jim G. about this after the shinsa and he said the iron is too homogenous to be the work of the Hoan school even the later work. The design is also made classic by Meijin Shodai Kaneie. When I get a chance I will look for a photo of the oringial Kaneie masterpiece. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Eric, Thanks for the kind words. The origami will be issued in about four to six months from the date of the shinsa. I can post a scan of the worksheet if there are no objections. If no one has any objections I will post it when I get home from work. Yours truly, David Stiles

Here is the write up I have of the Daruma tsuba after the results of the NTHK shinsa: I came across something interesting in reading Tsuba An Aesthetic Study by Robert Haynes and Kazutaro Torigoye: I think my tsuba represents some of the later (i.e. late Edo Period) unsigned work showing the best craftsmanship of the school. Thanks for taking the time to read though my results. I asked the shinsa team to translated the Kanji but they weren't able to as it consisted of ancient Chinese characters. Mr. Yoshikawa said that his father could have been able to translate the characters but that his knowledge was not as great as his father's in regards to such old characters. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I purchased a NBTHK Hozon papered tsuba from him. The tsuba is wonderful and the shinsa paper is real. I have added him as a favorite seller on eBay. I would and I will deal with him in the future. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to update everyone the final show total for me was four new tsuba, three wood boxes, and two books. I purchased two tsuba that are by far the oldest I have ever had in my collection from a long time collector. I will post once I have more free time. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, My paper was in the mail this evening. I really like. Thanks Chris Bowen and Larry Klahn. I will have some fun translating it. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I was able to see this tsuba in person at the Tampa show. It is a wonderful site to see. A bit out side of my price range. :lol: Here is a papered tsuba I have with the same Chinese coin design for reference. More information about it is at my website. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Robert S., I am looking forward to getting my paper for the tsuba I submitted as well. Did they come in the mail? I might want to follow up with Chris Bowen about this but have been very busy after the Tampa show. I did well at the Tampa shinsa as well. Will post about that later. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Wasn't going to buy anything at the show this year. The two tsuba, three wood boxes, and two books don't count... Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi John B., How hard is the iron? Saotome have extremely hard iron even compared to Tempo school work. Once in awhile you come across good tsuba like this on eBay selling at a great price. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I will be there tomorrow morning around 11:00 AM. I have a early flight tomorrow. I will stay until the end of the show. I have a shinsa slot for Sunday morning. Will bring a few tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Steve, This was just a thought experiment on my part and nothing more to explain the shinsa result. It was not a codified theory. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, When I get the tsuba back from Japan I will try to get better photographs of it from different angles. This might require me to get a new camera or ship it to Richard K. G. (don't remember if he uses his whole name on NMB) to photograph it. I really like this photographs and VR images of tsuba and other tosogu. I really like the design, texture and hardness of the iron on my tsuba. The tekkotsu along the rim are also great. The ko-sukashi reminds be of the negative outline of the tops of this bonsai tree's branches. I have the design in my notes as "katsu zu ko sukashi" (松図小透) with Udenuki ana (腕貫穴). Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Chris B., Good point. I have hypothesized in my mind of a small group of copycats operating in the Momoyama and early Edo Period making quality copies or tsuba in the "Yamakichibei style" of the famous Shodai and Nidai Yamakichibei of Owari and not at all being related to them. If this is the case then my tsuba should be fugokaku (no pass) and declared a gimei but of antiquity (i.e. Momoyama Period). These type of things did happen during the middle and late Edo Period Kinko schools. A good example of this off the top off the head is Kyo-Kinko group coping famous designs and styles of mainline Goto school based in Edo. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I have been busy at my day job (public health and other such important things ) so I am only replying now. Keep in mind that the reason for the failure was because of the mei in the eyes of the NBTHK hence the results. Steve's idea is possible and the most developed in terms of details, logical flow, and he does provide photographic evidence to support is claims. Because the tsuba while not in the best shape does appear to date from the Momoyama Period when viewed in hand. Not sure why Christian M. or Chris B. doesn't like the tsuba. The lack of details is interesting and a notable observation. I consider them both friends and this tsuba is not worth fighting over. My photographic skills are very poor and I am using a 6 year old digital camera. Of the people that that replyed to the thread Henry W. and Steve W. are the only ones who have seen the tsuba in hand and both have positive but balance impressions of the tsuba. Here is some better photos I have taken of it before sending it to Bob Benson for last year's NBTHK shinsa in December 2011. I cannot take more as the tsuba is still in Japan will be able for pick up after Feb. 13, 2012. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi John, I would agree with Steve on this analysis of your tsuba. Having a look at in hand would be preferred to confirm. Both Steve and Henry W. have seen my tsuba in hand. I added the size of the tsuba to my original post. Thinness of the plate is remarkable with my tsuba. The thickness at the seppa-dai I remember estimating to be about 2.5 mm. Here is a photo of my tsuba that may look better then the scans. I can't wait to get the tsuba back from Japan as It is nice tsuba and there is always space in my collection for it. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here are scans of a tsuba I submitted for NBTHK shinsa in December 2011. It didn't pass (fugokaku) because of a gimei of Yamakichibei (山吉兵). I would love to hear other people's impressions of the tsuba. The workmanship of the Yakite shitate (焼手仕立) & Tsuchime-ji ( 槌目地) of the iron is nice and the rim show many very nice tekkotsu and therefore I was thinking it could be the work of Shodai Norisuke who worked in the late Edo Period in Owari. He was well known for producing good Yamakichibei copies. The tsuba does in my eyes look a bit older possibly as old a the Momoyama Period or early part of the Edo Period which would make it contemporaneity with the Shodai or Nidai Yamakichibei (山吉兵). Some have even questioned the validity of the long held view my the NBTHK and NTHK that there was only three generations of Yamakichibei (山吉兵) artists with the third generation working only in a Yagyu tsuba style. Thanks for taking the time to look and offer a comment or question about this topic and my tsuba. I will be discussing it with Bob Benson my broker who submitted the tsuba for me in December at the Tampa Show this weekend. Size of the tsuba is a follows: 7.1 ✕ 6.5 ✕ 0.30 cm at rim Yours truly, David Stiles

Dear Pete Klein, Therefore we are dealing with a fairly nice tsuba with a very fake signature. I was introduced to a new Japanese term this week by the NBTHK its called fugokaku (no pass) because of a gimei (fake signature). Yes they give this judgement out sometime even when not dealing with a Nihonto or Kinko tsuba. I might start another thread on the NMB about my recent failed tsuba. It is a nice tsuba just with a fake signature. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Robert S. In my reply I was referring to the very early part of the Meiji Period before the offical banning of the public wearing of the daisho by bushi circa 1876. I have more information on my website about that topic. We agree on the most important point that it is a nice tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Lynne C., Both tsuba look nice. The first one does have some condition issues in terms of red active rust on its surface. That need to be correctly removed. I disagree in part with Brian's analysis of the second tsuba does look late Edo or early Meiji Period but is too high of quality and craftsmanship to be for export. The second tsuba has a stamp in the form of a Japanese trademark (kao) on the reverse side (ura) that would require someone more knowledgeable then myself of late Edo or Meiji Period soft metal (kinko) to determine the maker of the tsuba. Hope you find the additional information helpful. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi John S., Thanks for the clarification and the fact that all of these school works overlaps around the same time period. Here is a tsuba in my collection that I think while the subject is very different the workmanship is similar. George M. I hope you find this helpful in your research. I would consider my tsuba also a work of the Aizu Shoami school circa the late Edo Period. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi George M., I came across the term Mito Shoami. I was wondering if this a correct term. Was there a branch of the Shoami school in Mito Province during the mid to late Edo Period? Having some greater explanation by Curran would be helpful as I think this tsuba would belong to such a school if it is real. I remember coming across this term when reading Dr. Stein's Japanese Sword Index website under the section on tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here is another tsuba in my collection that could be Akao school tsuba. It was purchased over a year ago on NMB. The punch marks around the nakago-ana are characteristic of the Akao school in either Edo or Echizen. Ji-sukashi design is of a war fan (gunbai 軍配) family crest (kamon 家紋) of the Fujiwara clan. This type of open work is common to the Akao school. Comments and questions are welcome. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Mark Green, Nice work on the gendai tsuba copy. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Sorry about coming back to this late. Had some technical problems on my side and I determined I can't upload photos with my iPhone. Here is a tsuba in my collection with a iron ategane (当金) for reference. The insert reshapes the kozuku hitsu-ana. Yours truly, David Stiles