micha

Hi, I've send a sword a few weeks ago from Europe to the Usa. I've used UPS cause others (fedex ems,..) wouldn't insure antique above 1000 euro. Be sure to mention that it's antique and don't forget to add an invoice with a clear description. My parcel have been delivered in 3 days wthout any problems. Price with insurance was around 250-300 euro. Greetings

looks like a ko naminohara with the ayasugi hada. M.

and a composition.........

Here some details of the urushi nuri and menuki. M.

some more picture

Hi all, I want to share a very nice and rare daisho pair with you. It belongs to the collection of my good friend Willem Dolphine. It's a rare daisho made for a child of 'probably' some wealthy family. It's the only 'child' daisho we've ever seen (probably there will be more somewere). Unfortunatly the blades are not polished, (it should be worth polishing them but I think Willem is waiting for 5 more blades at the moment and he have at least another 10 in line that needs a polishing). Here's a description of the measurements cause on picture it looks like a casual daisho. Sugata Shinogi zukuri Torii sori O-kissaki 50 cm nagasa 28,2 cm 2,6 cm motohaba 2,3 cm 1,9 cm sakihaba 1,7 cm 0,5 cm kasane 0,5 cm 11,2 cm nakago 8,3 cm Jitetsu is hard to see but I guess itame. Hamon is a gunome, tight nioguchi with fine nie. Some sunagashi is visable. I think it would show more activities after polishing. Some gunome are hako others are slanting a little. Boshi is hard to see but seems to be midare. Nakago is ubu and mumei (1 mekugi). Nakagoyiri is iriyama-gata. Yasurimei is sujikai. Greetings Michael detail willem.pdf

Hi all, Although I posted the picture of the nakago-jiri, I think 1th and 3th generation should be switched. This is my opinion after many many oshigata and pictures I've been looking at the past weeks. My apology to mr. Kataoka Ginsaku who made the picture I posted before. This is my personal opinion. Micha

Sorry I forgot picture of (6) and (7). Thx Barry to let me know. Micha

GOOD POINT

I don't think there's a problem with the hamon, but it's a picture ... . I found a few oshigata's where the hamon nearly reaches the ha (not only at the hamachi). Greetings Micha

MASA-caracter (1) 1501-1504 (2-5) 1504-1528 (5-6) 1532-1555 (7) 1573-1592 ( unclear but estimated around 1570-1573 In the Aoi- blade the masa carater is not very clear but I found an oshigata of the second gen. that fits almost perfect (see picture).

SORRY this was the MURA-caracter ofcourse.

The difference in the signature is explained in Satô Kanzan sensei's 'Ise no Tôkô'. MURA-caracter (1) & (2) are found in signatures dated 1501 (3) & (4) are found on blades dated 1504-1521 (3) & (5) are found on blades dated 1573-1592 Caracter (3) is found in all periods and you should be carefull, almost all of the fakes have this caracter. The tanto of Mr. Tsuruta seems to me the 5th version (i've made a layered picture, see below) M.

Dear Curran, Good questions. Mostly you can see it on the nakago jiri if it concerns tanto blades. I've add a picture that speeks for itselfs. M.

Hi Jim, Most of soshu blades have mitsu mune. M.

In this picture you can see it clearly. Micha

Hi, I bought this blade a long time ago from Darcy. This is the part that he wrote about the dai-mei, dai-saku. Greetings Tokubetsu Hozon Omi no Daijo Tadayoshi Katana This is a sword that I personally find very exciting. Right away, it is clear that there is something special about this piece as it is flawless and with a flamboyant Ichimonji-inspired hamon. The kitae being extremely fine and the high quality of the piece brings to mind the work of the third generation, and in this situation it is my opinion that this is daisaku work done by Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi for his father. Beyond the tight jihada filled with fine ji nie, one can look to the yasurime which are an indicator in Tadayoshi school blades to the generation. In the case of Omi Daijo, his yasurime are a very straight kiri, while those of Mutsu no Kami are ever so slightly sloped. Consider this comparison image with this sword on the left, Mutsu no Kami in the middle, and Omi Daijo on the right. The second hint is in the nakagojiri, which indicates a late work at minimum by Omi Daijo, but rules out early work and rules in daisaku. The sugata agrees, as it is the type that comes after the Kanbun period, so falls into the prime period for work of the third generation. I tend to think that the flamboyant choji midare is also more typical for Mutsu no Kami than to be found in his father's more standard repertoire of suguba.

Hi, It's a gimei. I've attached some pics of nakago's of my Omi Daijo blades. Katana is probably a dai-saku dai-mei by Mutsu no kami. Greetings Micha

Hey Clive, I forgot to tell what I like about them. First of all I'm very intrested in the fact that the sugata changed in the keicho period and because I can't afford an Umetada Myoju.... . If you see my Omi Daijo Tadahiro katana, what is probably a dai-mai dai-saku by Mutsu no kami Tadayoshi (3rd generation Tadayoshi) than you understand why I'm obsessed about it. It's simply perfect, very fine perfect konuka hada, perfect hamon, many hataraki and a gorgious sugata. It's a little machiokuri otherwise it was a juyo blade. All my Masahiro and Tadayoshi school blades are so well made that it's impossible NOT to like them. But like Roger told me 'You can never own them all, but he who dies with the most toys, wins!' Micha

This oshigata I got from Roger (Tadayoshi) Robertshaw. It's a 5th generation Hizen Masahiro and looks quite like mine. I'm considering to send it for shinsa but I'm not really a collector of paperwork so probably I will not send it. Micha

Hi Clive, My first sword was a rusted Hizen Masahiro wakizashi that later on was polished by Zenon (Bruges, Belgium). I began to read about the Hizen school and that's how the passion started. Now I have a few Masahiro and Omi Daijo Tadahiro blades. But I also have a few other very nice blades like a kamakura Aoe naginato naoshi, Daido, yamato tegai, rai kinmichi, kanenori tanto, ... . After years it's becomming an obsession and I like it. Greetings Michael

I've tried to attache a picture. It's the blade on the right, left is my Masahiro tanto Micha Untitled-1.pdf

Thanks alot, most of my collection are hizen masahiro and omi daijo tadahiro. If you have other oshigata's ore pictures that would be nice. I have a Masahiro wakizashi blade but don't know if the mei is genuine. Micha

Hi, I'm looking for oshigata or pictures from signatures from masahiro blades, especially from the 5th generation. baudenelle@hotmail.com Greetings, Micha