First EVER Treasure Hunt Story - NOT exactly Nihonto related

[Mark S.]

My first ever 'Treasure Hunt' story! Yes, I'm going to bore you... Sorry if it isn't exactly Nihonto related!

 

I stop into a couple thrift stores in my area, usually about once a month (just so happen to be near my barber, and due to National Guard duty, I am in the area once a month whether I want to or not... gotta get spiffed up!). So I walk into the store and after a few minutes of walking around, come across a wooden box with Japanese kanji on it and an artist stamp. Having studied Chanoyu for just a few years, I at least knew this might be 'interesting'! I pick up the box and... DARN!... empty. A few minutes later, I see what looks to be some type of tall Shino-ware vase sitting on the front counter and being quick on the uptake, I think, "Hey, that just might fit in the wood box... I wonder...?"

 

So as I walk over with the wood box in tow and reach for the vase, a woman nicely says, "I'm buying that [vase]". With that 'feeling' in the pit of my stomach, I ask the confused woman if I could at least see if the vase fits the box. LIKE A GLOVE! So my mind starts spinning and after a few minutes I say, "Well, I'm not positive (can't read Japanese), but if the box and vase go together, it would be a shame to seperate them." No one who worked in the store knew if the items came in together. After some humming and hawing the woman says, "Would YOU like to buy the vase seeing how you know what it is?" I figured being nice, purchasing an item for her (rather than just giving her money), and saying "THANK YOU!" was better than waiting for her in the parking lot and... well...

 

Upon making contact with someone I knew could answer my questions, the box reads Flower Vase / Shino-ware / Takashi (name of the potter). A MATCH! Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again! Vase is 22 cm tall and about 11 cm in dia.

 

And all this for the princely sum of $1 for the box and $4 for the vase. I'd say it was a good day to be lucky and "timing is everything". So... how did I do?

 

Mark

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

....So... how did I do?....

Mark,

 

that was probably not over paid! AKA SHINO is always nice to have, and although not by ARAKAWA TOYOZO, I submit my congratulations!

[Lindus]

Have two...........

{1} A Ron Gregory story. He watched a dust lorry (refuse disposal vehicle) loading in 1948,box with a Japanese character or two on the side being thrown in. He asked if he could have the box and was told it would cost 2/6 {old money...50cents?} paid the chaps and found it was an Armour box with a full suit inside,see....http://collectorsloot.homestead.com/ori5.html.

{2} My old boss phoned me to say that his new neighbour was clearing out and that he thought that in the skip outside was what may be a Japanese sword. Drove down breaking all speed limits to find a Kai Gunto sticking out of a pile of broken plaster and dumped ex kitchen.

Asked the chap if I could have it...his wife answered for him saying that if it was worth having I should contribute £5 to her church.......told her to stuff it {Joking}.

[cabowen]

I know a collector in Chicago that saw what looked like a sword sticking out of a neighbor's garbage can. Stopped, looked, and pulled out a mint tachi in full gold and nanako kodogu. I believe both blade and koshirae went juyo. The kicker as I recall was the neighbor saw him pull it out and came out with the matching lacquered stand and told him to take that as well....

[Stephen V]

I also found my one and only nihonto way back in 1965 when on a bottle drive.

 

Came across it in the dirt under a house and the owner said I could just take it because of the bad memories it brought back to him from the war.

 

Turned out to be a Norimitsu Eikyo-Bizen wakazashi dated 1465.

 

Not a bad 500 year old gift. :D

[Lindus]

Before I retired I worked around an area that covered two counties.(States but much smaller) used to put an advert in the local paper saying I would be staying in a certain hotel and gave the date.

Folk would turn up with odd oriental things {doubt you could do this today} and on several occasions I bought Nihonto from either families of old soldiers or dealers. Fun side that in those days hotel managers asked politely if I would ask people to cover swords as it "Upset" other residents.

When the first Token-Taikai was situated in the Swallow international on the Cromwell road,London. Six out of towners were heading to Taikai room in a Lift (Elevator) all carrying various edged weapons,a group of holiday people from the US asked a Scottish collector what he was doing with his bundle of swords......"Going to take revenge on the English" was his reply.

Boy you should have seen the expression on their face,how times have changed,today the 'Lift' would be met with a few guys in black pointing sub machine guns