Nickupero Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Hi Gents, picked up this piece recently and I'd be interested to get some feedback on the Kashira. Does anyone know what this mythical creature is? Looks like a mixture of a Phoenix and Elephant. Just in case you might be interested to know more about, all the fittings are Solid silver, all the way down to the habaki... very very heavy piece. The blade has been attributed as Mino Kanetsune, early to mid Muromachi period. Quote
Nickupero Posted December 15, 2013 Author Report Posted December 15, 2013 Some close ups of the Kashira and kurikata Quote
Lance Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 The kashira on your sword looks to be a Baku, eater of (bad) dreams. http://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/10/20/b ... eam-eater/ http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/baku.html Regards, Lance Quote
Nickupero Posted December 15, 2013 Author Report Posted December 15, 2013 Thank you Lance... much appreciated! You nailed it straight on, I thought I remembered seeing it somewhere... I was probably distracted by the Sanzaru (3 Monkeys). Nikko is no doubt one of my top 3 favourite places! Quote
Toryu2020 Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Looks to be based on a toppei koshirae, very nice find! -t Quote
sanjuro Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 A nice find indeed. The kashira on your sword looks to be a Baku, eater of (bad) dreams. Does anyone know what the little mythical monster on the kurikata, munching on the sageo is called? When you think of it this is quite a whymsical mounting. One creature that eats bad dreams and another that eats sageo cords. :D I wonder if that was intentional by the kanagushi??? Quote
Lance Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 A nice find indeed. Does anyone know what the little mythical monster on the kurikata, munching on the sageo is called? When you think of it this is quite a whymsical mounting. One creature that eats bad dreams and another that eats sageo cords. :D I wonder if that was intentional by the kanagushi??? maybe an Oni? http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/MAEDATE2.htm Regards, Lance Quote
Thierry BERNARD Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 A nice find indeed. The kashira on your sword looks to be a Baku, eater of (bad) dreams. Does anyone know what the little mythical monster on the kurikata, munching on the sageo is called? When you think of it this is quite a whymsical mounting. One creature that eats bad dreams and another that eats sageo cords. :D I wonder if that was intentional by the kanagushi??? viewtopic.php?f=2&t=915&hilit=oni Quote
sanjuro Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 A sageo munching Oni then...... Thanks Lance and Thierry. :D Quote
Ken-Hawaii Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Yup, definitely a baku, Nick. I also have a tanto with a baku as the kashira. Very cool-looking critters! Ken Quote
IanB Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 The beastie on the kurigata is indeed an oni, the whole representing a roof tile. Ian Bottomley Quote
Robert Mormile Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Indeed. Here is one I snapped in Kyoto a couple months ago. Robert Quote
cabowen Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Since opinions were asked for, I think it is a very nice Bakumatsu koshirae but personally, I don't find the workmanship to be as impressive as others I have seen from this period... Quote
raven2 Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 I think it is a very nice find :D Quote
Peter Bleed Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 I agree with everybody. This is a nice find and a collectible sword. But I also think the work is - well - workmanlike. And stylistically, it is a show-off "carry piece" that had to impress people as the owner walked through town. If this guy had been a cowboy he would have had pearl handles on his Colt. Well, no, he probably would have carried a Smith or a Harrington-Richards Peter Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 It looks very Chinese in appearance somehow Like it ! KM Quote
benatthelake Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Nick: Let us know if and when you decide to put this one up for sale. Will be interesting to see how you price this package as the Koshirae itself is wonderful. I'm sure you'll provide close ups and more blade detail should you decide to let it go. Very nice "find." Care to share how you found this? Best regards. Ben M. Quote
Tcat Posted December 15, 2013 Report Posted December 15, 2013 Any chance of some more detailed shots of the blade? Best, Quote
Nickupero Posted December 16, 2013 Author Report Posted December 16, 2013 Many thanks for all the feedback and pictures, the post was to get opinions so the positive or negative ones were all appreciated. Keith, I had a good laugh, so far I've went through 3 sageo, the Oni is a hungry little fellow :lol: Ben, I picked it up during my last trip in Japan (were I get all my items). I like to buy the Japanese rail pass and explore, real convenient with the Shinkansen, discovered a few little spots . Sometimes I get lucky with finds like this but not always...Finding an item like this from a Japanese dealer means it will most likely be marked up far too high to make a profit. It will be going up for sale in the near future, we can communicate directly for prices. etc (if you or another member wanted to pursue something a donation will be honoured). Sorry Alex, was intending to show the blade soon, have not yet got around to taking pictures / scanning it. Should have them by tomorrow. Quote
chrstphr Posted December 16, 2013 Report Posted December 16, 2013 pity all the silver has been cleaned/polished. But overall a very nice find. Chris Quote
Nickupero Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Posted December 17, 2013 Its actually the friction points that appear like they were polished, need to see it in hand to understand what exactly I mean. Here are the extra pictures that I promised, both of the blade and a few more of the Koshirae. I did them on a black background, the silver seems to come out more naturally. You can see a few surface flaws, nothing fatal, a nice long koto piece. Enjoy! Quote
Nickupero Posted December 17, 2013 Author Report Posted December 17, 2013 And one of the little Oni.... Quote
chrstphr Posted December 17, 2013 Report Posted December 17, 2013 I have silver mounts in a koshirae that have a gray patina covering all the silver so no silver shows. they do not appear silver. Your mounts show a lot of silver and no patina. which is why i said they were cleaned. you can see the patina that was on your mounts in the line of the sayajiri. Its a dark gray. none the less a very nice blade and koshirae. Chris Quote
ROKUJURO Posted December 17, 2013 Report Posted December 17, 2013 Nick, there is a tiny thing that I want to ask: the KASHIRA seems to have been worked on. If I am right with my observation, there are holes in the sides of the KASHIRA where normally the TSUKA-ITO would have gone through the SHITODOME. Now these slots are closed by decorative silver covers. I wonder whether this change took place when the TSUKA-ITO was changed one day or whether the KASHIRA had served on another TSUKA before. Quote
John A Stuart Posted December 17, 2013 Report Posted December 17, 2013 That is a traditional style of mounting for that type of tsuka. John Quote
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