koshirae submission/ kantei-sho

[Chinook]

Hello Folks, I would like some opinions please. I wave a papered wakizashi and I am planning on submitting the koshirae for possibly kantei-sho. My question is I do not feel that the kozuga fits the suite; Should I just leave it out? I have had good luck in having two katana koshirae recieve kantei-sho in past years but neither of them even had a pocket for a kozuga, therefore it was not a issue. Thank you and good luck, Mark P.

[Soshin]

Hi Mark P.,

 

In what way do feel that the kozuka does not fit the koshirae? Can we have some photos? Is the kozuka signed? If so can you guarantee the signature is authentic? All fittings in a koshirae with a signature must be authentic or be unsigned for koshirae to pass. If the submission is to the NTHK they also need to be antique. If the submission is to the NBTHK the fittings must be made by artists no longer living.

[Guido]

All fittings in a koshirae with a signature must be authentic or be unsigned for koshirae to pass.

One would reasonably think so, but surprisingly even koshirae with gimei fittings do occasionally receive papers as long as they are obviously original to the koshirae. In that case the papers don't say "mei: xxx" but "xxx mei ga aru" (or something along those lines).

[Baka Gaijin]

Hi Guido

 

xxx mei ga aru meaning something like a signature is there.......similar interpretation as the auction term "bearing a signature"?

 

Cheers

[Guido]

.......similar interpretation as the auction term "bearing a signature"?

Yes, something like that.

[Soshin]

Hi Guido S.,

 

Thanks for the information. Learn something new every day. Been pondering over the auction of a set of gimei menuki on ePrey. Love the design and workmanship is good. The only problem the signature is all wrong. The NBTHK would paper the menuki if they were in a tsuka as the back plates would not be visible and the NBTHK will not take apart a tsuka to tell.

[Chinook]

Hello folks, I will try to anwser some questions: I think that all of the fittings on this koshirae are machibori made in the late Edo period. I am not sure of the tsuba for it has papers of it's own attribution to "Akasaka". My reason for thinking that the kozuka is out of suite is becouse it has a theme of travelers in a boat with a nanko surface; whereas the F&K have a theme of grazing deer on a ishime surface. The whole thing just rings out iroiro-koshirae to me. I guess my next question is: Will the NTHK consider a koshirae as a suite with a misssing kozuka? Thank You and good luck. Mark P.

[Soshin]

Hi Mark P.,

 

I see what you mean the kozuka does look a bit out of place. It reminds me of shiremono work circa the Meiji Period. I noticed the kogatana is signed so be careful as many kogatana are signed with gimei which may or may not be a problem. I think if the kozuka and kogatana was left out they would still paper the koshirae but I don't know for sure. Trying to find a quality replacement might be a good idea. I would personally find this type of search kind of fun. I did that with a koshirae in terms of its tsuba and was successful until some purchased the complete koshirae out from under men at at a Japanese sword show. It was the first sale of the show for me. :lol:

 

P.S. The tsuba looks like a good mid to late generation Akasaka school piece.