hxv Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Greetings, I have a sword that has taken me a long while to appreciate. On the surface, it's not flashy and is unassuming. It has take me a lot of hours, a magnifying glass, and macro photos to appreciate it. Part of the problem is that the sword is difficult to photograph. I have a couple pictures of the monouchi on both sides, and this is the easy part. The tough part is getting a good representation of the ji. I have tried my best with two pictures. If you don't look carefully, you will miss the evenly applied ji nie (see 3rd picture form the top, Ji_1.jpg) as the nie particles are relatively small and are not in-your-face. In fact the 3rd picture is a close up of a small area of the 4th picture, and looking at the 4th picture, one would easily miss the nie. The entire ji, over the length of the sword on both sides, sparkles when one views it, but it's very difficult to pinpoint why the ji sparkles. This point perplexes me for a long time until I discovers all of the ji nie that I missed. This was a big "ah ha" moment that I would like to share with you. Now, I understand the term "wet steel." Regards, Hoanh Quote
paulb Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Hi Hoanh I sympathise with your challenge. Often I have found I need to get my eye focussed in to a particular blade before seeing any of the detail. Often when there is a rich covering of very fine ji-nie it can be lost until you just catch it in the right light. I think I have mentioned previously spending many hours trying to understand a particular blade until suddenly wham! it is as if someone lifted a cover and exposed the detail. Often the swords where this happens are well worth the effort. What do you know about this sword? The strong nie guchi I think should be a good indicator for potential schools and in combination with what looks like very tight itame hada should narrow down the choices. congratulations it looks to be an interesting work Quote
Jean Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Paul, That's why probably some of us have spectacles Quote
Marius Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Intriguing. Ara-nie in the monouchi - as a whole they seems very "uncontrolled". Looks like a nijuba with hotsure, tending to yubashiri... But those ara-nie, they look out of place here. Maybe it is just the picture/Lighting, as on some pics it looks like covered in ji-nie. My speculation would be Yamato or Mino, depite the lack of some Mino give-aways. My first reaction - shinshinto at most, likely even younger, someone trying to recreate a good Yamato. More pics, please This is interesting Quote
paulb Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Mariusz what do you see that gives you a first reaction as shin-Shinto? My first take was Shizu (late koto) or possibly Satsuma (late Shinto) because of the Ara nie. However there are few other indicators for that school in the images. Hada does not look Shin-Shinto to me but as Jean intimates maybe I need to change my glasses Quote
Marius Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Paul, the nioiguchi seems very inconsistent (goes from rather tight to frayed) for older work. Maybe it is the photography/lighting... The hada, well.. yes, seems to have nagare or even masame, rare in shinshinto. Wet steel - to be honest, I don't quite know what to do with these terms, given how much nugi impacts the looks... Quote
paulb Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 much like colour in steel I find the "wetness" description difficult. I have talked myself in to thinking I have seen it in a number of really good older blades but I think I may be fooling myself in to thinking I can see it because I know the description is used in references. I see what you mean about the inconsistency but have seen similar in Shizu and Aoe work from the late kamakura and Nambokucho periods I would certainly like to see more of the sword too Best Regards paul Quote
Marius Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Well, I'd say Yamato with nijuba tending to yubashiri, hotsure and ara-nie! (now, that is Soshu!) Honestly, no idea, but I tend to say it is a Yamato offshoot, late Muromachi. What is the attribution? Quote
Jean Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Marius, A few Shin shinto smiths have tried Masame, Masahide, Kiyondo .... It seems that's almost all smiths one day or the other have tried this "exercice de style". Quote
Brian Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 I understand the "wet look" that a perfect polish and great steel can show, having seen it a few times in Japan, and having lusted after it ever since. It is like someone has put a layer of oil over the blade, even when it is dry. The surface shimmers like a lake at dusk. Has to be seen to be appreciated. Sometimes Darcy's photos capture it well. After that, nothing short of a great polish will suffice. And I do not think it is just nugui. Brian Quote
hxv Posted October 9, 2014 Author Report Posted October 9, 2014 Gentlemen, Thank you so much for your comments. I left out the nakago so as not to bias your thinking/comments. Marius mentioned Soshu influence The sword is signed Izumi (no) Kami Kunisada (Inoue Shinkai's father), no date, and has Tokubetsu Hozon confirming the mei. The shape is stubby, somewhat short (25" nagasa), short nakago (like an uchigatana's nakago). The mei doesn't have "Fujiwara" like most of his mei, and given the shape & length of the sword, it's been placed in the early part of his career right after he receives his Izumi no Kami title (very early Shinto). As I said previously, it's a very unassuming sword until one looks carefully. Regards, Hoanh Quote
Peter Bleed Posted October 9, 2014 Report Posted October 9, 2014 Hoanh Thank you for a wonderful thread. It was very informative. I read it with interest. I respect your assessment that some worthy swords are "difficult to appreciate." That description and the images you presented brought to mind a sword in my collection that I happen to have been looking at last night. Clearly not bad - mebbe even good - but never easy for me to appreciate - even after the blade with its suriage nakago signed by the the fellow who clipped it off was polished and shinsa'd to Kunisada! Maybe there are good smiths who are just hard to appreciate. Peter Quote
hxv Posted October 9, 2014 Author Report Posted October 9, 2014 Peter, Thank you for relating your experience. I found a mumei wakizashi on ricecracker.com attributed to Kunisada http://www.ricecracker.com/japanese_swo ... hi/sw3.htm. Their photography is wonderful, as I know how hard it is to capture the jigane. I would be very interested to see pictures of your sword, if you don't mind. Regards, Hoanh Quote
Guido Posted October 10, 2014 Report Posted October 10, 2014 Brian said: It is like someone has put a layer of oil over the blade, even when it is dry.Excellent description! I'm surprised you actually paid attention, I was under the impression you were eating sushi all the time ... Quote
Marius Posted October 10, 2014 Report Posted October 10, 2014 Brian said: And I do not think it is just nugui. Ah, yes, sorry. I made a mental shortcut from "wet" to "dark". Speaking of this "wetness" - isn't it so that swords with loads of ji-nie have this look? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.