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Achieved Collection - Gokaden

Jean

By Jean
in Nihonto

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Jean

Jean

Posted
Posted

About 7/8 years ago, i said on the board I was going to sell my Nihonto collection and upgrade it to gather a Gokaden one. At least achieved, Here it is from top to bottom:

- Bizen Den: ubu nijimei beginning of Oei Yasumitsu, early Kamakura sugata, suguha
- Soshu Den: Tametsugu, son of Go Yoshihiro and Norishige Student
- Mino Den: Naoe Shizu
- Yamato Den : according Honma Junji/Tanobe sensei: Hosho, according to NBTHK, Tegai Kanekiyo, son of Kanenaga
- Yamashiro : Ryokai

 

IMG_0238.JPG

  • Like 16
b.hennick Grand Master

b.hennick

Posted
Posted

It looks like we all need to travel to Paris to see great swords! The jihada photos are wonderful. I too think that it is probably Hosho. There is too much masame for it not to be. Great achievement! Merci bien mon ami!

DirkO Mentor

DirkO

Posted
Posted

Pertinent question - where do you go from here as a collector? Stop collecting alltogether? Try to improve the Gokaden? Start with tsuba? No more thrill of the chase for you, Jean?

paulb Grand Master

paulb

Posted
Posted

Congratulations Jean I know the amount of effort you have put in to achieving this goal and the end result is a testament to that effort. They are not only excellent representatives of their tradition but also beautiful works of art.

I hope to have the chance to see them one day

Best regards

Paul

Jean

Jean

Posted
  • Author
Posted

James,

 

We are talking about Daito, all these swords are Juyo or Juyo level.

 

Naoe Shizu: easy for Mino, few if not any quality Muromachi Mino swords available in the market. Naoe Shizu is what is the closest to Shizu.

 

Tametsugu: it was the only Soshu den daito available when I was looking for a Soshu den sword. This one was subject of the first kantei of NBTHK AB

 

Yasumitsu: I was not convinced by the Bizen swords available or the best ones were out of reach. Then I saw this one at Ginza Choshuya swordshop. The only chance to have one of the best smiths of the period. Signed, with the most wonderful sugata I have seen, early Kamakura with the cutest ko kissaki. Same sugata as some Ko Bizen swords I have held.

 

Yamato: no problem as 95% are unsigned. Difficult to find one of good quality. This one was on a printed list, a consignement sword held by Robert Hughes during a DTI. No paper, two sayagaki, only able to decipher Yamato. The blade was of an outstanding quality and the price very low. I jumped on it and passed through shinsa where it was kanteied as Tegai Kanekiyo instead of Hosho. The rating of the smith or the school is Jo saku, the blade is Jo Jo level at least and Juyo level according to several dealers who have seen it.

 

Yamashiro: Ryokai, the quality is at its best and the price much lower than its equivalent with a smith name beginning by Rai :) and I did right according to Tanobe sensei sayagaki. The blade is fantastic, deep sori with a fantastic hada, much more interesting than the refined one I have seen on some Rai school.

 

Took me ten years to achieve this goal, now my collecting period is finished. I will display them in October at our next sword meeting in Paris.

Of course NMB members are welcome to pay me a visit if they are passing through Paris. :)

  • Like 1
Jean

Jean

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Dirk,

 

For me no more chase, I have finished collecting. I am no more in the market. I had considered at one moment selling this collection and collect the Yamato Gokaden (Hosho, Tegai, Shikakke, Senjuin, Taima), but too much hassle. :)

Ed Veteran

Ed

Posted
Posted

:clap:  :clap:  Congratulations my friend :clap:  :clap:    Your focus, dedication and perseverance has paid off, and now you have a wonderful collection of swords anyone would be proud to own.

You have set a great example for other collectors as to what can be accomplished when one stays focused on his goals.  :beer:

Jean

Jean

Posted
  • Author
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Thanks to All for your kind comments.

 

In fact collecting Nihonto for the sake of collecting did not appeal to me. Every collector must have a goal. A collection must have a theme. Apart Nihonto, I collect kogatana forged by Mino smiths around 1680 AD, I have only three of them at the time being but worth the search

  • Like 1
Travis Clarke Collaborator

Travis Clarke

Posted
Posted

Beautiful collection, Jean! You should be proud.

 

I used to travel through Paris quite a bit a few years ago when I was working in west Africa. If I'm ever out that way again I'll shoot you a mail.

 

Thank you for sharing!

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