Ron STL Posted September 11, 2015 Report Posted September 11, 2015 This is a beautifully mounted wakizashi that I've had since the 1970s. I've never been able to come up with a specific name for this style of koshirae. Maybe there is no specific name for this, but thought I'd throw out my question and see what happens. The sword by the way is by Bingo Kunitsugu - signed: Yamashiro Daijo Kunitsugu, Bingo kuni Fukuyama ju nin. Has an unsigned, undated kinzogan cutting test: do futatsu kasane saidan. An oshigata of the sword is in the old 1979 Chicago Meibutsu Catalogue. A similar koshirae (maybe?) is called kobusho in Kajihara's glossery, but...I've no clue what that translates to. Any comments are always helpful. Ron STL Quote
jason_mazzy Posted September 11, 2015 Report Posted September 11, 2015 wow.... reminds me of aikuchi but modified Quote
SteveM Posted September 12, 2015 Report Posted September 12, 2015 A kind of fue-maki (笛巻), I think. Very nice. Here's another example. http://www.finesword.co.jp/sale/touken/htm/0704/169/wakizasi_kosirae.htm Quote
Guido Posted September 12, 2015 Report Posted September 12, 2015 I fit wasn't for the square sayajiri, I'd say toppei-koshirae without hesitation, especially because of the smallish tsuba and katatemaki tsuka (which seems to be kujira-hige 鯨髭, baleen). Kōbusho 講武所 (a late Edo period military school for hatamoto and gokenin) is another possibility, but usually the tsuba is larger, and the sayajiri looks almost like the kashira. Both types are from the bakumatsu period, and that's where I firmly place this koshirae. Ron, do you think it's possible that the saya has been shortened? Steve is right, the saya lacquer is called fuemaki-nuri (since the banded lacquer resembles a traditional Japanese flute, fue). Because of the (missing?) sayajiri, I'm playing it save, and call it a chairo fuemaki-nuri-saya wakizashi koshirae 茶色笛巻塗鞘脇差拵. P.S.: I think this fine koshirae deserves a nicer mekugi … 1 Quote
uwe Posted September 12, 2015 Report Posted September 12, 2015 Ron, Guido, on Toppai-koshirae usually the tsuka tapers towards the kashira?! In this case the kashira seems to come from a Kobusho-koshirae and the small tsuba maybe Yagyu-style. On the other hand the shape of the tsuka reminds me of Tensho or Higo......a Hybrid? Quote
Ron STL Posted September 12, 2015 Author Report Posted September 12, 2015 Thanks for your thoughts on this koshirae. I've never really studied the different styles of koshirae other than simply looking at photos in the books. Meanwhile, I've attached four more photos that show a little more detail of the fittings and tsuka. Photography is certainly not the best; I've been having problems with my camera settings and need to resolve those. The fuchi is signed: Tokinori, most likely Haynes H09745.0 from what I can determine. The kashira is as you see. Visually, all of the tsuka fitting look good together but I'm not so sure fuchi and kashira are a true set. The tsuba is fitted with two large (lacquered black) seppa which were one affixed to either side of the tsuba so only the tsuba's carved rim showed. Beautifully made habaki of Goto (or is it Gassan) style. As for that rather crude horn mekugi, that was my first attempt at making a horn mekugi back when I first bought the sword. Yes, it looks terrible! Also, the saya was not shortened. It one had a horn Jiri glued in place; the glue remains in patches on the saya. Another thing I have wanted to do is have that replaced, but here it is 40 years later... Perhaps this discussion will get me to finally have these two minor repairs taken care of. Sadly, the owner had this and another sword stored in a window box and is suspected that piece may still be laying in that box today! By the way, the owner's husband bought this sword in Japan after the war from a sword shop. Not shown are a Kaga "checker pattern" waribashi and a quality kozuka. A couple months ago I made the kozuka a topic under Tosogu. Maker was a Showa-era maker. Ron STL 3 Quote
seattle1 Posted September 12, 2015 Report Posted September 12, 2015 Hello: The term "aikuchi" refers to a mounting of any length which has no tsuba. Arnold F. 1 Quote
Guido Posted September 13, 2015 Report Posted September 13, 2015 I missed in the first set of pictures that's it a yuigata 結形 kashira, so it's not kōbusho, which would have kind of downscaled handachi kashira and sayajiri. I also didn't see that the sayajiri is completely missing, leaving us without one important clue (was it really horn? And if so, was it original to the koshirae?). I therefore stick with my non-committal description. 1 Quote
Guido Posted September 13, 2015 Report Posted September 13, 2015 Btw, the habaki is a (koshi) yūjō habaki (腰) 祐乗鎺 – no relation to Gotō Yūjō, 後藤祐乗, just the same kanji. Quote
uwe Posted September 13, 2015 Report Posted September 13, 2015 Original mounted swords of a special typ are for sure very rare to find. Most swords are remounted somewhere or the koshirae has been modified (....even perhaps by recent collectors...). Although not 100% agreeing with Guido, I'm after all happy with his description! Uwe Quote
Guido Posted September 13, 2015 Report Posted September 13, 2015 On 9/13/2015 at 8:46 AM, uwe said: Most swords are remounted somewhere or the koshirae has been modified (....even perhaps by recent collectors...). Yes, unfortunately - gets my blood boiling! One of the most outrageous and non-sensical examples is a sword with koshirae I sold in 2006. When I saw it again in 2013, someone had swapped the original, perfectly fitting tsuba. Before and after : 2 Quote
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