Help From Brazil

[opaolo]

Dear friends,

 

It is a pleasure to enter this unknown world! I got here by advice of some friends that collect antiquities like me.

I recently received an offer to exchage one of my Ushabti and a cuneiform tablet for a (supposably) ancient japaneses sword. The other guy claims it was bought from a Japanese immigrant family (Brazil is the largest Japanese community outside Japan), and that is a couple of centuries old..

I do like it, seems very elegant to me, but is not my area of knowledge (if I do have any in antiquities). I know nothing about it!

I took some pictures of it and would really appreciate if any of the weapons experts could give me a clue on time and value of this piece.

 

I thank you all in advance,

 

Paolo

[John A Stuart]

What's this 富田 Tomita 正二 Masatsugu ?? John

[Brian]

That "hada"...

I don't get a good feeling about this. Also, the positioning of the machi. I would be wary. Need more pics. Point especially.

[b.hennick]

I agree that the hada (grain) looks to be Chinese. The machi (notches that mark the end of the blade section and start of the tang section) do not line up.  There is a significant kizu (flaw) under the habaki (collar).

[wbt]

Possibly locally made in Brazil. I am located in São Paulo, I will send you a PM with my contact information.

Regards

Brent

[SteveM]

正二 or possibly Shōji?

[Ron STL]

This would appear to read: Takada Masani or Shoji? Whatever, the forging is wild and if authentic, certainly blacksmith forging. I would think your cuneiform tablet and ushabti, if authentic, would have much more valuable (desirable) than this badly abused and questionable sword. If you desire an honest centuries old representative Japanese sword, they are available at a reasonable price. If you wish to venture into more quality, of course the price goes up. Wall-hanger vs a sword to study and learn from.

 

Interesting that you mention the number of Japanese living in Brazil. Some 30 years ago I was contacted by somebody in Brazil, encouraging me to look into advertising for swords in Brazil, because of the large Japanese population there. I never did pursue this suggestion, reading of swords being used for cutting sugar cane and the unlikely probability any of these swords being worth wanting.

 

Ron STL

[Greg F]

Hi Paolo, Maybe some more pics will help members to get more of an idea. Was there any mountings (koshirae) if yes some pics would be good. Cheers.

 

Greg

[SteveM]

This would appear to read: Takada Masani or Shoji?

 

I think Tomita, as John mentioned in his post above.

[ROKUJURO]

'Damascus' HADA, thin brass HABAKI, MUNE MACHI and HA MACHI not on the same level, KISSAKI shape doubtful, NAKAGO JIRI not in one of the traditional shapes, MEI chiselled questionably - to me this looks like an 'artificially aged' (= rusted) fake.   

[Newbflat]

Just some guessing from a beginner but my flags are....The perfect even rusting on the Nagako. That red active rust just seems suspiciously even down in every nook and cranny and the same rusting in the Machine drilled MAKUGI ANA. That's a lot of "old" rust on that NAGAKO to have such smooth sided holes and the same fresh? rust as the NAGAKO's nooks and cranny's. The JIHADA looks acid etched. No stone polishing I'm familure with is going to give that kind of relief. Those two things alone raise a red flag for me.

 

 

 

Bill