Christies and Bonhams sales in London

[paulb]

I have just got back from spending an excellent day looking at a number of swords in both Bonhams and Christies forthcoming sale. it was an unforgetable experience. I went to look at 7 swords in the Christies sale and 3 in the Bonhams. I have to say that while some were frankly dissappointing the others were absolutely incredible. The highlights for me were:

1. Go Yoshihiro Tokubetsu Juyo. An incredible blade. You could spend years looking at and still find actvitiy you had missed.

2 Ichimonji Tachi Juyo- exactly what you would expect to see lively choji hamon, beautiful shape and in great condition.

3. Rai Kunimitsu Juyo an incredibly large and heavy blade (I guessed more than 8mm thick) and virtually untouched in its 600+ years history (other than being shortenned) The hada was as fresh as the day it was first polished and the shape was the robust nambokucho sugata you would expect from this period. An incredible thing.

4. Awataguchi Tachi Tokubetsu Juyo. This is truely difficult to describe. The clarity of the steel, the depth of colour the hada and the shape were all quiet, understated and exquisit. I confess that looking at this blade was as near to a spiritual experience as a certain middle aged agnostic has ever come.

there were also 2 awatagichi tanto one signed Yoshimitsu which came from the Compton collection and a Yukimtsu Tachi with beautiful hada.

There was as is often the case with both these auction houses some wide ranging and incosistant estimates on some of these pieces. It will be interesting to see where the sales take them. Whoever is fortunate enough to take any of the above mentioned blades away will have an incredible example of the swordsmiths art.

regards

Paulb