Japanese Sword Collection - Thomas Del Mar Ltd - 27Th June 2018

[Ken-Hawaii]

http://www.thomasdelmar.com/Catalogues/as270618/index.html

 

A few interesting blades.

 

PDF catalog here, http://issuu.com/jammdesign/docs/tdm021_june2018_medres?e=1975639/62106026, but no obvious way to download it.

[Curran]

Indeed some interesting things in there, and estimates that seem low.

There is a koshirae in there that I wish I could see in person. There are also a few non Japanese items of interest to me.

[vajo]

Wow so much nice pieces.

[AndyMcK]

Anyone from UK or GB attending? I am seriously thinking of participating, quite a lot of blades there.

 

-Antti

[Jussi Ekholm]

I guess I know my own preferences by now. 67. Masamitsu, 69. Kageyori and 2. Akihiro. Those would be my 3 to keep an eye for but unfortunately I won't be buying anything for a long while. Still even with the 24% premium added to prices I'd agree with Curran that some estimates seem to be on the lower end of scale. Of course it is impossible to judge the condition on the single picture provided.

[John A Stuart]

I want it all. Come on lottery. John

[Vermithrax16]

Poor pics are not enough to get me to buy a sword, but #3, if that's all silver fittings (tsuba, o seppa, etc) I would be interested.

[Kronos]

I'm planning on going if only to look. The estimates are low but if it's found it's way onto NMB then I imagine there won't be any bargains to be had. Was kinda hoping it'd fly under the radar as the catalogue isn't on any of the online auctioneers and I've had a few good deals from here before.

[Surfson]

James, pictures are not good enough to buy without holding those swords in hand and being able to closely inspect them.  The prices are off by up to ten fold too low, I imagine.  You might get lucky if you go there, and if I was anywhere near there, I would go.  

[Gakusee]

One needs to be aware of gimei swords. Let us just say that I have seen some of the items being auctioned. So buyer beware.

Of course, most of the estimates are low but people need to be selective.

[Surfson]

I agree Michael.  Some collectors are just a magnet for gimei swords, so when you see a couple gimei in a collection, you tend to see many.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Sadakatsu in Kyu Gunto mounts is the highlight for me.

[Kronos]

Agreed Michael, the few that are papered would of been my first interest and that always begs the question of if someone has a collection with only a few papered (recently at that) then why are the rest not?

[Ken-Hawaii]

James, in many cases, I depend on my own knowledge & experience to buy an unpapered blade. The few of those that I submitted to shinsa all passed.

[Surfson]

I'm with Jussi - I like the Kageyori, at least based on the photos.

[Surfson]

And the Masamitsu, though it has Tokubetsu Kicho......

[Ray Singer]

Apologies if I am stating the obvious, but there are no ubu signed and dated Soshu Akihiro. The mei and nengo should be viewed with great skepticism.

 

Best regards,

Ray

[Surfson]

Ray, I'm not wild about the shape of the nakago on that blade as well.  It doesn't have a strong soshu feel to it, though the photos are distant with no details. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here are few thoughts that may or may not be bit negative and are just some thoughts nothing to be taken too seriously.

 

Would be nice to get to see Token GB appraisal of the Akihiro and actually see the sword too. The shape is not really strong tachi shape and it could be just a regular katana with gimei. I can't zoom in the picture to see nakago & ana well enough. There are some late tachi from early Muromachi that are quite short and quite straight. So based on that one picture I wouldn't even guess if it is tachi or katana.

 

As for Kageyori I'm quite positive it would have been "shinsaed", as because signed authenticated tachi by Kageyori are worth a lot. I have prices for 3 signed tachi and asking prices for them ranged from 3,5M Yen to 8M Yen. Signed legitimate Kageyori would by my logic go for Jūyō. Granted I don't fully grasp the Japanese fascination for rivalries etc. other technicalities when going for top tier "beauty pageants" but I'd think historical value of signed Ko-Bizen tachi would be enough.  I am a sucker for nicely curved tachi so in overall it looks nice by shape even if it would be gimei.

 

I see Masamitsu as the most interesting of the 3 I listed above. One major factor being that it might be possible for me to have a Masamitsu in collection in my lifetime where as Kageyori and Akihiro are out of my league. Masamitsu has lots of blades attributed to him so getting a small database together is easier. Unfortunately I have only 1 signed tachi for 5M yen and 1 signed wakizashi for 1M yen. Plus 9 mumei katana & naoshi ranging from 1,2M yen to 5,5M yen.

    Then on to the speculative part of the sword. As was stated the sword has old papers, and it would only be logical to apply new NBTHK papers for authentication as well signed legitimate Masamitsu tachi are quite valuable. Plus given how many mumei Jūyō swords attributed to him there are I would again think that signed tachi by him would logically be easily on a course to Jūyō. However the tricky part is here as the sword has new NTHK papers. I know that NTHK shinsa guys know more than I ever will and they have judged the signature. I personally like NTHK authentications and I hope I do not get too much flak saying out loud that I think NBTHK papers are just financially superior in the market. In general you don't see too many expensive swords with NTHK papers in the market. In general I feel that with Hozon authentication the starting price/estimate for this tachi would be totally different from the 2,5-3k£'s. The question in my mind is, has this been already sent for Hozon and NBTHK didn't agree with the signature? This one is really interesting and I'd really like to see this one.

[vajo]

I like the Oni Tsuba ????

[Guido]

Masamitsu has lots of blades attributed to him so getting a small database together is easier. Unfortunately I have only 1 signed tachi for 5M yen and 1 signed wakizashi for 1M yen. Plus 9 mumei katana & naoshi ranging from 1,2M yen to 5,5M yen.

 

For your database : last year Ginza Chōshūya sold a signed and dated, slightly suriage Masamitsu tachi (jūyō) for 6.8 million Yen. I saw another one (ō-suriage mumei, jūyō) for 2.5 million.

[Ed]

As far as the low estimates, pure marketing ploy.  Bait, hoping to draw you in.

[Baka Gaijin]

Many of the items in the sale are from the collections of senior (in age group) members of the To-Ken Society of Great Britain.

 

Also just keep clicking on the image in the online catalogue and they get a bit bigger.

 

Alternatively use this portal and keep clicking, gets it way bigger:

 

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/thomas-del-mar-ltd/catalogue-id-srthomasd10012/lot-50fb0c2d-2f88-4054-8f89-a8f901103e27

 

 

PS...

 

Hi Ed, low estimates as a pure marketing ploy?

 

I have never heard of such a thing...................................................          

[Ken-Hawaii]

There are lots of fishies out there!

 

Is anyone going to attend this auction? Photos (high-res) would be greatly appreciated!

[Guest Rayhan]

https://www.aoijapan.net/katana-mei-signature-is-kageyori/

 

Lot 69...where did the juyo papers go?

[mywei]

I got sent some detailed photos of the Kageyori - its got a Tanobe sayagaki stating Juyo token.

 

Not sure whats happened to the papers but

[Jussi Ekholm]

Nice find Rayhan, so my babbling above wasn't all that crazy as seems it is already Jūyō.

[Guest Rayhan]

Yes Jussi,good eye there on your part.

[Surfson]

Is there any way to determine when that sword was sold by Aoi?  The order number is 12577 and the latest ones are in the 17000 range. 

[Guest Rayhan]

The numbers in Aoi correspond to tge year sold so 12577 was a 2012 sale