Looking For Kamakura/muromachi Period Tosogu

[barnejp]

Hi Everyone,

 

Looking for Kamakura/Muromachi Period tosogu, koshirae.

 

Best regards,

Greg

[Marius]

Hi Greg,

 

You would be very very lucky to find a Kamakura or even Muromachi koshirae. They are usually to be found in shrines, museums or top Japanese collections (which us mortals don't get to see). With tosogu, you can find early tsuba, but they can be quite expensive, depending on age, condition, provenance and - this never ceases to astonish me - size.

 

If you were indeed interested in tsuba, "ko-kinko" (a grab bag category for soft metal tsuba) can be found at affordable prices (for as little as a few hundred bucks). They are mostly simple affairs and utterly utilitarian, but they can be beautiful in their simplicity, especially if there have remnants of old lacquer and if patina hasen't been tampered with. 

 

I myself own a Momoyama o-tanto koshirae, a few early tsuba and two pairs of early menuki. None of these are cheap, I am afraid. Other members have some early tsuba, too. If you narrow down your request to tsuba, you will certainly be offered some interesting items.

[Ray Singer]

Here's a nice Momoyama koshirae that I would be happy to own.

 

https://www.seiyudo.com/ta-050318.htm#movepoint1

 

Also, for reference sharing photos of a koshirae which Fred Weissberg offered for sale on FB. I believe this one has already sold.

 

"I just posted an unusual item to Nihonto.com. It is a wakizashi koshirae from the Tenbun Era (1532). It is very rare to find an old koshirae like this one that was used by an "average" Samurai. Most were destroyed or lost over the years. Studying this koshirae will give you a feeling of the functional type of koshirae that was carried when the civil wars were at their zenith. This koshirae is looking to be adopted into a new loving family. Please have a look.

Thanks, Fred"

 

* credit nihonto.com

 

Unfortunately photos are not archived for this one.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080313215326/http://www.nihonto.com:80/jidaikoshirae.html

 

Another reference example (an early tsuka): 

http://www.nihonto.us/HIDARI%20KANEYASU%20KATANA.htm

[Pete Klein]

Anything for you, Ray:

 

[Ray Singer]

Beautiful examples, thank you Pete.

[Pete Klein]

PS:  Those are the pics from the IA Nihonto.com link above.

[barnejp]

Thanks everyone for your help and input.

 

Best regards,

Greg

[Tim Evans]

As mentioned above, jidai koshirae are rare. A place to start the hunt is to get some detail information on what to look for, which means books. Here are some suggested books:

 

Uchigatana no Koshirae by Ogasawara, Nobuo - Hardcover Tokyo National museum exhibition catalog. Brief English descriptions but mostly Japanese. There is also a smaller softcover version  with some different images  http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b600-uchigatana-koshirae-tokyo-national-museum.

 

Nihonto Koshirae by Suzuki. - Also some brief English descriptions but mostly Japanese  http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b1018-nihonto-no-koshirae

 

Zukan Toso no Subete by Okubo, Kenichi

 

Bushi no Issho: Sukashi Tsuba by The Sanno Museum    http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b513-bushi-no-issho-sukashi-tsuba-sanno-museum

 

 

P.S.

 

I have no business relationship with Mr. Doffin. I do recommend him as a source for books.