Information On Tachi Menuki In Custom Fitted Box

[Yoshimichi]

Dear NMB Members:

 

I just acquired this set of tachi menuki from a private collector who purchased them in the late seventies- early eighties in Japan. These have been in this particular collection since then. They were acquired on a group trip over to Japan with John Yumoto. The nakago has a two character mei, that the collector was told is "Yukishira" or "Yukihira." These are in really excellent condition. Can anyone tell me the school, whether these are rare as John Yumoto indicated, or anything about this fittings artist? Thanks in advance for your help. I apologize for the less than clear cellphone photos.

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan (Yoshimichi). 

[Yoshimichi]

Here is a picture of the information written on the inside of the lid of the fitting's box.

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan (Yoshimichi) 

[Ray Singer]

I would think that the menuki are intended to be a copy of a Bungo Yukihira tachi. I have seen a number of menuki done in the tachi koshirae motif, but not with the detail / quality of these and not with the blade itself featured.

[Curran]

Kyo-kakagushi  (Kyoto made).

 

This is a decent set of better workmanship. I don't know what to say as to rare vs uncommon.

It is a design and workmanship you won't see very often. On a good day it might Tokubetsu Hozon, but I would probably just stop at Hozon if I were to paper them.

 

I agree with Raymond that the 'Yukihira' is more part of the design as a reference than it is the signature of the artist making them.

[Peter Bleed]

I think they're darn nice.

P

[Yoshimichi]

Dear Gentlemen:

 

Thanks so much for the great feed back on these menuki. The quality of these menuki is indeed above average when seen up close, and not through my less than clear photos.  The collector I purchased these from  tended to only purchase fairly pristine and high grade Tosogu in the 70s and early 80s, and he has a good eye for quality. I am slowly picking up a few pieces from him as he decides to let a few pieces go. I will post more here as I am able to acquire other pieces. Some I plan to keep, others I will likely sell to place with other collectors, and to help offset the cost of the pieces I plan to keep myself. I really appreciate any comments I receive regarding these pieces. Thanks again.

 

Regards,

Bill E. Sheehan (Yoshimichi) 

[SteveM]

On the nakago of the sword menuki, you can just barely make out the name 行平 (Yukihira) - so as Ray and Curran said, the name is an allusion to Yukihira the sword-maker, and the menuki is an homage to him. 

 

*Note the hi syllable in Japanese is often aspirated so that it sometimes sounds like "shi". When spelling out Japanese words into the latin/roman alphabet, the writer can mistakenly, confusingly, include this phonetic twist, which looks like is what happened on the label in the box.