The works of Gassan Sadakazu

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

This is the earliest date I have seen Sadakatsu's name on a sword. The earliest date I have seen Sadakatsu sign for his father Sadakazu is Meiji 30, so 9 years before this sword was made. I wonder if Sadakatsu was getting frustrated and wanted his name out there as well, prompting him to sign this way on this sword?

Cheers,

Bryce

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

I found some photos of a similar katana to the one David posted with the Kikusui mon on the nakago. This one is dated Meji 18. Many of Sadakazu's earlier works have the date written in grass script. This one seems to have a variation of that. For comparison I have added shots of another Sadakazu katana with the same date. This shows some of the variation you see in Sadakazu's mei.

 

David, any chance of you posting the date side of your blade?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[David Flynn]

G'day Bryce, here is the date of my Sadakazu, plus, a copy of the one in HW Book.

[Bryce]

Thanks for that David,

The example I posted is the same one from the book. It is dated one month later than yours. The date is written in the same style for both of these blades, and maybe derives from the grass script that Sadakazu used to date some of his earlier blades. It is interesting that it looks very similar to the style used on the mei of the number 3 kokuin tanto's discussed earlier. I think this supports the NBTHK's view that these tanto are shoshin. Why Sadakazu varied the way he signed so much and also the kokuin he used is still a mystery to me. I suppose the simplest explanation is that there was at least one other person (before Sadakatsu) who sometimes signed his blades. This sounds a little crazy, but maybe this other person sometimes dated the blade after Sadakazu had carved his mei.

Cheers,

Bryce

[David Flynn]

Bryce, I truly doubt that these were either signed or dated by another hand.   Sometimes, signatures don't always match.  I have a sword by Munetsugu that has one character that does not line up with oshigata, that I've seen.  It turns out, that he changed the way he did this character, on later swords.   When checking swords at Shinsa, the team check the workmanship as well as the sig.  It's not unusual for Smiths to vary their signatures.

[Bryce]

G'day David,

Yes I agree you do see changes over time, both different ways of writing the same character and using different characters. In the case of Sadakazu though you see completely different ways of writing the same character at the same date and sometimes on the same blade. I also agree that authenticating the mei is only part of the process and you also need to assess the work in the blade. Unfortunately most images on the net aren't good enough to get a good look at the work in the blade.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

Here is an odd Sadakazu I found on the net somewhere. The sugata looks OK, it has ayasugi hada, NBTHK papers and a Kanzan sayagaki, but I don't think the mei looks right and it has a very odd kokuin. The mei recorded on the sayagaki isn't exactly the same as on the blade, so I wonder if that shirasaya isn't from a different blade? I would say it is probably gimei, but the NBTHK has papered it?

Cheers,

Bryce

[Bruce Pennington]

I don't have a lot of Sadakazu kokuin, but what I have seem to show quite a bit of variation.  He must have been doing these by hand, and not using a formed hot-stamp:

 

[Bryce]

G'day Bruce,

He did use a stamp, but the stamp changed over time. The first photo you posted was one I put together showing how his stamp changed from the Keio period left to late Meiji right. 

I have just realised that this example dated Genji 2 is the earliest example (just) of his kokuin I have seen so far, so a possible explanation is that this was his first attempt at a hot stamp. I still don't like some aspects of this mei though.

Cheers,

Bryce

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

AOIJapan have this Gassan Sadayoshi tanto on their site. It has a Tanobe sayagaki stating it is the work of the nidai Gassan Sadakazu. I agree that this is likely to be the work of Sadakazu rather than the elderly Sadayoshi. Recently we have seen a blade by Sadakatsu where he signed as the sendai Gassan Sadakatsu. Was there a previous Gassan Sadakazu (before the famous one) or is Gassan Sadayoshi the shodai in this case?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[SteveM]

That sayagaki is saying Sesshu Gassan Sadayoshi. 

[Bryce]

G'day Steve,

What about this bit.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[SteveM]

Hi Bryce - yes you are right. It says its his son's mei (implying its the work of his son Sadakazu 2nd). 

 

Edit: Oops, not just implying, it actually says 代銘 (daimei) 

Should have read the whole thing before jumping off the cliff. 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

The Lanes Armoury in the UK have recently listed a katana signed "Gassan Sadakazu". For the bargain hunters out there, here is a comparison of this sword with a papered Gassan Sadakazu. I know which one I like.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[David Flynn]

[raaay]

Sorry , but if it is listed at the Lanes Armourer ! there will be no bargains IMHO .

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

AOIJapan have another beautiful tanto signed Gassan Sadayoshi, but almost certainly signed by Sadakazu for his father. It is very similar to the last one, but a little earlier and in more of a yoroi doshi style.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Bryce]

I have read that the earliest blade signed by Sadakazu was dated around 1850? Does anyone have an oshigata of this blade or another early one?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,

Another interesting piece of Gassan trivia for you. I have noticed that Sadakazu and Sadakatsu seemed to have preferred different styles of Boshi. This is in no way meant to be a definitive difference between the works of father and son, but in general, Sadakatsu used a Hosho style boshi where the grain doesn't turn back from the tip and Sadakazu preferred a boshi with the grain wrapped around. I have seen examples of Sadakazu's work with the Hosho style boshi, but have not yet come across an example of Sadakatsu's with the wrap around boshi. Here is an example of what I mean. Sadakatsu on left and Sadakazu on right.

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[David Flynn]

I think you may find it depends on the style of forging.

[Bryce]

G'day David,

It is possible that plays a part. It is very difficult to find good boshi shots, so I am dealing with a small sample size. What would be great is if members could post boshi photos of examples in their collections. You have got a couple David how about it?

Cheers,

Bryce

 

[Nobody]

Tanto made by Sadakazu 1st

Meiji 40th year (1907)

 

 

[Bryce]

Thanks very much Moriyama san. Unfortunately the shot isn't really clear enough to draw any conclusions. Anybody else want to chip in?

Cheers,

Bryce

[David Flynn]

I'm guessing the Hakikake boshi are with swords done in Soshu, whilst the Maru and Midare are done in Bizen

[Volker62]

while we 'r talking about Gassan sword's

 

 

This piece was found in east Berlin, shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall for a little money.

 

Then the run on this sword began and one self proclaimed moralizer's after pulling it out of the finder's nose for a little moneyy, restored it in Germany,(not in Japan) for a little money

 

and "gold plated his pocket's properly.......:)

 

 

[Volker62]

by the way:

 

 

the sword's story  that it was presented to Kaiser Wilhelm is  fictitious

 

 

 

it was found by a Dealer named Manfred Winter from Bremen, who unfortunately has already passed away now

 

 

He asked me about the headind of the kanji and offered it to me for a lot of thousend euro's

 

 

unfortunately I wasn't able to pay his price

 

 

to be continiued...............

[Volker62]

to be continiued..............

[Volker62]

the whole sword is a dream and completely and survived in great condition

 

the Gassan blade leaves nothing to be desired, in over 30 years of collecting, I've never been able to secure anything comparably more beautiful

[Volker62]

this sword was part of an exhibition at Toshiba here in Germany

 

in Krefeld Fichtenhain

 

Thank God it's in good hands today and is not just an item to make quick money

[Bryce]

G'day Volker,

That is a beautiful sword and is an example of a blade signed by Sadakatsu for his father. 

Cheers,

Bryce