a nice O-Nagamaki

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

by Kanabo Masatsugu, Muromachi period, 16th century

 

 

[Brian]

Beautiful piece Carlo. Which museum is it in?

[Jussi Ekholm]

It was listed in Bonhams 2014 auction - Arts of the Samurai. I don't know any up to date info on it. 98 cm nagasa, very big item and nice to see these surviving in original size.

[christianmalterre]

i do think, it is in a private collection now.... ( safe!) 

 

otherwise, i personally would not understand why posting it.

 

Christian

[Gakusee]

I seem to remember the price estimate  was very high as it came with some provenance, if memory does not mislead me....

[DoTanuki yokai]

I like this one more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8uStG-GCvk .

 

61cm, is this enought to call it ONagamaki ?

 

Edit: I have posted a Naginata, got confused while searching the Video :D

[Wolfmanreid]

Pretty fabulous piece. I’m curious what it actually sold for.

 

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/22248/lot/1127/

[Babu]

Why would they suggest that an assistant would be needed to draw the scabbard?

The blade is less than 1m.

Just curious really, if you hold it next to the tsuba.... it's long but not unusually so.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think the assistant needing to help the drawing could be kinda a myth that is just circulating. It might have been a custom that a assistant would bring the weapon to the warrior who would then draw it before the battle. At least as non-native English speaker I easily get the idea when reading that assistant is needed in drawing that the warrior could not get the blade out of scabbard without help, creating a stupid mental image.

 

Big naginata, nagamaki, ōdachi, yari etc.I would say you most certainly had these weapons out in the open before going into the battle.

 

Not sure about historical correctness but personally I have the same 3 shaku (90,9 cm) length for ōdachi and ōnaginata in classification.

[Surfson]

While we are on the subject, I once owned an O-Nagamaki (and several other pole arms) that I basically had to buy as part of a whole collection.  It was quite nice, very long, fully mounted and in full polish.  Unfortunately, it needed room to run and exercise, which it couldn't get in my small apartment.  Here are a few photos.

[Surfson]

It was hard to draw it, though I have long arms and if I held it right near the tsuba and held the saya at the same spot, I could just do it.   Ignore the other pole arms in the background.  

[tokashikibob]

While we are on the subject, I once owned an O-Nagamaki (and several other pole arms) that I basically had to buy as part of a whole collection.  It was quite nice, very long, fully mounted and in full polish.  Unfortunately, it needed room to run and exercise, which it couldn't get in my small apartment.  Here are a few photos.

  That was must buy collection,  very nice!  Do you still own any of the collection Rob?

[Ken-Hawaii]

There's an art to drawing a sword, called sayabiki. In essence, you draw the blade as far as you can, without changing your balance, & then pull the saya off the kissaki, freeing the blade for nukitsuke, while keeping your left hand on your obi.

 

Sounds hard, but isn't.

[Surfson]

The problem with this one Ken was that it was so long that my arm had to be completely outstretched to get the saya off the kissaki.  I have a 75" reach but could only barely make it.  I think that the blade is around 40" long on that one.  

[Surfson]

Hi Bob.  Yes, I kept a gorgeous shimada yari with Kanzan Sato sayagaki and a kikuchi yari that is still intact and was never made into a tanto, which is the fate that many or even most kikuchi yari befell.  Neither of them had koshirae other than shirasaya and both were fairly modest in length, so that they fit easily into my safe.  All the ones in the photos are gone.