Merry friends of "Y! Auction".

[Spartancrest]

Yas I saw the same on Jauce. It is a very bad sign. I wonder where and how they obtained so many - from Christies themselves or a returned consignment?  I agree with Barry it is a very bad practice selling empty boxes with hakonaki [especially with a Christies consignment sticker] The unscrupulous will load them up with repro's or fakes and demand big prices from the unwary.  This is a similar practice as selling old Shinsa papers with no items, it is open to substitutions.

I note the boxes have substitute linings and no cushions - what happened there? Also they all appear relatively new, they haven't been in some collection very long - ?

[Yasaka Azuma]

BaZZa. I understand. I think it's the same as selling only an empty sheath with saya-gaki.
Dale. This product has gone abroad. On the back of the lid, as far as I can see, it says "showa 42nen (1967)", but it doesn't look like it's been over 50 years.

[Spartancrest]

I sent Artemis a message about selling "authenticated" Chinese fakes. To their credit they have replied and the item has been removed from the auction.

"If you see something - say something"        If only eBay and others were as responsible!

 

Artemis Gallery Ancient Art 

Sydelle Rubin-Dienstfrey

Ph.D. Art History

Mgr. Research & Writing

Mgr. Fine Art

Hello Dale,

 

Thank you for this input. We will investigate this ASAP.

 

With much appreciation,

Sydelle

 

[Spartancrest]

This copy [repro] has just sold on auction - there are a dozen versions of it about, this is one of the 'better' ones but still fake. The ura side always lets them down, probably late Meiji early twentieth Century - hard to tell some are still being made!   https://www.jauce.com/auction/d498881440    40 bids sold for 35,500 yen.

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

Hi Dale. Sure, this is a relatively good embossed. It is amazing that there are 12 patterns in this Jhomeiken design. It must have been a very popular product.
Since the culture of samurai is macho, the idea of giving a sword a pattern that a woman can hurt a man is impossible in the first place.

[Spartancrest]

Hi Yas , found this one listed today - https://www.jauce.com/auction/g500246208

it is another well made 'reproduction' and I suppose if you don't have a spare $9363.85 US. [ that is the exchange rate on the £] you could buy a copy for considerably less! The same design was mentioned on Christmas Quiz. Someone is doing pretty good fakes out there! [they need to do some work with the colours though!]

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

Here is my "wanted man". The evil-looking demon that was sold the other day. I will catch it somewhere.

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/j704571739

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Sold for ¥ 101,000

 High price for a modern replica!

 

Yas- you can find this replica 'Wanted Man' - I don't think he is as good though!  https://www.jauce.com/auction/n488809158

[Yasaka Azuma]

43 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

 

Sold for ¥ 101,000

 High price for a modern replica!

 

Thank you Dale.

The example tsuba seems to have been canceled by the seller even though he competed for up to 131,000 yen.

"A variety is one of the Seven Deadly Sins."

 

[roger dundas]

I am far from being knowledgeable about many things tsuba but these examples above are just a dreadful blight on the whole story and history of genuine tsuba making and collecting. Of course, the definition of the word 'genuine' is one of the keys to the problem.

 

Roger j

[Spartancrest]

Yas,  is this one the same as the 'Wanted man' above? It is listed by a different seller? https://www.jauce.com/auction/b515768575

[https://www.jauce.com/auction/n488809158] has been cancelled? Or are we seeing more of these reproductions?

The detailing is identical, but of course it would be if both are from the same factory?

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

32 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

Yas,  is this one the same as the 'Wanted man' above? It is listed by a different seller? https://www.jauce.com/auction/b515768575

 

 

That's right, Dale. You find quickly. It's a different product, but it must have been made from the same mold.
In Japan, it is described as "like so many mushrooms" that similar products are immediately put up for sale even if they were sold at a high price before. Phew, what a relief ...

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Yas,  Mushrooms is right! 

[parfaitelumiere]

one of these is on yahoo right now, sezller has a legit nice tsuba, and this fake one in same time.

[Spartancrest]

Patrice, https://www.jauce.com/auction/p827924140  Peony and Shishi ?

I like his slightly beaten up piece with the Oni and broken symbols -  not so pretentious  https://www.jauce.com/auction/w443259638

[Spartancrest]

Yas - Well it only took seven days for the Shoki and Oni to reappear, this time with a buy it now price of 180,000 yen 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/m472852406  - the Mei is certainly unconvincing  - but the colours should turn most away.

[Yasaka Azuma]

Shoki gets rid of the plague-prone demons. Often frequently appear online. It won't sell for 180,000 yen, but at least I want you to get rid of COVID.

https://www.jauce.com/auction/o395212409

[Spartancrest]

Well we here in Australia are lucky - only returned Australians and a few visitors, all in quarantine, have covid. We have had very little covid overall , Tasmania none at all now for 5 months.  Shoki must be doing his job very well here!  Arigato Shoki 

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/k447588850 - He certainly gets about!

 

[Spartancrest]

Earlier in this thread was a post about used storage boxes with Christies labels attached - well how about second hand Shinsa papers in bulk! 

https://www.jauce.com/user/vzmkp83951 This seller could supply you with a wealth of certificates for a much cheaper rate! I have said this before "what do you actually get when you buy papered pieces?" What are you paying the money for? The object or the piece of paper? Seems the paper is not worth that much really.

[Yasaka Azuma]

For Jan.　

The staple products.

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/b529723922

https://www.jauce.com/auction/g497710416

https://www.jauce.com/auction/c880933840

https://www.jauce.com/auction/s796105061

https://www.jauce.com/auction/b512647651

 

The builder has been more experienced. If he studied Akasaka more, it wouldn't figure out in the image.

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o447212864

 

Part of the seppadai didn't work out, when casting or pressing.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c881154657

 

I don't know a metal worker who bends the "chikara-kane" that should support the "ne" from all sides and pushes it into the back of menuki.
The authenticity of the certificate issued in Reiwa is suspected.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s798912537

 

 Bamboo tiger figure is a very popular subject, not only in yokoya school but also in nara school, hamano school and mito. I haven't seen it in kyo-kinko for some reason. Items made from the same mold were exhibited in different colors. 

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/t771546195

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o444074484

 

These two tsuba are also the same mold, only the difference between plain and gold. And the certificate handwriting is terrible.

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/t785771502

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u352251876

 

It seems to be tsuba that was actually used for koshirae. However, a crack occurred in seppadai during manufacturing or when hitting seme-tagane. As a result, the rating drops.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r462118760

 

The first letter of the inscription cannot be read as "柳 (Yana)", which is misspelled. As you can see in the comparison image, there are some other differences.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k527087277

reference sample

https://iidakoendo.com/5923/

 

The Higo inlay is vulnerable to rubbing and will partially fall off over time. In addition, the spiral pattern is accurate in shape, and the circle does not collapse or the lines do not intersect.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u410581924

reference sample

https://samuraigallery.com/2018/10/30/taset_feel_masterpieces/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

Every design is always a replica. 
It's so copied that it's hard to tell which is the mother model anymore.
 

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u413370026

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/o448700788

 

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/t783434275

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m458665200

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/x758450534

 

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/m460327057

 

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w440444497

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/q429663081

 

The item description says it is made of iron. It is very well made and the design of "Tomi-no-matu (Pine tree in the distant view)" is attractive. But the texture is like a casting.
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w447426207

 

Even in the Edo period, cast tsuba was made in Echizen, Choshu and aizu-shoami. There are a number of examples of these mass productions, but there are also a few elaborate works.
I speculated that w447426207 might be a fine piece of casting tsuba with a similar age.

 

[Yasaka Azuma]

2 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Earlier in this thread was a post about used storage boxes with Christies labels attached - well how about second hand Shinsa papers in bulk! 

https://www.jauce.com/user/vzmkp83951 This seller could supply you with a wealth of certificates for a much cheaper rate! I have said this before "what do you actually get when you buy papered pieces?" What are you paying the money for? The object or the piece of paper? Seems the paper is not worth that much really.

 

phew. I was watching it too. The first listing was not sold.  If the issuing organization is no longer in effect, it only sells the old certificate that has been made public. If that's all, there's nothing wrong with it. However, if someone replaces the photo, someone who can't read kanji may be fooled.

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Yas , I was thinking the same thing, just change the photo, and you would fool most buyers. Why would someone dump the certificate in the first place, could the attribution have been found in error? If so the certificate should have been destroyed not kept. 

[Yasaka Azuma]

The issuing body did not collect the old system testimony, but simply declared it invalid.
Originally, the certificate once issued should be valid as long as the issuing organization continues to exist. The turbulence of the past and the desire for new income are the background of this situation.

[Spartancrest]

Yas, any idea what this thing is?  https://www.jauce.com/auction/s801847134 

I don't think it could possibly be worth the $20 million US. they are asking!!!!! It must be a joke.

[Brian]

It's the usual Indonesian/Philippines flexible retracting belt sword. They grow up with the legend that these are priceless and real. Meantime they are $20 junk. But you cannot break the traditional belief. They pop up here every few months.

[Yasaka Azuma]

The Urumui. India’s Flexible Sword

https://civilianmilitaryintelligencegroup.com/12313/the-urumui-indias-flexible-sword

[Spartancrest]

Well they just keep coming - another Nambu-tekki souvenir - https://www.jauce.com/auction/j712104332

I wonder what ridiculous price it will finally sell for?

[Yasaka Azuma]

I was more interested in this. This is a 90-year-old tsuba-shaped souvenir. Japan, a poor warring nation in World War II, survived without turning it into a bullet. It is valuable in that sense.

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/n487880061

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Yas - it is a real wonder that a lot of 'no longer useful' metal objects survived those times - the world losses more than lives in all conflicts.  It is a great pity that we can't seem to lose conflict. Ten more years and that paperweight will be an antique, but it already has much to tell. I have a small database of tsuba shaped paperweights, they are an interesting subject in their own right - if they are not trying to be fakes.

Here is something unusual in a bad way  https://www.jauce.com/auction/m475525520  Izarae (Lit. to clear/clean a cast piece) gone too far! [hardly an "Excellent Product"]

Looks like it was worked on by an angle grinder!

Back to paperweights I have one of these that I note turn up every now and again  https://www.jauce.com/auction/371174105

Even though clearly a paperweight copy of an early Christian guard, I do enjoy having mine, as it too has a history behind it.