Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 My friend told me about this the night before it happened. Did anybody buy anything at this auction? They had some decent pieces. My take is that the collector focused mostly on fittings. There was a set of three unrelated kozuka that went for $14,000. https://www.cowanauctions.com/auction/922020-arms-armor-12665/lots Quote
PNSSHOGUN Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 Wow some great swords there and some bargain prices.... This one stumped me though: https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/Japanese-samurai-sword-katana-in-gunto-mounts-4037526 Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 How so? Based on the photos, it had a florid hamon, and somebody must have thought that it might be early. Quote
Gakusee Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Surfson said: My friend told me about this the night before it happened. Did anybody buy anything at this auction? They had some decent pieces. My take is that the collector focused mostly on fittings. There was a set of three unrelated kozuka that went for $14,000. https://www.cowanauctions.com/auction/922020-arms-armor-12665/lots Well, clearly the kozuka bidder thought he was buying a genuine Natsuo, but the mei does not seem genuine to me. The collector passed away in 2012. I think the swords were not properly taken care of since then as they had all developed rust. Quote
Kurikata Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 2 hours ago, Gakusee said: Well, clearly the kozuka bidder thought he was buying a genuine Natsuo, but the mei does not seem genuine to me. The collector passed away in 2012. I think the swords were not properly taken care of since then as they had all developed rust. At least they were 2 auctioneers to think the mei was right ....🤣 Quote
Brian Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 I can see why some members kept quiet about this one Some really good speculative lots there and lots of good prices. I took some time now to go through the whole auction, and was drooling at a lot of the items, not just Japanese ones. Not the top level of collecting...but lovely decent honest and affordable items. I'm glad I missed it..would have been tempted to spend money I don't have. Quote
YOJIMBO Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 I sent them a question for one item 4 times, without an answer. That spoke for itself. 👎 Quote
Gunome Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 4 hours ago, Gakusee said: Well, clearly the kozuka bidder thought he was buying a genuine Natsuo, but the mei does not seem genuine to me. The collector passed away in 2012. I think the swords were not properly taken care of since then as they had all developed rust. Regarding the lot 74, there not only Natsuo. Look at the one on the left, it is signed Goto Ichijo. I don't know if mei is good, but it don't seems odd to me and I know ichijo did some kozuka with this kind of patern. Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 Any thoughts among the kodogu collectors about lot 41? I didn't have a chance to study the meis. https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/lot-of-three-Japanese-samurai-sword-kozuka-4037341 Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 I admit to buying this one: https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/silver-mounted-aikuchi-tanto-by-masataka-4038308 Seemed like a solid blade with solid mounts. Probably made in the early 1800s, and highly unlikely to be Meiji era mounts in my view. Quote
Gakusee Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 38 minutes ago, Surfson said: I admit to buying this one: https://www.cowanauctions.com/lot/silver-mounted-aikuchi-tanto-by-masataka-4038308 Seemed like a solid blade with solid mounts. Probably made in the early 1800s, and highly unlikely to be Meiji era mounts in my view. One of the good choices, Bob. There were a few good blade and koshirae packages and yours was one of them. Congrats. Quote
Tanto54 Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 33 minutes ago, Gakusee said: One of the good choices, Bob. There were a few good blade and koshirae packages and yours was one of them. Congrats. +1 The baleen is in pretty good condition too. As that is fairly rare these days, you should do what you can to preserve it. The few loose strands can be secured with clear lacquer (or clear nail polish). Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 Thanks Michael, which other ones did you like? I bid on some others but some went for too much. Good idea George. I have a hirazukuri wakizashi with baleen wrap that Brian T restored. They are very rare in part since they fall apart easily. Quote
Gakusee Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 Well, Bob, I liked the Koto tanto in the NTHK papered koshirae that went for 6k plus I bid on the Shigehisa kodachi. There were some decent Shinto / ShinShinto deals if one wanted to stick their neck out - they were priced at rock bottom. Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 What was the lot number of that tanto Michael? I liked the Shigehisa too. Nice mounts it had with one missing part on the kashira. Early muromachi blade and as I recall it was Bungo school. The nakago was one of my favorite parts of it. Quote
Gakusee Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 1 hour ago, Surfson said: What was the lot number of that tanto Michael? I liked the Shigehisa too. Nice mounts it had with one missing part on the kashira. Early muromachi blade and as I recall it was Bungo school. The nakago was one of my favorite parts of it. Tanto lot 6. Went up a bit pricey.... Quote
Mark Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 i had looked at all the items in advance. I liked #56 and was under bidder. A few others were interesting but a LOT of swords were in bad shape and had problems. I planned to bid on a lot of items but the prices were ridiculous (in my opinion), some 4x and more to what you would see the same item at a big sword show. I thought the bidding was strange. A few items were special and did well but the majority was WAY over valued. I feel bad for some buyers as ( if they didn't see the item in hand) when they get the item they will be very disappointed. Quote
Surfson Posted September 5, 2020 Author Report Posted September 5, 2020 Yes Michael, tanto 6 had very nice mounts. But according to the upside down papers, it was Meiji. I liked 56 too Mark, and was probably just under your bid. Had I known about the auction in advance, I would have driven out to look at all of them in hand. I really liked the mounts on #15, and suspected that the blade might be really nice too. It went for $3K and I think I was the underbidder or close to it. Quote
Mark Posted September 5, 2020 Report Posted September 5, 2020 #15 was decent. i planned on bidding, not sure when i dropped out but it went for more than i wanted to have in it. May have been old naginata-naoshi but the papers didn't help and there was a good size chip along the ha by the tip. and also it was only maybe 17" or so so i thought that a limiting factor 1 Quote
Surfson Posted September 11, 2020 Author Report Posted September 11, 2020 Just emailed with a friend of a friend who was present. Apparently he thought one of the swords was an ichimonji. I hope to talk with him a bit, as he drove out there and bought a lot of the lots. Quote
Gakusee Posted September 11, 2020 Report Posted September 11, 2020 Well, there was one with kinpun “ichi” on the nakago, but the kinpun mei was poor Quote
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