14th-century samurai sword found in car at Swiss border

[Nobody]

I wonder what the katana is.

Its sayagaki seems to have been written by Tanobe sensei in 2004.

 

Ref. 14th-century Samurai Sword Found In Car At Swiss Border | Switzerland - News Portel Latest News, Photos, Videos On News Portal - NewsPortel.com

[John A Stuart]

Yes. Curiosity is like an itch where you can't reach. John

[vajo]

What we know from BZAG

- Seller was from Stuttgart

- Sword was made 1353

- worth 698.408,00 USD

Consequences:

+ 56.289,60 USD vAT

+ 833.920,00 USD penalty order (for the Swiss businessman)

+ 6.567,12 USD for the smuggler

 

New worth of the sword:

USD 1.595.184,72 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Chris, does "worth 698.408,00 USD" = $698 thousand, four hundred and eight dollars and 0 cents? ($698,408).

I am not used to continental mathematical notations.

[vajo]

Thats correct Piers.

I do exchange from swiss Franken to USD. 

The worth was 670000 Franken.

Benken ZH: Antikes Samuraischwert eingeschmuggelt - Blick

[sabiji]

According to my information, the import turnover tax on collectibles, art and cultural goods as defined by the Swiss turnover tax law is a tiny 2.5%.

 

Also funny: Customs experts emphasize that it is a cultural good. Here in Germany, lawsuits are underway against the levying of the full VAT rate on the import of such objects. Swords, armor and kodogu are not recognized as collectibles and cultural property in these cases, and the reduced tax rate is denied.

 

But if customs catches someone as in this case. then of course it is a cultural property.

 

However. If the value is really correct, the swordsmith would have to be in the first league...

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

There aren't many swords commanding those values traveling outside of Japan, I wonder if the invoice was in yen......

[vajo]

Thomas i wonder about the price. What smith could that be?

John, i was feeling the same.

could someone read it?

 

 

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

For a sword of this supposed price that is a very short Sayagaki

[sabiji]

Hahaha, the puzzling of the members here is already funny. If the value and the time are correct, that leaves essentially 
 Soshu-Den / Masamune student remains.

But the pronounced Sori is not really Nanbokucho typical and is more reminiscent of Kamakura II or III. A Yamashiro Rai blade would be quite nice! 

[Bugyotsuji]

1 hour ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

For a sword of this supposed price that is a very short Sayagaki

That is just the Heisei date with T’s signature. No web site so far shows the other side.

[Mark]

It is a long saya, and if it needed to be signed on the opposite side maybe the sayagaki is very long

[Fuuten]

Having your daughter for one, but next to that something (presumably less than but still), so valuable I'm my car would make me really uneasy. Couldn't the good man simple got some anxiety induced amnesia when he was given the form?

 

📃🙈

🚗

💶😞

[Katsujinken]

My first instinct was Rai despite the sugata. But even that doesn’t really jibe with the quoted price. We may never know without photos of the other side of the shirasaya!

[Okan]

Hiromitsu

[Okan]

Possibly? 

 

 

[Gakusee]

2 hours ago, Okan said:

Possibly? 

 

 

 

 

Good guess, Okan. How did you do it ;)?

 

 

[kkeeps]

This one made it to Switzerland?

 

http://nihonto-museum.com/collection/exhibit/juyo-bijutsuhin-hiromitsu-tachi

[Okan]

28 minutes ago, Gakusee said:

 

 

Good guess, Okan. How did you do it ;)?

 

 

 

 Had to go through works of the disciples of Masamune. Lucky I guess

 

 

 

[Gakusee]

Well, perseverance usually pays off. Well done

 

[Mark]

i remember seeing it at the  SF show some time back

[Katsujinken]

Incredible sleuthing!

[PNSSHOGUN]

Yes, that's the one...wow, great work and sword.

[Bugyotsuji]

Western news sites are all calling it a katana, which it is of course, but none mention that it is more properly a Tachi.

 

(This news with NMB Hiromitsu update is now doing the rounds within sword circles in Japan.)

 

As it appears in Fujishiro

 

[Curran]

@Okan

I'm just a tourist lost in a sword thread, but I have to say that was some impressive sleuthing.

 

[Okan]

42 minutes ago, Curran said:

@Okan

I'm just a tourist lost in a sword thread, but I have to say that was some impressive sleuthing.

 

Thank you! Happy to help

[WillFalstaff]

[dschumann]

On 6/1/2022 at 12:12 PM, Okan said:

 

 

 

 

So, slight subject change, but as a rank amateur, is that the kind of art one is looking for when studying Nihonto?

 

I think that's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in metal.

[b.hennick]

I think that people go for a combination, shape, hada and hamon. People also try to avoid flaws and over rusting of the tang.