Jiro Taro Naokatsu in the Hermitage museum

[BIG]

https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/digital-collection/15.+weapons%2c+armor/494286

 

 

 

[Kanenaga]

Nice fittings. The habaki belongs in Bruce's old "cat-scratch habaki" thread, if not already there.

[BIG]

The samurai was Kawaji Toshiakira the owner of the Naokatsu, the Marble palace houses the sword until 1926.

 

https://en.m.wikiped...ki/Treaty_of_Shimoda

[BIG]

The Marble Palace

 

 

https://en.m.wikiped...g/wiki/Marble_Palace

[Rivkin]

The collection is actually quite good, but as typical with museums its not well understood. Part of it is hidden and unstudied, i.e. tosogu trophies from Berlin which people don't want to discuss openly.

There is a Nobuhide on display; generally I am not as appreciative of his work as others, but this blade is a top level masterpiece with prominent utsuri, ichimonji styled choji in ko nie, still in excellent most likely original (!) polish since it was received as it is now in 1891. The polish is absolutely top level, I wonder who did it.

The mounts are early generation Komai work.

P.S. The attachment overcompresses here is somewhat larger image:

https://historyswords.com/a.jpg

[Robert S]

  On 11/8/2024 at 11:30 PM, Rivkin said:

The collection is actually quite good, but as typical with museums its not well understood. Part of it is hidden and unstudied, i.e. tosogu trophies from Berlin which people don't want to discuss openly.

There is a Nobuhide on display; generally I am not as appreciative of his work as others, but this blade is a top level masterpiece with prominent utsuri, ichimonji styled choji in ko nie, still in excellent most likely original (!) polish since it was received as it is now in 1891. The polish is absolutely top level, I wonder who did it.

The mounts are early generation Komai work.

P.S. The attachment overcompresses here is somewhat larger image:

https://historyswords.com/a.jpg

Expand  

That saya is a beautiful piece of lacquer work!

[Lewis B]

Agreed. I can only imagine the number of hours it took to create such a superlative masterpiece. 

[Bazza]

Rivkin commented "The mounts are early generation Komai work. "

 

KOMAI:

https://japanesegall...about-antiques-komai

 

It is a stunning technique.

 

BaZZa.