cabowen Posted February 3, 2012 Report Posted February 3, 2012 I have seen several of his war era blades and they have always been very good. He was a talented smith though not well known. He had only limited success in the sword contests post war. One of the many unsung craftsman whose work deserves appreciation.... Quote
Eric H Posted February 3, 2012 Report Posted February 3, 2012 Another stunning horimono by Tadatoshi on a Wakizashi by Omi Daijo Tadahiro. Is it true that during Showa times horimono sometimes were executed machine made? Eric Quote
nagamaki - Franco Posted February 3, 2012 Report Posted February 3, 2012 Eric H said: Is it true that during Showa times horimono sometimes were executed machine made? Viewed a signed katana with dragon horimono back in the mid 90's, sorry, cannot recall the mei at this time, that the owner said he had gotten when doing work in Japan immediately after the war ended. It was a pre-war hand made sword for sure, but the horimono was certainly not hand carved, and literally looked stamped/machined into the sword. The blade ended up going to someone in Canada, I was told. Quote
cabowen Posted February 3, 2012 Report Posted February 3, 2012 Not completely done by machine but machine aided....Think dremel.....And most I have seen are pretty poor.... Quote
Tcat Posted February 4, 2012 Report Posted February 4, 2012 Hashimoto, born 1949. Detail from a 2003 publication entitled "Toshin cho koku - Hashimoto Shu ha" (The Sword Engravings of Hashimoto Shu ha). Quote
estcrh Posted February 4, 2012 Report Posted February 4, 2012 One thing I have noticed is how light this blade feels. 1 Quote
Bazza Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 A few years ago a gendai tanto was offered for sale that had what I thought was a very good horimono of a dragon. I was able to take some poor photos of it in the short time I had available to view it and I offer them here. The tanto is signed NOSHU KANENOBU SAKU with the date on the same side SHOWA JU YON NEN SAN GATSU HI (March 1939). There is another inscription on the omote that I haven't read - I'm sure someone will be able to read it. Best regards, BaZZa. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted February 6, 2012 Author Report Posted February 6, 2012 Very interesting shots. Many thanks. The writing seems to say 玉代守護刀"Gyokudai kami Mamori-gatana but how and in what way does that qualify this Mamori-gatana? I hope that Kenji san or Koichi san might be happy to comment. Quote
nagamaki - Franco Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 Bugyotsuji said: The writing seems to say 玉代守護刀"Gyokudai kami Mamori-gatana but how and in what way does that qualify this Mamori-gatana? A woman's knife for personal protection would be my guess(?). Quote
Eric H Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 nagamaki said: A woman's knife for personal protection would be my guess(?). mamori gatana are made as an offering to a newborn, for protection and charm... Eric Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 Is this type of knife also known as an honour tanto? When the females of the buke (or samurai class in general?) are in full dress there is a tanto in a bag hung from a cord by the neck. The tanto is horizontal across the chest. When the woman is layed to rest the tanto is still part of the dress. It's function is to allow suicide before dishonour. John Quote
christianmalterre Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 just an short question concerning this threat here.. Wasn´t there an dealers web-side(Japan) depicting plenty of Horimono on blades? I can´t remember this web-side...round about 3-4 Years ago... ??? Somebody does remember? Christian Quote
Curran Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 http://www.choshuya.co.jp/sale/new_gene ... w_gene.htm Eric- I was about to say that was a particularly nice one. Then I saw the caption of Myoju. It would have just been an echo after that. There is also the Great Book of Horimono. I am surprised no one here has mentioned it. About 3.5cm thick book on everything you want to know about horimono and how certain ones are kantei points. Quote
cabowen Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 mamori-gatana are still given on the occasion of a newborn, as the story above relates, to a women for her marriage ceremony, and on certain other auspicious occasions. Of course, these traditions are rarely followed these days except by the most traditional of families... After the Haito-Rei up until the early Showa period, mamori-gatana were the bread and butter of the few remaining smiths, thus, surviving works of this period are mostly mamori-gatana... These were also made, in limited numbers, through the end of WWII. These were usually the smith's best work. I have been collecting these for quite a long time now and have a fair number of them...I wrote a catalog for a display of mamori-gatana for an exhibit held in Minneapolis some years ago titled "Tanto-Blades of Ritual"...There were a dozen or so examples and a fairly lengthy write up on the use and ceremony.... While no one can dispute the wow factor of a nice, big, katana, the spiritual and ritual connotations associated with the tanto have always made them more personal and more of a personal interest to me.... Quote
drbvac Posted February 6, 2012 Report Posted February 6, 2012 I look at these works and can't get my head around the process of carving the details into the steel - I only marvel at artists who can carve anything let alone these amazing works. http://world.choshuya.co.jp/engrave/index.htm there are quite a few on this site and I have no vested interest in showing this other than for interests sake And as I said - amazing technique 1 Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted February 7, 2012 Author Report Posted February 7, 2012 Just for a moment to clarify my earlier question. The final two kanji "Mamorigatana" would be fine on their own, but the 守 before that has me puzzled. It can also read and mean Mamoru. Does it refer to the above or below? Do we read it as a) Gyokudai and then Shu-go-tou? Or b) Gyokudai no kami, Mamori-gatana? Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 7, 2012 Report Posted February 7, 2012 I wonder what 玉代 signifies, how to pronounce it tamagawa, or gyokudai? 守護刀 shugoto, protection knife seems right. Even shugogatana? You got me. John Quote
cabowen Posted February 7, 2012 Report Posted February 7, 2012 I think the first two kanji 玉代 are a family name, either read Tamayo or Tamashiro...Then shugogatana....sword made to protect the Tamayo/Tamashiro family.... Perhaps one of our Japanese members will clarify.... Quote
Robert Janssen Posted February 7, 2012 Report Posted February 7, 2012 I have another fine example that's worth sharing in my opinion... Don't know anything about the blade, but a nice horimono none the less. Bamboo and, i think, plum blossom? Greets, Robert Quote
Eric H Posted February 7, 2012 Report Posted February 7, 2012 Robert Janssen said: Don't know anything about the blade It is most likely on a blade by one of the Yasutsugu mon. ...and the detail of a finely carved Mizu-Ryu on a Tanto by Shodai Yasutsugu. Eric Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted June 29, 2019 Author Report Posted June 29, 2019 Update. Just reviving an old thread and pulling two together. There is a story behind this, but skipping that for the moment. Sadly, Yanagimura Senju 柳村 仙寿 Sensei died last year (2018). Today I was privileged to meet his widow, and his son Yanagimura Soju 柳村 宗寿 who was trained by his father, won several top prizes, continues the line in his workshop, and has the same kind of innate skill as his father did. Both mentioned here: http://ginza.choshuya.co.jp/sale/new_generation/new_gene.htm http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23372-hat-in-hand-again/?hl=%2Byanagimura+%2Bsenju 3 Quote
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