Peter Bleed

echizen ju Mune...shige mebbe

Looks like a casting. I am not sure that answers your question, but I'd assume this is an Edo period piece. Peter

I joined the NBTHK in 1969 but have had a consistently hard time staying involved. Clearly operating the club is a lot of work. At the moment I am having problems contacting the American Branch. Can anybody tell me who/how to contact? Peter Bleed

I stumbled on to this thread earlier today. Holy Cow! I will NOT say I "care" about this topic or that I think it contributes DEEPLY to the study of Nippon-to. BUT there is some really outstanding thought and work here. Thank you and WOW! I sincerely hope that the major players - Bruce and John - will take a step back, organize the available information, and then published the results. When it is all in a clear presentable form, I wonder if anybody in Japan would be at all interested in this work. Like I said, WOW! Peter

This discussion truly is interesting. And I certainly don't wish to argue with true experts. But, there is no question that a wide variety of cast iron objects were made and use in Japan in late Edo times, various vessels, roof tiles, agricultural gear.... Making these things involved hand finishing and removal of sprues etc. This is work that peasants in Iwate-ken did to avoid starvation. There were as well, guys who needed to wear a sword from time to time, but who could only afford mass-produced cheapos like the cast iron tsuba we see today. Peter

Sorry, I had my ears off for a bit, Jeremiah has certainly improved the presentation. And I certainly have got to address the 5th generation. That is the hole in my research and in the spreadsheet. Did everyone see the picture of the burial spot of the entire Kunikane line that is shown in the latest issue of Token Bijutsu? They are "buried" in a nice tight circle that is a tourist stop in Sendai. Peter

I am feeling trapped by a pair of fat-tailed squirrels so I have decided - naturally – to share my situation with this fine community. The beasts that are vexing me are a really nice pair of menuki (Ezo style, I’d say) that came to be with a nice katana koshirae but that retain NO HINT of the original wrap. The fact that the menuki were not lost amazes me, but there they are. And I am not a menuki fancier, but these guys look darn good. They are so nice, indeed, that I have never pushed ahead with getting the tsuka re-wrapped. Are there menuki TOO GOOD to use? Peter

Sean, Taking care of Japanese swords is a challenge. "Former glory" and "period correct" are easier to say than they are to address. In fact, a nice Higo shinto like your sword may have had a couple of different sets of fittings at any one moment, not to mention replacements as owners and tastes changed. There is NO simple answer to what a good, middle rank sword should/did/might look like. As the current owner, your tastes matter. You get to decide what style/fashion/type you prefer. And, in any case, restoration is NOT something you can do. You need an expert's skills and the advice of a dealer who can (for a price) provide you with fittings that are right for 1) the sword,and 2) your plan. And be patient! Finding the people and the pieces needed for this project will take a long time. It will happen away from you and will follow a schedule that you do not command. You will probably want to meet other collectors who can help you find and make the contacts you will need. Oh, and that is FUN. You may even discover other stuff that you will want! Peter

Here is my attempt to present the Kunikane line -- against the whole chronology of the Edo period. Peter Kunikane Line.xlsx

After Matsunoki-sama got us looking at the – ahhh – interesting shin-shinto Kunikane tanto, I got out some older notes and files on the KUNIKANE line. (Thank you! Colin!). One thing led to another and I bumped into a big old file I had forgotten. Several years ago I tried to pour the KUNIKANE genealogy into an EXCEL file. I have no skill with the program, or computer Nihongo, or the Kunikane genealogy. But it is kind of interesting to see how the “line” was organized. Should I/could I post that file here and would anybody find it interesting? Peter

Well, gee, another Tenmei dated Kunikane. I suppose some people like them, and I'd take it if you were going to drop it off at the Goodwill..... But seriously, ... a very nice, shinshinto tanto by the guy who was setting out to revitalize the Kunikane line. The "line" had been maintained between the 5th and 9th generations, but without leadership or - I think - actually continuity. It was officially recognized and everybody knew how to do masame. Number 10 started an apprenticeship in Sendai but then went down to Edo is like 1778 or so and started work with Masahide. He actually ko-signed at least one blade with Masahide so there were no flies on him, BUT he died in Tenmei 6, which is like 1786 when he was 29. The Kunikane line just couldn't catch a break. Tom's assessment is perceptive and interesting. There certainly were lots of re-signed blades created with, for, and about Kunikane. There were guys in Edo who made high-contrast masame during the shin-shinto era. Whoever made it (and I'd bet on KK 10) this looks like classic, late Edo period carry sword - flashy, famous, and real good. Kind of over the top. Peter

A good discussion. Thank you all. In fact, I was kind of wondering about Korea as a point of origin. We certainly know that Japanese firearms were used in Korea. And there would have been several ways that Korean materials might have arrived in early modern Japan. Peter

I agree with Piers. BUT I sort of suspicion that not all of this is "Japanese." Elsewhere in East Asia and colonial Japan?? How would we check? Peter