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Rare tsuba by Goto Mitsutaka / Mon Renjo

I think the rules require a signature with a real name.....

Chris is quite correct, unless you really are 'Raiden'; most of us know who you are, but, proper names are easier to address. I don't think I've seen this technique quite this way before. John

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for posting a really nice tsuba! :D We all know that the shinto gods such as Raiden are all into the high end kinko works by the Goto school. :lol:

Yours truly,

David Stiles

Sorry Chris I thought you knew it was me as I have posted with my name before, not sure how to add my name - it used to say iot but now it doesn't

Mike Yamasaki

Was posting items for educational purposes, not for gossip.

I just checked my profile and it shows to add my real name, but yet it doesn't any idea on a fix?

any thoughts on the tsuba guys? Chris?

Hi Mike,

Easiest way is to just add it in your profile as a signature, so that it signs posts automatically. Have done that for you, but feel free to edit.

Lovely looking tsuba. I am not expert enough to be able to give a professional opinion, but would love to see a close up of the mei.

Obviously the work and especially the nanako is up to the task.

Brian

Thanks Brian, I can see at the bottom it says "Mike Y", I guess that is not good enough for some folks. I will wait a bit for some ideas before posting the mini sermon.

Mike Yamasaki

Here you go Brian

I just added the "Mike Y." to your signature myself...it wasn't showing before

You can edit your signature in your profile to the full name if you prefer..we only require first name, and initial preferably.

Best to give it a day or 2 or 3 before giving the analysis...due to timezones and people who only read on weekends etc. Looking forward to it.

Brian

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11485&p=98144

Ludolf's last pic. Jujo?

Brian

Brian,

I'll be busy working on the nbthk Goto lecture stuff, so e-mail me if I forget to post the explanation.

Mike

Mike and Cyrus debate the attribution on the origami:

damn I have great arms!

Woof! (lol)

Rare signed mainline Goto tsuba. Tsuba from the mainline Goto School are very rare, signed examples are even more so. The Goto family was very strict, even having their own masters left to do the appraisal of previous generations. Goto Mitsutaka (enjo) was the 13th master, and was known as one of the best for judging on previous masterworks. This tsuba made of top grade shakudo, has the design of solid gold tigers made by Goto Renjo (10th master). Mitsutaka remounted the tigers on this tsuba (which was very common for top pieces in the Goto family), the tsuba is made by Mitsutaka , his skill was considered as good as Joshin and even the 1st master Yujo. The front is all super fine shakudo nanako, even the edge of the gold rim is done in nanako in a technique that only a true master could do , much less even attempt (How he could do this without damaging the rimwork is beyond me). The back is a beautiful shakudo migaki ji (Mirror smooth) with the design of Bamboo carved in Katakiribori. This technique was proven to be popular by the Yokoya School, but Mitsutaka wanted to show that he could do this style as well as anyone. All in all a very excellent tsuba, and a must for Goto collectors, or someone that wants only 1 solid example for their collection. The signature reads “Mon Renjo” / Mitsutaka (Kao) “. This means that the main subject was made by Goto Renjo, and the tsuba and remounting was done by Mitsutaka. If the signature read “ Renjo Saku” / Mitsutaka (Kao), then this would mean that Goto Renjo made the whole item, and was judged by Mitsutaka to be the work of Renjo. The Goto Masters that did the attributions, knew all of the secret marks, as well as had access to the records kept within the family, passed down to each master.

Edo

more pics and other new items will be posted on tetsugendo.com, many new items that are interesting for study will be posted soon.

Mike -- what is the term in Japanese for that type of mei?

Mike,

Excellent write up and info. Fantastic tsuba too. Thanks

Brian

pete,

it is call a kiwa mei, or attribution signature. Similiar were done by I believe the Yokoya school as well.

mike

Hi Mike,

Is this the same as Kiwame-mei (極め銘) ?

Thanks for sharing this outstanding tsuba and the information.

Paul.

  myochin said:

Thanks for sharing this outstanding tsuba and the information.

The same goes for me too!

Can't wait for the next presentation, as I am very much interested in kinko tsuba.

Excuse me for the "dealer speak" Kiwame no mei is the offical correct term, but the translation of the kanji you used is a little different - attributed is a closer translation. I get the proper terms mixed up with dealer speak all the time as in Japan the dealers have their own language ex: saidan instead of setsudan for testcut blades.....

Just for people interested in nanako, this is Goto's one with the crescent, the punches are regulary slightly overlapping as to make some kind of crescent

My money is on Mike, Cyrus really is a cupcake.

Morning all,

Excellent thread.

Mike Y wrote:

  Quote

knew all of the secret marks,

Can you expand upon this please Mike?

Cheers

Malcolm

  Jean said:

Just for people interested in nanako, this is Goto's one with the crescent, the punches are regulary slightly overlapping as to make some kind of crescent

Dear Jean,

Do you have more info on different nanako that are related to different schools?

Micha

Nice try Jean... LOL!

I got the info by Marc Broquin (concerning the Goto nanako), I'll ask him

  Jean said:

I got the info by Marc Broquin (concerning the Goto nanako), I'll ask him

Thanks Jean.

Micha