Japanese

Iron Round Chisa Katana or Wakazashi Tsuba With Amidayasuri and Wave Rim

Koto period circa 1550 with very finely chisseled designs. Tsuba are usually finely decorated, and are highly desirable collectors' items in their own right. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 19820

Europe’s Leading Original Samurai Sword Specialists

After 50 years personal experience by Mark, since 1971, we are Europe’s leading samurai sword specialists, with hundreds of swords to view and buy online 24/7, or in our store on a personal visit, 6 days a week. In fact we know of no better and varied original samurai sword selection for sale under one roof outside of Japan, or probably, even within it. Hundreds of original pieces up to 800 years old. Whether we are selling to our clients representing museums around the globe, the world’s leading collectors, or simply a first time buyer, we offer our advice and guidance in order to assist and guide the next custodian of a fine Japanese sword, to make the very best choice for them.
Both of the partners of the company have spent literally all of their lives surrounded by objects of history, trained, almost since birth in the arts and history. Supervised and mentored, first by their grandfather, then their father, who left the RAF sometime after the war, to become one of the leading antique exporters and dealers in the entire world. Selling, around the whole world, in today’s equivalent, hundreds of millions of pounds of antiques and works of art. Both Mark and David were incredibly fortunate to be mentored by some of the world’s leading experts within their fields of antiques and militaria. Mark has been a director and partner in the family businesses since 1971, but long before that he was handling and buying swords and flintlocks since he was just seven years old, obviously in a very limited way though, naturally. David, Mark’s younger brother, also started collecting militaria when he was seven, and as you will by now guess, history, antiques and militaria is simply in their blood.  read more

Code: 23792

An Edo Sukashi Katana & Yari Tsuba Decorated With Birds In Flight

Made for a Katana but with a square section adaption to mount on a yard polearm as well. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 19843

A Magnificent Life Size Carving of A Samurai Warrior, by Woodcarver and Artist, Danny Reinhold

We are delighted to show the completed and most remarkable work of art, created and owned by Danny Reinhold of Germany, a most talented young man. We were very happy to assist him in a very small way, and he was very kind to acknowledge our assistance in his video.

His you tube film of making his armour can be watched through this link. Copy and Paste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwT6lZZoC0

It took Danny 2500 hours, he constructed it with 12000 pieces, each hand carved and finished by hand, using 23 kinds of wood plus bone.

It is a simply stunning and a remarkable feat, and worthy of the highest praise

Not for sale  read more

Code: 23572

A Koto to Shinto Period Katana Tsuba In Iron Pierced With Stylized Birds

The piercing has been outlined with a borderline of inlaid brass. Circa 1600. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 20313

Please View Probably The Best Selection Of Original & Varied Samurai Arms in Europe & Possibly the World

Please View One of The Best Selections Of Original Samurai Arms to be Seen. Over the past 49 years I have personally supervised our company's determination to provide the most interesting, educational, yet not too intimidating, gallery of original Japanese Samurai weapons, helmets, sword fittings, polearms, muskets and armour. Principally concentrating on swords and daggers, with a combination of age, beauty, quality and history. Thanks to an extensive contact base [built up over the past 100 years or more] that stretches across the whole world, including collectors [both large and small], curators, academics and consultants, we have been very fortunate, that this effort has rewarded us with the ability to offer, what we believe to be, the most comprehensive selection available in Europe, if not the world, and during that time we have handled likely tens of thousands of original samurai artefacts and swords. In one week I sent over 300 samurai swords and daggers to be sold at our business in Georgia, USA [in the 1970’s we found the best market for Japanese swords was America]. Some of the most learned scholars studying this art all their lives often only scratch the surface of the knowledge to be learnt in this field, and like them, we have always loved the incredible history of the Samurai, and admired, respected and envied the unparalleled quality and beauty of their swords. Our Japanese weapons vary in age up to 800 years old, and are frequently some of the finest examples of specialist workmanship ever achieved by mankind. We have tried to include, within the description of some items, a brief history lesson, for those that are interested, and may not know, that will describe the eras, areas and circumstances in which these items were used. We have tried our utmost to be informative and interesting without being too academic in order to keep the details vibrant, fascinating yet not too complex. Please enjoy, with our compliments, our Japanese Gallery. It has been decades in the creation, and we intend it to remain interesting and informative, hopefully, for decades to come. Although they appear to be likely a relative expensive luxury compared to other antique swords from other nations, they are in fact incredible value for money, for example a newly made bespoke samurai style sword blade from Japan will cost, today, in excess of £11,000, take up to two years to complete, will come with no fittings at all, and will be modern [naturally] with no historical context or connection to the ancient samurai past in any way at all. Our fabulous original swords can be many, many, hundreds of years old, stunningly mounted as fabulous quality works of art, and may have been owned and used by up to 30 samurai in their working lifetime. Plus, due to their status in Japanese society, look almost as good today as the did possibly up to 500 years ago, or even more. Mark Hawkins [Partner].  read more

Code: 14195

A Shinto [1596-1781] Iron Tsuba Katana Guard With Brass Mimi

Chisseled with scrolling chanels and a kozuka ana and kogai ana. The oviod tsuba has [south fitted] copper kuchi-beni. The copper plug of the nakago-ana. Their function is to secure the tsuba firmly when mounted on a blade. These plugs are sometimes called sekigane. 2.75 inches across, 3 inches high  read more

Code: 22652

A Japanese Chisa Katana by Master Smith Hoki no kami Fujiwara Hirotaka

This is a delightful sword that would make a superb start to any fine collection of antique weaponry, a future heirloom for generation to come. It has a superb Japanese elegance in its quiet traditional samurai simplicity. Its overall condition and appearance is very fine indeed and would complement any elegant décor or surroundings.
Signed blade under the hilt tsuka, Hoki no kami Fujiwara Hirotaka
A highly rated early Shinto master smith Hoki no Kami Fujiwara Hirotaka was working in 1655 at Echizen province.
He was very skilful swordsmith most highly rated, and was making his swords like this one in the Kanemoto style.
Hirotaka was part of the so-called Echizen Shimohara Ha. Circa 1655, His working date, according to Fujishiro is Meireki period (1655-57) and he rates Hirotaka blades as ‘wazamono’ for their incredible sharpness and Chujosaku. Fujishiro states first he had the title of Hoki (no) Daijo and Hoki (no) Kami as in this example. He continues to state his work is similar to that of Harima Daijo Shigetaka and that these smiths co-operated in gassaku work. The blade is in around 90 to 95% of its original condition Edo polish, and very nice indeed with just a few surface marks. All the fittings are original Edo era, and are decorated with sea shell designs, and an o-sukashi deeply pierced Higo tsuba is Koto period, circa 1500. The chisa katana was able to be used with one or two hands like a katana (with a small gap in between the hands) and especially made for double sword combat a sword in each hand. It was the weapon of preference worn by the personal Samurai guard of a Daimyo Samurai war lord clan chief, as very often the Daimyo would be often likely within his castle than without. The chisa katana sword was far more effective as a defence against any threat to the Daimyo's life by assassins or the so-called Ninja when hand to hand sword combat was within the castle structure, due to the restrictions of their uniform low ceiling height. But in trained hands this sword would have been a formidable weapon in close combat conditions, when the assassins were at their most dangerous. The hilt was usually around ten to eleven inches in length, but could be from eight inches or up to twelve inches depending on the Samurai's preference. Chisa katana, Chiisagatana or literally "short katana", are shoto mounted as katana. It is fair to say wakizashi are shoto which are mounted in a similar way to katana, but in this instance we are considering the predecessors of the daisho. In the transitional period from tachi to katana, katana were called "uchigatana", and shoto were referred to as "koshigatana" and "chiisagatana", in many cases quite longer than the later more normal length wakizashi. A blade of this quality reflects the status of the lord or prince whose life it defended. The saya is in delightful quality high-polish finished traditional lacquer, with just slight age markings from the previous century. The saya is of original age so it displays a very slight element of looseness caused by hundreds of blade withdrawals, made in its lifetime. Overall 35 inches long, blade tsuba to tip 22.25 inches, tsuka 9.5 inches long.  read more

Code: 22456

An Edo Period Wakazashi or Tanto Iron Tsuba of Crashing Waves

Of crashing waves and spray with sea birds flying. The seigaiha or wave is a pattern of layered concentric circles creating arches, symbolic of waves or water and representing surges of good luck. It can also signify power and resilience. The Tsuba, or Japanese sword guard, is a refined utilitarian object. It is essentially a sheath for the blade to fit through, protecting the hand of the warrior. The Tsuba can be solid, semi pierced of fully pierced, with an overall perforated design, but it always a central opening which narrows at its peak for the blade to fit within. It often can have openings for the kozuka and kogai to pass through, and these openings can also often be filled with metal to seal them closed. For the Samurai, it also functioned as an article of distinction, as his sole personal ornament.  read more

Code: 20690