Potential Sumi Development in Showa

[Mike Snaden]

Yes Maurice, you get a gold star! ;-) What do you mean, "Not still up and running"? It's still alive if that's what you mean?

Next Showa had a little bit of 'root' sumi along the lateral line, and one black scale on the side of the shoulder. Most of you will recognise this from the Koi-Bito "80cm Quest" article. Note in the inset pic, that the Sumi is starting from the root of each scale, not the tip. Also notice the problem with the Hi plate on the shoulder. This is something that Showa are very prone to, and the reason for choosing Showa with a well formed Hi pattern.

[Maurice]

Typical showa, lack of beni in the tail region.
Maurice.
PS I thought you said Colins showa died! I'm pleased if it's still up and running. Better get an updated photo then?
Maurice.

[Mike Snaden]

Like you said... typical! The Kohaku pattern is sadly lacking, but the Sumi pattern to some degree saves it.

No, the previous Showa is still very much alive. It was the Sandan Kohaku (Sakurahime child) that died. Got minor damage which went un-noticed, and led to dropsy.

The next Showa. I would not have taken the chance on this Koi, but the one scale of Sumi on the shoulder was it's saving grace. It looks like a grey scale, but it is actually decent sumi shining up through the white scale in front, and at the same time working it's way out to where it is exposed.

One other point of interest here... The Sumi on the Hi plate is very unfinished. My feeling here, is that if the Sumi on the Hi plate looked finished and solid, and the Sumi on the white ground looked as it does in the pic, then the Sumi on the white ground would be less likely to come up and make decent Sumi.

[Mike Snaden]

Not a single scale of decent Sumi to be seen! It's worth a chance if extremely cheap!

[Mike Snaden]

A big girl. Notice how the Sumi on the white ground looks as good as it does on the Hi plate! This is really high quality Sumi! The only reason it doesn't look too good here, is because this is a shot I took of it, just after it was harvested, and the mucous was very thick. You should recognise this one Maurice... sorry ;-)

('cos it's yours!)

[donald]

MikeS, I saw a Momotaro nisai showa (ref 197) with a very nice hi .... the only potential problem with the hi plate is the stress point (circled). As the body grows there would be some fading of hi at the stress point. That is how kohaku get cull.

Your comment for that fish was: " ...... It has a wonderful Hi plate, which can often be a problem with Showa".

Did you mean the same potential problem as mentioned or something else entirely? If that is the case, then could you explain further? Donald

[bekko]

Well, I sure feel stupid. Mike S, that first photo did not seem so bad, but I couldn't understand why you would post a photo of such a junk fish. That's a pretty remarkable transformation.

It appears from the examples that there will be some sumi up on the hi plate well before there is any sumi up on the shiro - except for that occasional scale. Is this a fair generalization?

Finally, all the examples seem to be of "new style" showa from white fry. True? Does anyone have some before-and-after photos of old style showa?

Thank you all. This is really good. Please Sirs, may we have some more.

-steve hopkins

[Maurice]

I have been taught over and over from Japan to ignore any sumi on a hi plate, as it is not an example of good sumi, being backed up by the red underneath the black.

Look for jet black sumi somewhere on the white ground, even if it is only a single scale, this is an indicator of the final product.

I think all of the showa Mike has posted are from black fry, not yellow. So this would make them traditional. But the line may well have had sanke sumi introduced a while back.

He’ll correct me if I’m wrong.

Maurice.

[Mike Snaden]

Hi Donald,

I am not sure why you call the circled point a 'Stress point', but as you can see from the inset more clearly, this is merely where the pattern follows the scales. But the way that it is, is such that you have one white scale, which is showing through the Sashi of the scales behind it. What I mean't about problems with the Hi plate, is that it is very common to have uneven colour throughout the length of the Koi, or to have a few scales within the Hi plate, that have no colour pigment.

Hi Bekko,

as Maurice has said, these Showa were all selected from black fry. But, in answer to Maurice's question... I don't knoow if there is Sanke blood in these Showa, but if there is, then it would have been introduced several generations ago, as the parents of these Showa, are all from Showa parents. I think that you are generally right in saying that the Sumi will show on the Hi plate earlier than on the Shiroji, but as Maurice says, you have to find that 'one scale' of decent Sumi somewhere on the Koi. Not Kage Sumi, but good glossy black starting from the root of the scale.

[Maurice]

Mike asked me to put together a few photos of poor sumi, as he does not have any koi with poor sumi!!!

Heard it all now!!!!



Well I’ve found a couple, while looking I also found some photos to highlight other points Mike has been trying to make.



First off is low class sumi. The only solid sumi showing on this koi is on the hi plate, any showing on the shiroji is kage.

I bought this koi in Japan January 2002, on returning home my pal in Japan asked me to e-mail him photos of my purchases. His critique of this koi follows along these lines; ‘typical kasane sumi (sumi which is placed on the red) showa, the sumi showing on the shiroji (white skin) will never come through. This sort of koi is sold to the western market, as Japanese hobbyist will not buy these koi.’ He holds no punches when talking koi with me!! I had just paid a lot of money for this showa!

I still own this koi and he was totally right, the sumi has never changed on the white skin.



The next shows the same thing, the only dark black sumi is on the red, in fact it covered the red in time, but none of the kage (net pattern) effect ever filled in. This showa is in fact a sandan, but the last dan has completely filled in with sumi, yet none of the sumi on the white has changed.


Maurice.