Tsuba identification

[Jean]

For Milt, Rich ....

 

I have bought 2 tsubas. Are they both Higo or Higo/Akasaka?

 

And as I am a learner on Line (LOL :lol: :lol: ) what is the diffrence of the 2 schools in this kind of tsuba.

A friend of mine told me it was a question of rim ...

[Rich T]

These look like they are from Finesword by the style of images. Both Higo, I think though larger clearer images would be useful.

 

I am pretty sure both tsuba are from the Kamayoshi ryu 神吉派. The second could also be late Nishigaki at an outside chance but it is a bit hard for me to see it clearly.

 

The Kamiyoshi school began in about 1770 and went on until the very late 1800's. The first was Juhei (Masatada) and followed in the style of the Kasuga masters at the behest of Prince Hosogawa.

 

The Higo schools of tsuba makers worked in many varied styles. including within the one school. The early Jingo masters made both very fine sukashi tsuba as well as ita plate with large brass decorations. The Nishigaki school made both very fine sukashi and plate tsuba in both iron and soft metal. So it may be that works from the Nishigaki school could look like Kamayoshi or Hayashi, though there will be a marked difference in quality. Personally I tend to find Kamayoshi rather flat and dull in aesthetic compared to say Nishigaki or Hayashi for instance. In saying this, I am not intending to knock Kamayoshi, just that their best I think are not as good as the best of Nishigaki, Hayashi etc.

 

In regards to kantei, there is more to judging a tsuba than just looking at the mimi though it is the place I start first when looking at a guard. I have Akasaka with flat mimi, not rounded, and Shoami with rounded mimi. While both are not typical of the work they are seen within the schools work so we have to learn to look for other things, like the style and shape of the Hitsu-ana, the shape of the seppa-dai, with Higo, the punch marks (tagane-ato) or the shape of the nakago-ana can also be important. The there is the quality of the plate, it's colour and also any kebori and it's quality.

 

The first tsuba is also classic in the Akasaka works from the 2nd or 3rd master right through to the Tadatoki's and early Tosa Myochin masters. This is where the designs in guards can become a bit murky.

 

I guess I have not really answered your questions in all that although I have a fairly good idea, I am still not 100% sure what they are. It is a good idea to post max size images 800 x 800 pixels of each side of the tsuba, then the people here who care can get a good look at them. I can say that both are nice looking tsuba in classic Higo design and I am sure you will enjoy them for some time.

 

Lastly Jean, I am unsure if you meant Higo or Akasaka when you wrote Higo/Akasaka but that looks to put them in the same school and they are of course two very different beasts :-)

 

These are just ramblings from my muddled early morning mind after a hard week at work, I hope I have most of that information correct. I am sure someone will add to it or correct me where needed.

 

Cheers mate

 

Rich

[Bungo]

Jean,

I like the fiirst one.............

 

second one? no comment.................

somehow the koz/kogai ana looks sort of too " regular " and distract from the overall design.

Not saying it's bad, mind you...........

 

p.s. as to kantei........first one could be Higo, or Akasaka.............. :lol: :lol:

milt the ronin

[Nobody]

As you might notice, there is a bird on the upper tsuba. So, the motif may be Ume and Uguisu (warbler)(梅に鶯).

 

BTW, At least, the bird had been thought to be an Uguisu for the motif, but now it is believed that actually the bird is a Mejiro (white-eye).

[Rich T]

Koichi. Thanks for sharing.

 

Here is an NBTHK papered Kamayoshi for comparison.

 

http://www.nihontou-minosekikaji.com/dougu/index.html

 

Rich

[Jean]

Thanks a lot to all,

 

From your answer Rich, I could say it's a real lesson on line. They are both coming from Fine Sword.

 

Next time, I shall try to make an overall view, then one of the Hitsu ana and one of the Rim.

 

Sorry Rich, I was lazy and too tired to write "or" so I put a "/" between Higo, Akasaka.I know by name the different Tsuba schools but nothing of their subbranches.

 

I know Higo as a school but I did not Know that Higo was just the name of the location (province) of different schools: Kamayoshi, Jingo ...

 

Now I shall post another one, not a great one but it was my dream from years ago to have one (it comes from Aoi Art)

 

Last question : What is a Higo Koshirae? I have noticed for years that the only time a koshirae as an attribution it is always a Higo one? and what are the characteristics? because it seems to cover very different style.

 

Concerning the first tsuba I don't like the Kogai hitsu ana (sorry Milt)

 

Concerning the second one, why two Kogai hitsu ana?

[Henry Wilson]

I would say both Higo school at a quess...... I think Akasaka are more brown in color because of the metal used (generally speaking) and a bit more imposing and thick....