Fake signature? Fake tsuba?

[Marius]

Hello,

 

I have found this tsuba on eBay. Somhow the tsuba looks blotched to me, like it was cast iron. On the other hand it has got the "feeling" of the real thing.

 

But the signature looks strange. Then again, I am a total novice in kodogu (and a novice in swords) so I can be wrong. Any opinions?

 

Best regards

[Marius]

I have found this tsuba on eBay.

 

Sorry, here is the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-sword-SIGNE ... dZViewItem

[Brian]

Genuine tsuba, genuine signature (meaning it is really signed in Japanese)

As to whether it is gimei...I'll leave that to the experts

The strokes look very hesitant and not fluid to me. Kinda forced. Could be wrong though.

 

Looks to me like the nakago ana was widened at some point to fit it..leaving some kanji overlapping the ana.

 

Not a fake tsuba though.

 

Brian

[Henry Wilson]

The signature reads: "Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju　山城国伏見住" on the right and "Kaneie 金家"　on the left.

 

If it were the man himself it would not be on Ebay. The work does not look soft enough, the iron looks a bit cold and coarse. It could be be one of his students though. Compare the following:

 

http://www.nihonto.com/11.29.04sale.html

 

It looks like a cross between Nobuie and Kaneie :?

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

[Rich T]

a cross between Mito and Aizu Shoami to me, and a low end one at that. There were Kaneie mei like this from the Saga group the were after Yamashiro Kanesada.

 

This is most likely gimei, but as Henry has suggested, it may be one of the very late generations though I would lean towards gimei. There are 9 Kaneie listed in Tsuba Taikan, ranging between the late Muromachi period through to the early Edo period. After the 2nd Kaneie (or third depending on the book) all later generations are generally not given any consideration in Japan.

 

Another thing to note, early Kaneie are very thin, 1.5 to 2 mm. Later (Kodai) Saga or Testunin Kaneie are about 3 to 3.5mm. This looks from the shot in the hand about 5 or more millimeters give or take.

 

The first 3 Kaneie signed Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Kaneie, the second and the 4th also signed in sanmei Kaneie Saku.

 

As Henry noted, the iron is not great and this is not Kaneie iron.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Cheers

 

Rich