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Is It A Nara School Tsuba?


Kurikata

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HI,

 

I need some help on this Tsuba

 

Size is 7,8cm - Shape is round - Metal is iron with shakudo and sentoku  inclusion.

 

My guess is that it is a nara school tsuba but not vey sure on my opinion. Can you confirm?

 

Topic might be Oshioko back on his ox. But in my case, he is not playing a flute.... Would it be another story?

 

Thank you for your help

 

Bruno

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Hello Bruno

 

It is customary to use the term 'Nara School' but to my mind this is problematic in terms of stylistic attribution. The three most notable 'Big names' of this group are Nara Toshinaga, Tsuchiya Yasuchika and Sugiura Joi. We must also include Hamano Shozui and  Horie Okinari. Each of these artists was a product of the Nara family group but each is so distinctly individual that it isn't helpful to regard them as being representative of one school style at all. Once this distinction is recognised it may be possible to descern a variety of influences in the work of less famous or unknown Nara group workers.

 

To my eyes your tsuba mainly exhibits traits of  Nara Toshinaga. This is not to suggest the maker was a member of either Toshinagas studio but merely that he was conciously working in their style. I am firmly of the opinion that if a work is unsigned then it ought not to be attributed to any 'big name'.  One or two Higo artists might be exceptions. (Musashi is not one of them :doubt: )

 

What you call sentoku is almost certainly brass or shinchu. Sentoku is quite a different alloy and doesn't appear in tosogu until the Bakamatsu period at the earliest. Despite the claims of an earlier tsuba-shi who was clearly just monkeying around. ;-) ( a nod to the wise). Having said that the yellow metal on your tsuba seems to be gilt, or gold alloy.

 

I hope that adds a little to your appreciation of your tsuba. It's a pleasant enough work. :)

 

regards

 

Ford

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Thank you Ford fo your explanations. In fact with a close look of the body it seems that it is gilded.

 

I purchased this Tsuba $ 100, 10 years ago at a Gallery with name "Circle in the Moon Antiques" in Cherry Hill - New Jersey in the US and they described this Tsuba as been Myochin.....

 

I do not know if this business is still existing.....

 

Thank you again

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