Three more iron tsuba, D, E and F ...

[docliss]

With my grateful thanks to Curran and to Pete Klein for their help with my previous enquiry, I am encouraged to attach a further three iron tsuba in a search for more information.

 

Tsuba D

Rendered in a polished iron, and of a modified mokko-gata, this tsuba is slightly lenticular in profile and has a delicately raised rim. It measures 7.4 cm – 7.4 cm and, at its four poles, has circular apertures featuring bracken shoots. There are pale brass hira-zogan designs on both surfaces (or are they of sentoku?) comprising kutsuwa and simplified shippo mon, and a diaper design; sadly, some of the inlay is missing. The nakago-hitsu is much altered and, of the two ryo-hitsu, that for the kogai is remarkably small.

Heianjo-zogan work certainly, but is the tiny kogai-hitsu of any help in a more detailed attribution?

 

Tsuba E

This is a darkly patinated iron guard measuring 8.0 cm – 7.3 cm. Both surfaces are covered with a low relief engraving of peony petals. The seppa-dai is slightly raised, and there is a single kodzuka-hitsu.

Tsuba #187 in the Naunton catalogue, illustrated on pl. XVI, is not dissimilar, and bears a shumei for Umetade Miojiu (sic). But I suspect that this may be yet another Shoami piece.

 

Tsuba F

An openwork tsuba in a black, polished iron, this measures 7.5 cm – 7.5 cm. The left-hand side is formed by a daikon and its leaf while, on the right-hand side, is a monkey, its hind leg and tail resting on the root while its left arm extends to hold the stem. The animal has kebori fur, both ryo-hitsu have shakudo sekigane, and there are remnants of black lacquer on the daikon.

 

With grateful thanks, John L.

[Pete Klein]

My feeling on the first is as you said Heianjozogan, probably Momoyama jidai due to the differential in the ryohitsu. The use of a smaller kogai bitsu is indicative of that time period as the kozuka was often much larger and the kogai narrow. Good examples of this are found in Nobuie shodai works. The same differential is seen in Akasaka Tadamasa shodai but seems to be more stylistic than functional IMHO.

This piece was rusted at some point and overcleaned which explains the colour of the inlay. It would be dark brown if untouched.

The other two are out of my area of study so sorry but I can't help much there.

[docliss]

Among all off you members 'out there' is there not one of you prepared to offer an attribution for tsuba E and F?

 

John L.

[Bungo]

sexy monkey.......... If that former attorney general John Ashcroft sees this, he'll insist on some cover up ( preferably in gold nunome )........

 

my guess it's a Choshu tsuba.

 

milt the flying ( soon ) ronin

[Strider]

Is tsuba F a daikon radish or a gourd? Regards Scott

[docliss]

Dear Scott

 

I am sure that you are correct and that the object in question is a gourd rather than a daikon. Thank you.

 

John L.

[Brian]

Just a bump to the top, since I would also be very interested in any opinions on these. Surely we don't only have old sukashi and impressive kinko fans here?

My limited knowledge of tsuba also suggests choshu to me on the last one. But there must be some other opinions?

 

Brian

[docliss]

Dear Brian

 

Thank you for the recent ‘bump to the top’. I am interested that you, like an earlier member, suggest a Choshu attribution for tsuba F, and presume to suggest that this might be prompted by its black patination — a common feature of Choshu tsuba. But I question this attribution for a number of reasons:

 

While Choshu tsuba are frequently of a black colour, they are not polished, as is this one.

They are commonly ubu-sukashi designs in which plants or human figures predominate; true marubori, as in this tsuba, is uncommon. And these designs are much more delicate than the rather crude image of tsuba F.

They are usually maru-gata or tate-maru-gata, with a solid mimi: irregular shapes, such as this one, are seldom seen.

They commonly have gold nunome decoration, whereas this tsuba is devoid of any decoration.

They are frequently inscribed ‘Choshu (no)ju’ followed by the maker’s name — this one is mumei.

 

I personally wonder if tsuba F is a late C17 Oda tsuba, but suspect that your suggestion that these three tsuba are beneath the interest of our more knowledgeable and specialised members may, sadly, be correct.

 

Regards, John L.

[Curran]

Been away for awhile. Now finally back at home, after a few months.

 

Tsuba D- Peter is right (he usually is, I just get to nod in agreement).

Similar tsuba on Aoi Arts, right down to the mon.

 

Tsuba E- Not having the wisdom of others to admit they don't know, I'll open my mouth and guess that this is some sort of Umetada 'inspired' later work. I have seen this sort of design before, usually as base work for someone claiming to be student of the Umetada school or such.

 

Tsuba F- Ok... I don't know. I'd swear I'd seen this tsuba before in an old auction catalog or elsewhere. Interesting female monkey and gourd.

Need to think and research this one, as I get my little library of books out of storage soon.

 

C.C.C.

[docliss]

Thank you for that, Curran. Is the reference that you are seeking #626 in the Oeder catalogue? This is very similar in design, although much more 'Odaesque', with its delicate stem execution.

 

John L.

[Pete Klein]

Well, I looked for several hours through an assortment of texts to no avail on the 'F' tsuba. However, I am beginning to wonder if it might be a later example of the Kinai school. They did examples with more free form carving sans mimi. Torigoye mentions their resemblance to Choshu works and that the later metal was darker. Just a thought but it would make some sense.

[Bungo]

too bad it's not a bean, or we can call it a Satsuma.

 

milt the soon flying ronin

[Pete Klein]

Milt -- The good doctor had referred to the 'Oda' school which is associated with Satsuma. This piece I must say is somewhat below the Oda pieces in execution and style, at least to my eye/experience. To align it with the Satsuma bean motif pieces would actually be a reference to Choshu as many of those pieces were actually cast Choshu work. I think it's just one of those pieces that falls outside the norm. It would be interesting to see what it would be attributed to in shinsa.

[Bungo]

The good doctor had referred to the 'Oda' school which is associated with Satsuma.....................

 

that shows you how much I know about tsuba

 

still leaning towards Choshu.

 

milt the soon flying ronin