Unusual Tsuba

[peterd]

Not everybodys cup of tea. Can any tell me school and or style.

Thanks for looking.

[TheGermanBastard]

Hello Peter, I am not good on Tsuba but think it is a Shoam Tsuba from around 1750 - 1850. Somebody else will probably be able to give you a better oppinion though. It is not an unusual piece in my oppinion. Condition and work is good.

[peterd]

Here are some better photos. I think this style is Komai. I was also hoping the kakihan was of a particular school.

Regards Peter

 

[Geraint]

Dear Peter,

 

Your research may already have turned this up but just in case.........http://www.smokingsamurai.com/KOMAI_OTOJIRO.html

 

All the best.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Peter,

 

I have had this tsuba for a while but never got around to researching it. It had occurred to me that the gold work was added to jazz up an older piece and that the kakihan was the goldsmith's but I wasn't sure how to look up a kakihan without having an artist's name.

 

I'm not sure whether the kakihan are identical but they do have a passing similarity.

 

 

[peterd]

Thanks Geraint and John I haven't seen any of these. This gives me lots to work on.

 

Kind regards

 

Peter

[Bazza]

Here are some better photos. I think this style is Komai. I was also hoping the kakihan was of a particular school.

Regards Peter

Not much to offer from me, but having seen a reasonable number of Komai pieces I opine NOT Komai.  This is earlier work IMHO.

 

BaZZa.

[peterd]

Hi Guys

 

I thought Komies early career was i sword fittings. A friend said it might be Komie although he had only ever seen one and that was 20 years ago.

If anyone has any photos of a Komie tsuba it would be much appreciated if just for elimination. I also agree with BaZZa and think it is quite a lot earlier.

 

Many thanks

Pete

[Bazza]

A friend of mine has a number of Komai pieces and I like the work.  Another mate once turned up a card case so I did some google searching that I now attach here for those interested in Komai.  The Komai founder's early career was indeed in sword fittings.  Here is a brief biog - the source acknowledgement is in the attached document:

===============================================================================

The Komai Company is thought to have started production at the very end of the Edo period (1615-1868); the effective founder of the company, Komai Otojiro I (1842-1917), learned his metalworking skills from a maker of sword-fittings and in 1865 became head of the Komai family. Otojiro continued to make sword fittings until the abolition of sword-wearing in 1876, but even before he had started exploiting the export market, he was making ornaments for sale to foreign residents of the port of Kobe. His business prospered thanks in part to his association with the dealer Ikeda Seisuke and his work was shown at foreign exhibitions, probably starting with the Nuremberg Metalwork Exhibition of 1885. He retired in 1906 and his son Seibei (1883-1970) took the name Otojiro II, continuing to work until 1912. It is thought that larger pieces such as model pagodas started to be made during the latter period of the company's activity; one pagoda was acquired by the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, in 1915.

===============================================================================

 

On Komai sword fittings the V&A has a MAGNIFICENT Komai tachi koshirae with a Gassan Sadakazu blade.  See here:

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90838/sword-and-scabbard/

 

I also attach 2 pictures of a Komai cigarette case encountered in my wanderings through diverse collections.

 

Best regards,

BaZZa.

GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS FOR KOMAI KEYWORDS.doc

 

   

 

[Shugyosha]

I've just spotted this one on Seiyudo which has the same kakihan as Peter's.

 

http://www.seiyudo.com/tu-100517.htm

 

Attribution is Kyo Kenjo according to the origami (京 献 上).

[peterd]

John

 

Thank you very much, it is definitely the same kakihan as mine. Now i have also a school.

Thanks again for keeping an eye out for me.

 

Peter

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Peter

 

I think in this instance the Kyo designation means Kyoto and Kenjo is the style, ie; these flat plate tsuba with fine wire nunome-zogan. Often these are more elaborately patterned, like the Seiyudo example, and it is thought they were intended as presentation gifts. In fact Kenjo means 'to present'. 

[peterd]

Hi Ford,

 

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Peter

[Ford Hallam]

you're welcome  

[Shugyosha]

 

 

Hi Peter,

 

It has been a while but I found an entry in an old book which I think is of a tsuba by the guy who made yours signed "Yamashiro Ju Fujiwara Kiyonaga with Kao" (photo attached) and the corresponding entry in Haynes. I think that might solve our respective mysteries. 

 

Best,

John

[MauroP]

Komai and Kyō-kenjō are probably overlapping attributions. Here below two paperer tsuba with attribution Komai-ha and Kyō Komai respectively.

Bye, Mauro

[peterd]

Hi John, thanks for making the effort to post your findings. This will give me another avenue to research.

 

I think this is what makes the NMB so good, people willing to make the effort to help others.

 

Also thank you Mauro one more thing i have learned.