4 replies to this topic

[JohnTo]

Hi guys,

Can you help with the gold inlaid signature on this iron tsuba?  The signature is not in a seal, but the cursive (correct term?) style of writing has me lost with the first character.  It is a bit like Kaze/fu but I don’t think so.  The second kanji appears to be ‘chika’

A description of the tsuba is as follows, and my best guess as to school would be Kaneie.

A maru gata iron tsuba with a black patina, slightly dished with rounded edges and the usual pair of kogai and kodzuka hitsu (the kodzuka hitsu is lined on the straight edge with apiece of shakudo).  The nagako ana is rather wide and is fitted with copper seki gane to top and bottom.  The tsuba has a simple design, carved in shallow relief (sukidashi takabori) and depicts a peasant in a straw cloak and hat, with a hoe over his shoulder, crossing a low bridge on stilts.  Above the man is a flock of 15 birds (geese?) flying in squally weather, as depicted by driving rain and bamboo bending in the wind (a similar scene on birds, wind and bamboo is shown on the reverse.

The design is plain and without embellishment with, for example, gold nunome and yet the signature is inlaid with gold, even though it would be hidden by the seppa.  The cursive script makes it difficult to read, the first character is unknown, but the second appears to be ‘chika’.

Height: 7.8 cm, Width: 7.6 cm, Thickness (rim):  0.4 cm

Thanks

John

(just a guy making observations, asking questions, trying to learn)

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[TETSUGENDO]

Appears to be in the style of Nara Yasuchika.  Also, the signature looks to be done in Numome Zogan, so more of an overlay than a true inlay.  Handsome piece.

 

Cheers,

    -S-

[SteveM]

Yes, Yasuchika (康親) in Chinese seal script.

[JohnTo]

Thanks Steven and Steve

When I read the first reply I was a bit dubious of the first kanji being ‘yasu’ (安) as it looked nothing like my ‘yasu’.  Searching on the web I found a couple of tsuba (pics attached) which were sold at Bonhams.

Tsuba 1: Nara Yasuchika II is a similar style to mine, iron carved with chidori, but the signature is安親.Lot 1086, Arts of the Samurai, 08 Oct 2013, New York.

Tsuba 2: A shibuichi tsuba with an with an elephant and sparrows in takabori, shishiai-bori, and copper and gold takazogan.  Apparently the tsuba was made to deliberately look worn with age.  The signature on this is康親 in a seal, with the two kanji looking like mine.  The tsuba was actually catalogued as Shonai, after Yasuchika. Lot 306, Arts of the Samurai, 30 Oct 2017, New York.

 

So I guess that’s it.  Yasuchika.  Which just leaves the question ‘Is it genuine?’  Always a problem

 

Thanks again, help from guys like you is what makes NMB so great.

 

John

(just a guy making observations, asking questions, trying to learn)

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[TETSUGENDO]

Thank You John, best of luck in your search.

 

-S-