Efu Ju Masa? Tsuba

[JohnTo]

I’m having trouble reading the last kanji of this signature, which I believe reads Efu ju Masa????.  The last character just looks like a squiggle to me.

This oval iron tsuba is unusual in that it is a flat plate and the decoration appears to have been made by etching.  At first sight the brown patina of the iron appears to be bronze, but it is magnetic. The scenes on the front and back are similar and consist of a range of three mountains at the top, a woodland in the middle (with maybe a thatched hut) and a lake or riverbank at the bottom, one side with a man in a small boat, the other with figure looking over the water.

Height: 7.1 cm; Width: 6.7 cm; Thickness (rim):  0.15 cm, Seppa Dai: 0.4

Any other information regarding the maker would be welcome.

Best regards, John

[Ruben]

Ooooh John,

 

I´am excited.

It´s signed Masayuki, I know that (99% shure).

Please someone confirm?

His signature is unique, look at the Fu character, if the Yuki is hard to tell.

You will know him immediately if you look for his work and other Bushu Ito artists.

By the way I can´t read Kanji.

Cause of his work I´am into Ito iron tsuba. Yours is also made of iron.

Often His signature is pretty faint, had my first tsuba for 10 years without knowing what the sukashi motiv is or that it is signed.

One day I looked at it again, I think it was under daylight with afternoon sun and discovered a signature.

It opened my eyes and got me motivated to do little research.

 

Enjoy,  yours got some unique design, never saw this kind of style from him.

There are some common ones that others did as well, but most of his work has some crispness or feel to it.

Maybe better to observe on the very simple pieces.

For me at least. 

 

Cheers

 

ruben

[SteveM]

正之　Masayuki is correct

[JohnTo]

thanks Ruben, Steve.

 

Ruben, 'Enjoy?'  Don't worry I will.  Its Friday afternoon and I have a pint of Old Peculiar waiting for me, which will help me hear the iron of this (and other tsuba) speaking to me.

 

Best regards, John

[Ruben]

Glad it was true, you`re welcome cheers!

 

 

Great idea John, realy.

It could work out that way for this tsuba.

I will try it for shure when I come across this beer!

 

 

 

 

 

ruben

[JohnTo]

Ruben, Old Pec' and tsuba are a great combination.  I forgot to add a special thanks for the info regarding the unusual 'fu' in Efu.  Alway good to learn something new.

 

Best wishes, John

[Ruben]

John,

 

my pleasure, if it is of some use for once ;--)

By the way, there were view bushu artist using the masa character.

Masyoshi(also at least 2), Masahisa, Masamizu, Masakata, like so....

There are at least one other Masayuki wich signed with an other yuki character.

 

 

Tsuba above is one of them with a more common motivs , that our Masayuki used several times as well.

 

Aside all joking I thought the funny coincident I tried to refer to, the great idea of the helping aspect on your new acquisition can 

well be obvious not by me only.

Look at the label design of Old Peculier, thats why I posted it. :-).

 

Greetings

 

ruben

[JohnTo]

Hi Ruben,

Sorry for being so tardy, I've had other things than tsuba and Old Pec to attend to.  Thanks for the pic of your tsuba.  I like to copy tsuba with similar signatures and put them in my research notes.  Masa was the first kanji I learnt about 60 years ago, just in case I found a Masamune blade in a junk shop.  I did not want to miss it.  Back in those days, even as a kid, we would not consider buying a blade without a signature, but never found a Masamune.  Marcus Sesko lists nearly 30 'Masa' tsubako in the Bushu Ito school, so, yes, a common kanji.

 

Yep, I did note that the badge on the Old Pec was etched, like my tsuba.  It is not so apparent on the bottles and that is a far as I usually get.  A word of warning.  One pint of Old Pec @5.6% enhances the appreciation of iron tsuba, two diminishes it.  Old Pec and katana viewing should never be mixed.

 

Best regards, John