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Time to try to tackle tsuba


raynor

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Greetings,

 

I've spent a fair amount of time lately trying to nail down my personal tastes in tsuba while being somewhat anchored in quality. Still do not have that nailed but at least I'm no longer looking at obvious cast copies or overly adorned Chinese fakes.

 

The first tsuba I started looking up was mostly photos of the wow inducing high quality Goto pieces in shakudo and gold, so when I saw the below example my automatic split second reaction went in that direction if not as far. Then I looked closer.

 

SItFcyW.jpg

 

I cannot in any way call it a bad tsuba, but am I wrong in that it is a little bit chaotic? The carved distant mountains seem a little undisciplined and the gold water lines rounding the rocks on the tsubas front side appear to me somewhat out of synch with the rest of the work.

Not that I can do anything better with pen and paper, least of all metal and tools, looking to be corrected here. Again not a bad piece at all, the bird, rice, rocks at the waterside and the bamboo appears done very well.

 

To illustrate here are some distant mountains done better yet still also very simplistic, to my current taste at least.

 

1mHMmyz.jpg

 

 

Then there is this sukashi tsuba, wich I think is the better quality work here? There is a lot going on with flowers and leaves but it is all well composed and executed with a symmetry throughout to my eyes.

I like both these kind of tsuba but realize I am currently still unable to tell which one here is better work then the other and why on my own, so if anyone wants to chime in and lay down the law I might learn something.

 

Have a nice weekend.

G4m3txj.jpg

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On the first one mountains are out of the focus point, the rather simple carving contrast against the complex inlay of the bird on the leaves. And the nunome zogan of the water, that almost seems like reflections, seems like a fair composition to me. The second one is more subtle, more elegant imo, with the way the mountains are done in relief they get a more important role in the composition. You see the mountains raising a bit, some birds on the left, and a little fella on the right, and all this eaten by tha dark patina, that creates a huge sense of a far distance, seems like fog that cover the landscape, and makes you wonder what you can't see. The 3rd one is a different style, is not a kaneieish pictorial approach, but a floral arrangment. It's hard to judge which one has more merit, some might be more complex, others might have more work, and others might have more expression, others might have better composition, all these things must be taken in mind, and it may vary depending on who you ask, some will think that less is more and others will like complexity, i don't know subjetivity and objetive points must be taken in mind or something

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I've spent a fair amount of time lately trying to nail down my personal tastes in tsuba while being somewhat anchored in quality. Still do not have that nailed but at least I'm no longer looking at obvious cast copies or overly adorned Chinese fakes.

That's where I am now also. I made a couple of mistakes...luckily no expensive mistakes, but lessons learned from it.

Personal taste develops over time. It can narrow down...or widen...or even change I guess. 

I'm not "into" Nanban and (over the top) gold and glitter are just not my thing. No matter how skillful and intricate. I admire the skills involved to make them, but that's about it.

My personal taste is more in the direction of fairly basic designs. Tsuba made to be used...not to show off status or wealth.

 

It's nice to compare the first 2 you showed.

I like both for different reasons.

 

How I see them (others will see it differently for sure)....

 

The first...main focal point is obviously the lovely scenery on the bottom part.

The distant hills / mountains....(enzan) give some depth to the scene. I don't think they're too simple compared to what's going on downstairs.

They complement the scene, without drawing too much attention.

 

The second is overall a more still misty scenery. Less straightforward, more moody and romantic. I like it a lot!

More 3 dimensional than the first. The mountains stand out much more on this one. Perhaps even a bit too much?

 

The third.... I don't find it very exciting.

 

This is just how I see them with my taste and preferences. It's no judgement regarding quality, value and craftmanship. :)

 

Robin

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Thanks for the input so far. As for visual appeal the second one is my favourite too, it manages to evoke a sense of a calm foggy morning stirring memories.

 

I enjoy the appeal of shakudo and gold together, but I agree it have to be very minimalistic and not cross the threshold of bling for my personal tastes.

 

The sukashi style I enjoy for it being anchored in functionality, the whole point of a tsuba in the end. Still not decided wich one of the three here is my favourite and I do not feel like I have to as they all have appeal.

 

However I am not able to tell much about quality differences between them different styles aside. I can tell they are not bad works, but no where near shall we say the works of a certain late Edo gentleman..

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