Mito or Nara?

[vajo]

I bought from Jean's offer this lovely landscape tsuba. I know its a common motif but it is my crude taste. 

 

It was described as a Kaneie design on a mito plate.

Today i recieved the tsuba and my first thought was oh - Nara. It has a very reddish patina (not rust). But it was impossible for me to photograph the tsuba in the correct color and keep all the details visible. So i took a front flash photo to get the details a little sharper. 

 

Here are the two photos. The right one shows the reddish patina, the other two shows the details.

 

(It is the same tsuba with different lights, but it looks totaly different, crazy)

 

 

What your thoughts?

[ROKUJURO]

What are my thoughts?

Well, it is quite nice, very well preserved, indeed in KANEIE style, and competently crafted. AIZU SHOAMI?

[Ford Hallam]

Nara, would be my call, specifically Yasuchika group.  The boatman and distant landscape with the mountain in the distance etc. are reminiscent of a number of similar Yasuchika group pieces.

[vajo]

Thanks a lot Ford.????

[Rivkin]

Not being an expert on the subject, I don't think these late tsubas can be classified easily based on the subject matter, which is a classic combination from no less classic Chinese paintings and stories. Kaneie was sort of the first, but then from Umetada Shigeyoshi to Aizu Shoami one does see such topics now and then in pretty similar execution.

 

Below is an artist he is neither classic Nara nor Mito, but Yokoya by training. sho from Dai sho.

Actually looking at the plate on one of the pictures in the beginning of this topic, I would argue that this could very well be by the same maker. He also did a lot of iron works that do look somewhat more simple compared to his kinko, but very much along the same imagery, slightly raised rim etc. 

 

Kirill R.

[vajo]

Thanks Kirill,

the theme has some similarities. 

But i think the differences are considerable.

[ROKUJURO]

A papered AIZU SHOAMI TSUBA with a similar theme:  https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumeiaizu-shoami-2/



 

[vajo]

Jean, the motif boatsman with landscape and temple is common and made nearly by every school.

[Ford Hallam]

While it's true that the theme is not uncommon and was used by many groups what can distinguish them (the groups) is the specific way element within the composition are treated. This fingerlike tree, for example, seems to me to be a Yasuchika group thing. I'm pretty sure many such examples could be found that illustrate this sort of connection as it's exactly this sort of detail that craftspeople pick up while training in a specific style.

 

 

 

[Japan2112]

Not a Mito plate, in my opinion. Also, a bit too nice of a work to be Aizu Shoami. 

Mv vote would be Nara as opposed to either of the aforementioned. A nice tsuba!