Masatsugu's tsuba

[andreYes]

Let me ask about the tsuba with inscription:

"Odawara-Ju Masatsugu".

 

The only Masatsugu I've found was the "founder of Odawara tsubako", and lived in 17 century (information from "Nihon To Koza").

Is it possible that he made this tsuba?

Maybe someone knows other Masatsune from Ito school?

 

 

[SSt]

Haynes lists many Masatsusgu, H 04680.0 thru H 04711.0, using these kanji.

Here are the two most likely candidates.

 

MASATSUGU H 04686.0

 

F: Ito

W: Karatsu in Hizen Province, Odawara in

Sagami Province, later Bushu ju

D: ca. 1650—1700

 

NTS: it is said this is the founder of the Ito

school and that he traveled from Karatsu, in

Hizen Province, to Odawara in Sagami Province,

where he became a retainer of the Okubo

Daimyo. Many of his early tsuba are of shakudo

plate, and later he worked in both iron and some

shakudo plate. Most of the examples with a

Bushu ju signature are of iron plate. Moslé

p. 352 #1133, iron plate tsuba with gold nunome

ginkgo leaves on a wood—grained ground,

signed Bushu ju Masatsugu saku. Furukawa

catalog #106. Wakayama stated that an artist

who signed Choshu ju Masatsugu with a kao,

was this same artist, W—III—240, but there are

differences in both the signature, age and style

of work. There is also a later generation artist

who signed with this same name, ca. 1800,

H 04688.

 

SCE. W—351—L—3, W—I—309,

W—III—240, K.p.—337

 

MASATSUGU H 04688.0

 

F: Ito

W: Bushu ju

D: ca. 1800

 

NTS: a later member of the Bushu Ito school

who used the same name as Ito Masatsugu

H 04687. The late artist worked in pure Bushu

style and on iron plate, mostly carved designs

and some with ito cutting. There are differences

in the style of the signatures. Most of the work

signed Masatsugu, is by this artist.

 

SCE. W—351—L—4

[Stephen]

Very interesting tsuba, I hope to learn some more about it from our tosogu experts, why the larger Kogai bitsu and why the extra hole next to the Kozuka bitsu, the kanji under it?

Looking forward to more on this.

[andreYes]

Thank you, Steve!

 

It would be interesting to see examples of works and signatures of both Masatsugu...

 

The additional hole: maybe it was made to fit to gunto? But the shape and the position is very unusual in this case, I think.

[docliss]

I agree with Steve that this very attractive tsuba is not the work of Itō Masatsugu (H 04687.0). This artist, the supposed founder of the Itō school, was working ca 1650-1700, and Andrey’s tsuba has nothing like that age. Neither is the mei like that of the master, illustrated on pp. 409a and b of Kinkō Meikan. It is more probably by the later Itō artist (H 04688.0), working ca 1800.

 

Could Andrey really decipher this mei as ‘Odawara (no)Ju …, or was that the eye of faith?

 

As for Stephen’s queries re the large kōgai-hitsu and the aperture on the seppa-dai; apart from wondering if the latter was a method of enlarging the nakago-hitsu, I am awaiting further enlightenment.

 

Regards, John L.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Good Afternoon All,

 

why the larger Kogai bitsu and why the extra hole next to the Kozuka bitsu, the kanji under it?

 

I'm probably casting more darkness on to this question than light , but enlarging the images leads me to suspect that one or perhaps even both hitsu-ana plus the extra cut out were not original on this tsuba, as you can see bits and pieces of chiseling that remain along the edges of what had once been there before. If so, this might be a customized alteration simply to accommodate a set of koshirae.

 

PS nice tsuba as it is, now picture it without the additional cut outs!

[andreYes]

Concerning the mei:

The seller indicated: 小田原住 正次

I think he is right, as the first kanji is visible, and the design resembles the Ito school. So, it's highly probable that the damaged part of the mei is "Odawara..".

 

 

... one or perhaps even both hitsu-ana plus the extra cut out were not original on this tsuba...

It seems to me too, that the openings are made later.

The strange hole between nakago- and kogai-ana is a late addition for sure: it's made over the mei.

The both hitsu-ana are probably also made later, as there are small parts of the original design on its edges:

[Stephen]

was hoping to learn more on why the extra hole...any thoughts?