Jump to content

Higo Tsuba?


pcfarrar

Recommended Posts

Anyone have any ideas what this tsuba is?

 

It is mounted on a Shodai Hizen Masahiro Katana that is in Higo mounts. The story goes that the sword was surrendered to a British Officer by a Japanese General at the end of WW2.

 

I wondered if the tsuba was also Higo?

post-9-14196827421017_thumb.jpg

post-9-14196827425938_thumb.jpg

post-9-1419682742715_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The iron reminds me of Hirata school tsuba. John

Oh, I just wanted to add that although Hikozo was particularly noted for copper tsuba he did work in iron and it did have a primitive rustic forging that is quite attractive I think. He was another artist influenced by chado.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

I would suggest that this might be a ' made in the field ' tsuba - the hitsu-ana and nakago -ana look as if they were punched through . If you look at both hitsu-ana , the same punch reversed has been used and the shape of the nakago-ana lends itself ( by not being too pointed ) to being punched through hot metal. It would be an easy job to flatten the square after punching and then insert into a roughly made ring.

 

Regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Should have added - Is the plug made from bullet lead ?

 

No its shakudo, the shodai Masahiro blade is wonderful with little round eyes in the peaks of the choji. I'm surprised that someone would take such a good blade to the battlefield in WW2.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

Anyone have any ideas what this tsuba is?

 

It is mounted on a Shodai Hizen Masahiro Katana that is in Higo mounts. The story goes that the sword was surrendered to a British Officer by a Japanese General at the end of WW2.

 

I wondered if the tsuba was also Higo?

Resurrecting an old post as I couldn't help noticing this sword, which I once owned. (Sold to Bill Tagg, Liverpool Militaria many moons ago). The story has been slightly distorted - it was sold by the family of the British officer at Shanklin Auctions on the Isle of Wight. Attempts were made via the auctioneers to contact the family to establish a name etc., but they wished to remain anonymous, only discovered he was a Brigadier and the sword came from a "high ranking" Japanese Officer.

 

The sword was entered into the (2008) London NTHK Shinsa and received a pink paper, which was the reason I decided to part company. I have however, heard it subsequently received papers, as did the tsuba? Persistence, it seems, pays off!

post-4051-0-36057600-1491647054_thumb.jpeg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good morning,

 

As uchiko Jim K. would say, measure (bounce) 3 times before cutting (removing) once in reference to a significant mei.

He must be a carpenter, like the others I've heard say that. Another equally famous orator said, "There are as many opinions as there are experts." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...