marcus

Pete, Possible, but highly unlikely. You would be left with a pile of metal chips that would be usable again by mean of yet more time and resources. Again, the economy of time and materials was/is paramount in Japanese craft. It would again be far easier, more efficient, and save more material just to proceed as I have described earlier. This, after all, was a business, and they would have gone the most efficient time/money/materials saving way possible. And again, this kind of economy of materials was/is at the heart of Japanese craft. If you were running the business, would you not want to use the most time/money saving process for making your product? I know I would and do! Cheers, Marcus :D

Pete, It makes no sense procedurally, and goes against the Japanese idea of conservation of materials to cast the Mon into the plate. It would be much easier to inlay and the cut through both the inlay and the iron ground. The second image posted shows fairly clearly the distinct layer of brass and the iron underneath. Believe it or not, but it would be easier to cut through iron than brass of that thickness. Plus you are only doing it once. Your method would involve cut out the round hole, casting and then cutting out the brass. Why not just do it in one shot? Again, we are talking about economy of energy as well as materials, which is at the heart of Japanese craft. BTW, the example in your link would have been done by means of a thin strip of brass make into a hoop, and then inserted into the sukashi and worked down on both sides to secure it in place. Cheers, Marcus

Pete, I think you are half right in your description of the process. Logically, the plate would be formed, the design layout done, the inlay completed, the sukashi, the plug for the ana, the design finished with the kebori work, the patina on the iron, and then for the brass. To cut out the sukashi and then inlay on top of it makes no sense, as it would over complicate the process. With brass being very, very difficult to gild in the fist place, it also makes sense that copper would have been used. It is much easier to gild if that was the desired effect. Also, we have been told that shinchu, brass was extremely valuable when it was introduced from China, so again, why not end with the copper? On top of that, gilding would be quite problematic due to possible overheating the other fine inlay. I hope this helps clear, and not muddy the waters further. Cheers, Marcus

Bernard, In regard to the tsuba in the first image of this post, I am would have to politely disagree with those who are calling this anything other than true inlay. If one looks carefully at the image you can see missing pieces of the inlay. Also, the galvanic reaction between iron and a more noble metal such as brass, will cause the shadow of rust on to the brass over time as the iron is sacrificed. Also, the method of mercury gilding is only applicable to soft metals, not iron. Thank you for showing, Marcus

Hi All, To show my support and help fund this great project of Paul's I am offering $500 of the proceeds of the sale of this tsuba to the project if it sells by the end of September! Shoami Denbai utsushi $1100 If interested please contact me via yugenganearts@gmail.com Thanks and good luck to Paul!!!!!