rkg

Jason, How much does it weigh?? Not too long ago I got a "brass" and iron tsuba where the "brass" assayed out to 10-14 Karat gold (I'd assume it was ~10Karat - I touched the gold "cup" in the nakago ana as it had already been filed somewhat recently there to avoid damaging old surface/so it could not have been iroe) - and it actually had little bits corrosion here and there on the gold (see images) - maybe it was the solder they used to put it together or something, but... https://www.facebook.com/266005023454853/photos/a.2437657022956298/2437661219622545/?type=3&theater Best, rkg (Richard George)

This seller has several er, non-invasive tsuba clocks up on fleabay at the moment: https://www.ebay.com/sch/samuraimuseum888/m.html?item=402223800430&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Here's an image lifted from one of the auctions for posterity (I don't own the image/copyright - it is being presented for educational/criticism uses only): Best, rkg (Richard George)

Bolo tie - actually works pretty well Best, rkg (Richard George)

Ron, yes it is (and its actually pretty good stuff - it was folded repeatedly, but I digress). I don't think I've owned a tsuba formed like this before. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Chris, Well, sukashi is a generic term for openings, so there are a great many "sukashi" tsuba, but its typically used as a descriptor rather than a classification. There's a couple of groups that typically did zougan like this. One would be from the Kyouto area (the "Heianjou zougan" bin - I actually think these guys were specialists that would put inlay on whatever they were paid to put it on) and the other would be Aizu shoami guys. There's a third bin "Ounin" tsuba ( who were also in the Kyouto area that supposedly predate the Heianjou guys), but this doesn't look -that- old, the inlay is different, etc. And there are adherents to other theories as well (like somf of these were done outside of Japan, etc). And also, later on, all bets are kind of off when you get to the revival stuff - there were lots of artisans who would do pretty much whatever they were commissioned to do. Kind of hard to tell from your images about the age other than it probably not being late edo though. Hope that helps. Best, rkg (Richard George)

That tsuba I recently acquired here was formed this way. Here's a 360 image set: http://www.rkgphotos.com/facebook_stuff/hizen_dragon_tsuba/hizen_dragon_front/hizen_dragon_front.html Best, rkg (Richard George)

Ford, thankx for clearing up my misunderstandings. FWIW, here's a couple more pics, one of the back of the fuchi, and the other of the inside of the kashira (apologies for the horrible lighting on this - I was in a hurry yesterday and actually want to shoot something else with a similar lighting setup and didn't want to change it for this): Best, rkg (Richard George) EDIT: Oops, I double tapped this - if the admin feels like it please delete this second entry - My bad

Ford, I'd love to be wrong, but I don't think its shakudo because several of the pieces have several scratches, dents, etc that have been there for a while and they aren't repatinating - here's an example: EDIT: also, you can see the copper on the back side of the kashira and sort of see it on the inside of the fuchi (which I need to shoot at an angle to show since its sidewalls are straight) - I'll have to shoot/add images of those when I get a moment. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Hey guys, In a radical change from thinly veiled shirt plugs, here's a fuchi/kashira/tsuba set I just recently acquired. I thought the dragon/waves design on the tsuba was pretty cool - the piece has lots of visual "motion", especially when you look at it in the light (gotta love black shiny things ). I believe they are made from copper and are polished/patinated black. I have no idea what group might have made these. Comments appreciated. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Looks like the work/style of somebody in that group to me anyway. Best, rkg (Richard George)

And here's your opportunity to get a Covid-19 tsuba of your own : https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c811784911 Best, rkg (Richard George)

Hey guys, Since we're probably all stuck at home for a while cowering from the corona virus, you might need a diversion, so... I have a couple of questions about a piece for you... I only recently started looking for "dragon themed" tsuba, and.... What are your thoughts on this dragon? Is it a specific type, a generic "namban" dragon of some type, or...? Oh, and the front if you're interested - is there a unifying theme/legend this piece refers to, or...? Thx, rkg (Richard George)

Just to muddy the waters some more, here's another "Heianjou Zougan" tsuba that is currently up for sale which is signed "Aizu shoami" (!) https://www.sendico.com/ayahoo/item/n407807888 and here's a couple of images lifted from the auction for posterity. Usual disclaimer: I don't own these images, they are being posted here for educational/criticism purposes blah, blah... Best, rkg (Richard George)

There's a book on mokume gane: https://www.amazon.com/Textbook-Mokume-gane-Masaki-Takahashi/dp/4990498216/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mokume+gane&qid=1584117466&s=books&sr=1-1 Best, rkg (Richard George)

Jiri, Nice piece - I love shooting those I don't think these were ever -really- meant to be mounted - think of them as presentation pieces... Its a little different from, say, the nishigaki guys who sometimes continued their engraving waay into the seppa area, which kind of implied that they were "meant" to be looked at off the sword as well... rkg (Richard George)

Tsuba #5 is sold. Moderator: feel free to move this to the sold section. Thanks to all for their interest. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Tsuba #5 is on hold Thanks for your interest, rkg (Richard George)

bump Best, rkg (Richard George)

bump rkg (Richard George)

Wow, that was a slog. Sometimes I think I take too many pictures :-) Last piece i have for sale at this time: Tsuba #8: Sedge hat katchushi $225 This maru gata tsuba is made from iron with a raised uchikaeshi mimi measures 89.9mm(H) X 89.9mm(W) X 3.05mm (T, web, at seppa area), 8.84mm (T, max, mimi). The piece weighs 109.1g. The tsuba is decorated with a sedge hat shaped sukashi, as well as straps and what I think is a priest’s staff (shakujou) executed in gold nunome zougan. I am uncertain what the jimon is meant to represent. I also wonder if perhaps the nunome zougan is ato bori (added later). I believe the piece was made in the Edo period. Below are links to 360-degree views as well as full size images of the piece. Please study them carefully and ask any questions you might have before deciding to purchase the piece. http://www.rkgphotos.com/sale_stuff/sale_stuff_2020_2/sedge_hat_katchushi/sedge_hat_katchushi_front/sedge_hat_katchushi_front.html http://www.rkgphotos.com/sale_stuff/sale_stuff_2020_2/sedge_hat_katchushi/sedge_hat_katchushi_back/sedge_hat_katchushi_back.html http://www.rkgphotos.com/sale_stuff/sale_stuff_2020_2/sedge_hat_katchushi/_DSC9063.jpg http://www.rkgphotos.com/sale_stuff/sale_stuff_2020_2/sedge_hat_katchushi/_DSC9068.jpg Please contact me at rkg@rkgphotos.com or via PM if interested. Thanks for looking, rkg (Richard George) EDIT: Oops, forgot the terms: Prices are in USD. All prices are net to me and do not include shipping (which will be at actual cost) and any applicable transaction (preypal) fees.

Piers, Thanks for your concer. I mostly seem to have recovered (which is good 'cause Its tax time in the states (it takes forever to accumulate the material to send to the accountants) + I a bunch o' tsuba inbound or here to shoot :-) ) Your query about saotome work is actually a really good question. If you look at the population of tsuba that have been labeled Saotome, there are basically three groups: The first is pretty much specifically these round, mokko, etc shaped kiku themed pieces where they are assembled (I've posted about this before - they are all pretty much made with with a number of the sukashi sidewalls forming the kiku being inserted (like the tsuba above) (as an aside, I think the NB tends to bin the odd piece where all the sukashi are all carved as katchushi - but I don't know if that is the exact difference they look at). The second group are the "lumpies" - those cool pieces with the worked surfaces, usually with some kind of uchikaeshi mimi and often some simple sukashi. And the third is this group of pieces that are usually visually pretty sophisticated. The confusing thing is that the ones with the kiku sukashi pieces are really different from the other two groups - different workmanship, different metal construction (the lumpies are usually made from folded iron plates, etc), etc. Haynes asserts that due to construction differences, design sophistication, and "feeling" (the lumpies are generally pretty tea-tasty), the latter two groups were more likely done by some early Shouami group (they're often said to have been made in the Yamashiro area, so I guess that works). But that's not the way they're papered, so YMMV. Best, rkg (Richard George)

Grev, First off, it sure looks more like you are missing sukashi walls rather than that being a deliberate design element (note the notches in the seppa area and the outer sidewalls where they are missing). I'm not sure who made it - that technique of inserting sidewalls is was kind of a specialty of whoever made those kiku-sukashi tsuba we call Saotome, but the thin sidewalls in that inner kiku sure looks like some kind of kyoto work, so... maybe it was done by somebody who was mixing various designs up - like Edo Owari? Best, rkg (Richard George) EDIT: apologies for the unusually terse observation - I seem to have caught a cold and am not a happy camper I was going to add that it looks like the removal looks deliberate, so having something missing isn't as bad as it sounds/the end result is pleasing - and not actually unheard of - I have pieces where it appears that inlay has been deliberately removed, etc - like on this tsuba:

And... At the risk of getting a new one ripped for discussing a closed auction (which happened to me not tooo long ago on FB), here's another piece just like the modern piece I posted earlier in this thread that just sold on Yahoo Japan - attributed to the Edo period, of course... At least somebody got it for an iai tsuba price. https://www.sendico.com/ayahoo/item/t703248513 Oh, and for posterity, here's an image from the auction - note that I do not own the copyright for this image and it is presented here only for educational/criticism purposes... Best, rkg (Richard George)

The piece that started the thread sure looks like somebody just used part of a habaki or something. I've probably posted these here somewhere before, but.... here's a couple of pieces I have with sekigane that surrounded the blade (at least at some point in one case): Best, rkg (Richard George)

I grimace every time I see somebody pay a stupid price for one of these - there are bunch of them out there, some signed, some not, some with good guilding/silvering, some not so much, some with the casting seams visible, some better finished, etc. Its my understanding that these are early for mass produced pieces, but.... Its been suggested to me that I should think of them as giclees :-) Best, rkg (Richard George)