Steve Waszak

Amen, Steve, Amen! Great post once again. Many bullseye points made.

Brilliantly stated, Steve. Spot on. One quick note: Nobunaga dies in 1582, so, Furuta Oribe wouldn't have been his Tea Master during his lifetime. Oribe only assumes that "title" in 1591 with Sen no Rikyu's death. But this doesn't affect everything you say here, as the impact of Tea Culture was indisputably huge during Nobunaga's lifetime, due in no small part to his own efforts to do so.

Hi Brian, One of the challenges for iron tsuba connoisseurs is in attempting to differentiate the genuine early (pre-Edo) iron guards -- especially those attached to famous names (e.g. Saotome, Nobuie, Yamakichibei) -- from those made in the mid- to late-19th century during the era of Bakumatsu revivalism. This period saw quite a bit of enthusiasm for returning to the glories of Momoyama times, and this manifested in many efforts among the sword guard makers of the day to pay homage to those illustrious tsubako of the past. I don't have much specific knowledge on the Saotome, but it is not difficult to imagine a late-Edo Saotome smith harkening back to "the good old days" in creating a tsuba meant to express those aesthetic sensibilties. I'm not saying your tsuba is certainly a 19th-century work, as I just don't know. But it is worth remembering that a lot of 19th-century works were made to try to capture the powerful iron expressions seen in the tsuba of nearly three hundred years earlier.

This is a terrific price for a guard of this caliber. It could be double this price and be a bargain. I don't "do Higo," but if I did, this would have been vacuumed up within minutes of its being posted.

Hmmm... Not sure where this idea came from, but it is quite inaccurate. There are a good handful of pre-Edo tsubako who regularly signed their works. Among them are the two Nobuiye, the two Kaneiye, the early Yamakichibei smiths, Hoan, Sadahiro, Umetada Myoju, Umetada Mitsutada, and Koike Yoshiro Naomasa. So, not only were there pre-Edo smiths who regularly signed their tsuba, but each of these artists is generally regarded as one of the very finest tsubako of any era in Japanese history. This doesn't have much to do with the OP's concerns, but I did want to respond to that statement for educational purposes...

Excellent thoughts expressed in your post here, Steve.

Mikolaj, Fantastic collection. So great to see such an outstanding concentration of fine early iron pieces. Kudos, and thanks so much for sharing these.

Yagyu. Late-17th century. Theme likely having to do with luck/protection from harm. Iris + mugwort (yomogi+shobu).

I'm a fan of what Steve proposes regarding an Ohno Consensus Working Group, (and, perhaps, not only for Ohno). In particular, the inductive approach Steve describes is one I have highly endorsed and subscribed to for years (as many will know). This much more systematic and objectively analytical method isn't sufficiently present in tosogu scholarship, in my experience. Instead, there is too much reliance on uncritically accepting "what Sensei said," both in Japan and in the West. Clearly, there can be value in "Sensei's" teachings, even a lot of value; the trick is to discern what is valid and valuable, on the one hand, and what, on the other hand, is based on "traditional understandings" which had as their basis questionable "knowledge" followed by a steady and stubborn subscribing to an Emperor's-New-Clothes narrative. Navigating these murky waters is tricky, of course. But that's why what Steve proposes here is so inviting: anchoring an approach to tsuba scholarship in the material details of what can be seen in the objects themselves, and then, when a sort of "critical mass" of generalization can be realized, moving relatively organically to a more deductive approach by which theories and understandings can be tested. In the end, we still may not arrive at any absolutely hard and fast conclusions, but given the current instability present in assigning "Ohno membership" to a variety of disparate tsuba, it seems to me Steve's proposal has merit and certainly worth pursuing.

Excellent thread, everyone. And excellent Ohno tsuba, Steve. Congrats on the acquisition. Very powerful oniguruma (not oniKuruma ) design. For me, if a distinction between Kanayama and Ohno work resides in any one feature, it would be the massivenes of the form of Ohno works. Kanayama tsuba can be just as powerful in their own way, but are often a bit more elegant and evocative in their Tea sensibilities. Really enjoying the discussion here...

I'm barely over the shock of losing Darcy, and now this... Too stunned to say much just now. Terrible news. RIP Ford.

Love the story here, Steve. And an impressive(!) collection of Owari/Kanayama tsuba. Love your arranging of the seven guards the way you have, too. Excellent! I will quibble with your valuing of your horidashi treasure, though: I should think it would be closer to twice as much as the dollar range you mention... It is a really good piece.

Here is a link to the sort of tsuba I describe above. Note the "shop mark" to the right of the ura seppa-dai (just about 3:00). It is a beautiful tsuba, extremely well made, but not Hoan, in my opinion only, of course. https://www.tosoguya...oan_rinpo_tsuba.html

Kawaguchi Saburoemon Noriyasu (Noriyasu can also be read "Hoan") was the Shodai of the Hoan group. He died in 1614, as Jean notes. He worked therefore in the Momoyama Period, not the Muromachi. It is believed he was originally of the Buke, but due to political misfortune (the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582), his status shifted, and he became an armorer, and then, a tsubako. It is, of course, difficult to know the truth of this narrative, but this is what is generally accepted about this smith. Shodai Hoan tsuba are rarely encountered. HIs best works are masterpieces in iron, combining a powerful yakite-kusarashi effect on the surface of the plate, a beautiful "rippling" of the metal in the forging process known as "uwabamigane" (I believe this translates to something like "python skin"), and sensitively-rendered sukidashi-bori to express motif elements. His sword guards often carry that peculiar Momoyama vitality that infuses so many of the arts of that specific time. I believe the reason the NBTHK assigned a "Hoan" ascription to your tsuba, Lex, is that on the lower left quadrant of the omote, something akin to an uwabamigane effect may be seen. In cases where a mumei guard presents with this detail, especially in combination with well-done sukidashi-bori and the yakite-kusarashi surface treatment (sort of a "melty" effect), the NBTHK will often default to a "Hoan" ascription. Personally, I am not convinced, however. I believe that there was another group of tsubako, likely working in Kyoto, that worked in this style (perhaps along with other styles), where acids were applied to the sukidashi-bori elements to achieve the appearance of a slightly melted surface. Such tsuba are predictable in their details: in addition to the above-mentioned use of acids, sukidashi-bori, and sometimes a "rippled iron" (uwabamigane) presentation in the metal, they always have a round sugata, the same or similar sort of "hourglass" tegane around the nakago-ana, and the same shape to the hitsu-ana we see in your tsuba here. They will also often (if not always?) have a very small mark on the right side of the seppa-dai, sometimes on the omote, sometimes on the ura -- not a mei, but a sort of "shop mark" or some such -- that is very easy to miss, owing to its being rather tiny and subtle. These tsuba are never signed, in my experience. I think I may see such a shop mark on the upper right seppa-dai of the omote of your tsuba, Lex. I do not believe these are Hoan tsuba. Hoan had become a pretty big name by the late-Momoyama and into the early-Edo Periods. Signing one's works had become a tradition of sorts for many tsuba-making groups by the early-Edo years, and this is certainly true of the Hoan group. While not circulating in abundance, post-Shodai Hoan guards are found with enough frequency to confirm that they are signed as a matter of course. But the tsuba I describe above -- with their specific and predictable characteristics, and which I am confident your tsuba is one of -- are not signed. Because of this anonymity, and because they bear a superficial resemblance to key features found in Shodai Hoan tsuba (they also are missing important details), the NBTHK default to a "Hoan" reading on these. This is not to disparage this group's work or your tsuba, though, Lex. These are really well-made pieces with a great deal of aesthetic merit, in my opinion. Their combination of acid-etching and sukidashi-bori achieves a beautiful effect. But the peculiar personality of Shodai Hoan is not present in these pieces. If you'd like to see a good example of one of these sword guards, let me know, and I can provide a link.

Thanks for posting this, Dirk. Mono no aware was actually a very important value informing the Tea aesthetics so dominant in late-16th and early-17th-century Buke culture. We see it pouring forth from such wares as Setoguro chawan, Bizen mizusashi, and Iga hanaire, but it found its way to the finest iron tsuba of the time as well. One interpretation of the effect of yakite treatment in works by (in particular) Hoan, Yamakichibei, Nobuiye, and the Kanayama "school" is that it echoes the dilapidation (impact of the passage of time) of what was once a pristine surface. In the expression of mono no aware thus realized, such tsuba also may be said to possess degrees of sabi. Interesting note: the term wabi-sabi is likely a relatively recent construct (i.e. 20th-century). While the aesthetic values wabi and sabi are known much further back (several centuries, at least), the joined term wabi-sabi does not seem to appear in any documents from the Momoyama or Edo Periods. It does not appear in the various Tea diaries and records of those years, though the terms do appear separately. We may thus wish to pause in describing Tea objects from those times (ceramics and iron tsuba known to have been tightly associated with Tea) as having or expressing "wabi-sabi." Here is a Shodai (hanare-mei) Nobuiye tsuba expressing the Yodo no Mizuguruma theme. It is thought that Nobuiye had close associations with Oda Nobunaga, and may have worked for the Oda family in the Momoyama Period.

Looks terrific, Steve. Well done. I totally echo Tim's thoughts here, too. The koshirae is where tsuba "live," after all. For those who haven't obtained a copy of Uchigatana no Koshirae, it really is a must-have for superb examples of early (pre-Edo) koshirae.

Yes, this is the smith classically identified as the "Yondai," or "fourth generation." In my view, this smith worked many decades after the original Yamakichibei smiths of the Momoyama years, and probably is not directly related to those early men. However, an association between this "Yondai" artist and the smith referred to as "Sakura Yamakichibei" (erroneously labeled the "Sandai") is fairly likely. Both worked in the late-17th century, I believe.

Certainly appears to have the features associated with Kanayama work: prominent tekkotsu, smaller dimensions, a yakite finish to the surface (though the condition of the guard, perhaps due to rust damage, makes it harder to be sure about the finish), symmetry in design, motif, and rim structure. As you note, Steve, the tsuba's condition is less-than-ideal. Not sure what, if anything, might be done to improve this. Some gentle ivorying may have a positive effect. Nice tsuba in many ways, though.

PM sent.

Interesting perspective. From my point of view, this tsuba at Choshuya (no-doubter Shodai Hoan) is significantly underpriced. I don't know that I'd call it a crazy undershot, but this tsuba could/should be more in the $10,000 - $12,000 range. I doubt this will last into February. I'd grab it immediately if I could.

Hi Hannes, Yes, you may very well be correct. This guard certainly is reminiscent of Nakane's work.

The second of the tsuba is a somewhat smaller, but more robust work in terms of its thickness, measuring 7.65cm x 7.6cm x 5mm. The sukashi openwork features a scalloped design, and so is rather less severe and spartan in its expression than the first example. This piece, too, would suit a Higo koshirae admirably. $550, plus shipping.

On offer here are two iron sukashi sword guards. They are clearly works out of the Higo tradition, and may be more immediately tied to the Hirata workshop. These are both deceptively simply pieces, featuring well-worked iron and rather classically Higo expression. I will present photos and dimensions for each tsuba in separate posts. The first piece here measures 8.4cm x 7.95cm x 3mm. It is a relatively large guard, and would be an excellent fit for a Higo koshirae. Ito Mitsuru's fantastic series of books on the four main Higo tsuba traditions -- Hirata, Shimizu, Nishigake, and Hayashi (and Kamiyoshi) -- includes an image of a piece he attributes to Hirata which could be twin of the present work. If a large, spartan, Higo expression is to your liking, this sword guard would fit the bill. $550 plus shipping.

Weekend price drop to $875, plus shipping.

Offered here is an iron mokko sword guard signed "Nobuie." I do not believe this is the work of either of the two early Nobuie masters. The mei features details that appear to combine characteristics of the signatures of the Shodai and Nidai Nobuie, and the work is clearly expressing the aesthetic sensibilities we associate with the Shodai and Nidai. I believe this dates to the early Edo Period, and could, perhaps, be the product of a Nobuie workshop that had some association with the early smiths. This guard presents with a strong kikko (tortoise-shell) motif done as a pattern over a plate finished in expressive tsuchime. The rim is of uchikaeshi form, as is usual with Nobuie mokko sword guards, and is in excellent condition. Interestingly, there is a very similar work included in the Nobuiye Tsuba Shu, the collection of rubbings of Nobuiye tsuba by Nakamura Kakudaiyu published in the 19th century (see photo of the present tsuba alongside the piece from the Tsuba Shu). The work included by Nakamura is mumei, so no direct mei comparison is possible, but it is clear enough that the aesthetics involved are closely related. Dimensions are 7.9cm x 7.5cm x 5mm at the mimi. $950 plus shipping.