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Yep! that's the one. Purely based off the kao, I'm 100% sure it's from the 2nd gen Funada Ikkin.

Yep, I check his site almost daily. This one is papered TH too, but with far older papers. Doesn't say if it's 1st gen or 2nd gen. I'll pm you.

Aww, thanks guys! I recently saw the tsuba on sale and noticed it had the Funada Ikkin Kao of the 2nd gen so wanted to see what the book said. I think the book might be wrong or just assumed the first gen since the Kao on this tsuba looks like the 2nd gen.

Hmm... you might be right that's the sphere design is from an older Asian origin. Does it look like the same design as the Umetada and this Shozui armillary sphere? Btw, I found actually 2 Tsubas featuring the same Shūhōsai (穐蜂斎) mei. The example found in the MET: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25776 This amazing example: https://kougetsudo.info/tousougu/hamano-syozui/

Hi, Was wondering if anyone could translate this paragraph about Funada Ikkin for me. Specifically I'm looking for anything about the tsuba shown at the bottom and if there's info on whether it's by the shodai/1st gen or nidai/2nd gen Funada Ikkin? Thanks, Tony

Ford is that a Umetada tsuba? since for some strange reason other than my Shozui armillary sphere the only other people who I've seen do the armillarry sphere design are the Umetada school. As noted in the blog I linked above, usually the Umetada examples have compasses or constellations on the other side.

Good catch Piers, the leg stands of the sphere might indeed be paralleled by the waves, very similar especially the tips. I especially like the subtle carvings of the leg stands for some reason. -Oh this post is just the beginning Curran, stay tuned . -I have seen some Umetada school tsubas use this armillary sphere design before. Usually the other side however is another instrument, like a compass or constellations, that is closely relatable with the armillary sphere. -I'm not sure if this tsuba is published before but I definitely saw it on a Japanese tsuba blog before that premiers famous tosogu (Update, found it: https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/f91913757313bb6b04d35a8657f4b1f5). -It might actually be the one you saw at DTI since I acquired this one straight from Japan!

Completely agree! I love tsubas that inspire such thought. You hit the nail on the head on the other interpretations I was thinking too. There was a Japanese blog that featured this exact tsuba and thought the theme might be exploration (using the skies to navigate and travel the seas).

I've stumbled upon a few teapots, tea scoops and Cigarette boxes in auctions by some big names like Natsuo and Goto Ichijo. Here's a cigarette box from Meiji era Imperial household artist, Tsukada Shukyo: Btw, that first kozuka remade into a pipe, is that Ichijo school?

Thought I'd share an interesting tsuba from my personal collection. By Hamano Shozui aka Masayuki(1696-1769), founder of the great Hamano School of sword fitting makers and pupil of the legendary Nara Toshinaga. Tokubetsu Hozon papers from 2014. Size: 75.8mm x 70.4mm. The omote side is an armillary sphere, an astronomical device for representing the great circles of the heavens(likely an import from Portugal to the Shogun while they were trading with Japan in 1605). It's carved with incredible skill of depth and perspective in Sukisagebori technique. The ura side is crashing waves among rocks. Both sides together I believe he is conveying a theme of time. The armillary sphere shows a movement of the sky while the ocean tides ebbs and flows weathering away the rocks. Shozui must have been inspired by 金家 (Kaneie) because this type of non-matching components on each side to express one hidden thing is definitely Kaneie’s style. Shozui signed his mei on either ura/back or omote/front of tsubas. Usually when he signed on the back it indicated that this Tsuba was ordered by a higher rank authority than Shozui. Another note is this is signed “穐峰斎”(Kihousai), a very rare signature among the numerous signatures Shozui signed with. I've only seen one other Shozui tsuba signed this way and it's a masterpiece by him.

Completely Agree. Having them in PDF or some sort of digital format would work fine and I would gladly pay for the ebooks. Btw Vol 3 is kinko correct? Vol 1 and 2 are only about iron?

Hi, I'm looking to buy the Natsuo Taikan and Ichinomiya Nagatsune: Tsuruga Ga Hokoru Kin no Takumi books if anyone has one. Additionally interested in anything that would contain Ichinomiya Nagatsune's sketches. (I already have Sesko's Natsuo book).

Hi, was doing some studying on Ichinomiya Nagatsune and was wondering if anyone has a copy or where I can find his compiled sketchbooks, called the 'Horimono-echo'? I already have the Kano Natsuo book by Markus Sesko, but was wondering if there are copies of Nagatsune's actual Horimono-echo sketchebook somewhere?

I'm curios what do people think of the Taizan Motozane tsuba? https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/26088/lot/941/ Seems like 'if' it was real it would be from the 4th gen Motozane. Anyone have mei specifically of the 4th gen? feel free to post or pm me.

awww thank you guys! Seems like a major reason for why there are so few examples of his work is he died fairly young at 42. His quality of work does indeed seem quite high though, like top notch Goto school work.