Spartancrest

Tea room window and a rope! VERY CHRISTIAN - in some other universe! Still if you are trying to sell what are in fact very ordinary and common tsuba for inflated prices as this company is clearly doing, even made up story lines of what they depict might aid in "moving them on". Let us not forget there is BS in the word business. There is a whole thread on the Tearoom window type of guards so I won't bother digging those out, but plenty of rope tsuba getting about also - no mention of any religious context! https://www.aoijapan.jp/鍔無銘-14/ https://page.auction.../auction/u1160512611 https://www.the-sale...9e-907b-ac7c011d611c

Trouble with some information on page 5 of the PDF - Modern studies on “Tsuba” started only from the beginning of the 20th Century In Japan 『刀剣会誌』(刀剣会): 1900 onward  秋山久作 (日本鐔研究界の始祖)  和田維四郎『本邦装剣金工略誌』(1913) In Europe  Hara, Shinkichi, Die Meister der Japanischen Schwertzieraten (1902)  G. Jacoby, Japanische Schwertzieraten (1904)  A. G. Moslé, Japanische Kunstwerke (1909) "Modern studies on “Tsuba” started only from the beginning of the 20th Century" Clearly this is untrue. THE 'ORNAMENTAL ARTS OF Japan' VOLUME II by: GEORGE ASHDOWN AUDSLEY (1884) THE ART AMATEUR : TALKS WITH EXPERTS. no. 2 Heromich Shugio : On Japanese Sword-Guards. Dated 1888 "The Scottish Arts Review" Vol.I Japanese SWORD-GUARDS. By J. P. MacGillivray. 1888-1889 The Portfolio; "SOME Japanese SWORD-GUARDS". by Philip Gilbert Hamerton. published 1889 Japan and its ART by Marcus B. Huish, L.L.B. 1889 Japanese ART by Louis Gonse translated from French by M. P. Nickerson. (1891) CATALOGUE of the COLLECTION Japanese SWORD-GUARDS Louvre Museum, gift of Mr. Tadamasa Hayashi of TOKIO 1894 HISTORY OF ART IN Japan Commission impériale à l'Exposition universelle de Paris, Dated 1900

I think it is a case of "Give them what they want" - 99% of people would not know the difference. Production line on old plain tsuba

Rain dragons, with Ho-ou [phoenix], Cranes + possible other animals? Dote-mimi or Kan-mimi. As Mauro has said Hizen or even "Canton"? Or Chinese working in Japan? https://jssus.org/2018V50_2_Namban.html Auction piece "an iron mokko plate carved with a slightly recessed web banded by a linked border decorated in silver nunome-zogan and decorated with stylized dragons and clouds in gold" Nunome is also an onlay technique. Tom your guard may be constructed with the mimi added rather than the inner border carved down like this example. Something to judge in hand. [Speculation at a distance ]

Not those - this one yes! Some Doctor told me it would relieve stress ....... or was it increase stress?

As much as I like Star Wars - I won't take philosophical advice from a CGI. But I do like the human sentiment behind it. Just as a father hopes his children can surpass his own achievements - it is a truth that many children tend to wither in their parents shadow.

Actually quite a lot of Bi-metal construction - https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34359 https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34366 https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34373 https://wwwhttps://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34460.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/34392 https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34423 https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34452 https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34459 https://www.metmuseu...ection/search/642492 These are just in the Metropolitan Museum of Art alone. [handy that I did a catalogue of that museum's collection ] The image below is perhaps the closest - iron on one side sentoku on the other. Regrettably the museum has no images of the side view of the mimi. I hope this helps Two different metals fixed side by side https://www.the-sale...23-b4f2-ae8201239793 You can check out the Walters for more https://thewalters.o...erience/collections/ see these - 51.96 51.97 51.218 51.26 51.303 51.369 accession numbers - some are triple metal. [handy that I did a catalogue of that museum's collection as well! ]

I have a problem with the idea that the first to develop a design or style is automatically the "Best" - Why wouldn't subsequent artists improve on the workmanship? After all they have a baseline on which to improve.

I wish this was in colour!

I don't blame you! Bloody ugly workmanship.

Well I guess it is a form of upcycling but really!!! https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1164030021 https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1164014994 The Lobster is a real "Pearler" [Pearler: Aussie slang. Something very impressive.]

Don't go for these either! https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1128823426 https://www.ebay.com/itm/275533181538 https://www.ebay.com/itm/283780856270 Carter's Price Guide to Antiques and Collectables. This would not strike me as a worthy piece to be included in such a guide! These are nice though! https://www.tessier-...fer-a-decor?search=& https://www.tessier-...-1945-mokko?search=&

It is very odd! The seller has a huge range of what appear to be genuine pieces - this one?? [He has a few cast pieces but a lot of sellers do!] https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1114141529 https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1136120953 https://www.jauce.com/auction/k1144835699 https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1145227526 https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1128823426 I will pop this last one over onto "Wild things" thread.

This image is a little better, the patina and colour come across a little less pitted.

Woops! looks like I devalued my tsuba - what value would the chewing gum in the sukashi have added? Have I missed out on the big bickies? [Large sum] Anyone got a a stick of Wrigley's? The flavour that lasts and lasts!

Three Kanayama - - 0ne Owari - I am no expert but they look very hard to tell the difference? This one is described as Yagyu - but if we are judging surface texture or the cut of the mimi - good luck with that in this condition!

One for Sam and Matt https://www.tosogu.d...omiya-sadanaka-tsuba

I have several of Gary Murtha's books but not that particular one. His books are very helpful - it is sad he is no longer with us.

Well this is the result when you ask AI AI Overview "The price of a tsuba, a sword guard, during the Edo period varied widely, from around $30 to over $8,000, depending on the quality and design." It then goes on to auction prices or sales figures of current tsuba $29.99: A tsuba with raised gilt decorations of bamboo, a lobster, or dragons $122.50: A signed dragon sukashi tsuba $135.00: A signed daikoku lucky god tsuba $225.00: A high grade Choshu school fine carving landscape tsuba $345.00: An antique Japanese Edo era samurai iron tsuba sword hilt guard in frame $8,019.60: A tsuba with gold and silver inlays of cranes ¥4,000,000: An Edo period Bakumatsu antique tsuba for a samurai sword - so basically it has not got a clue! But we will soon be under its complete control so get use to the bullshit!

A find on ebay https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/296846175117

I don't usually stray over to the Nihonto side of the forum but I had a chance today to see a copy of Paul Martin's new book. Forgive me if it has already been posted. Nice slick piece of work on thirty of some of the best blades - but for me as a tsuba collector - not so much, I think it had all of two or three? It may be just fine for blade collectors and it appears to be available in several languages and just in time for Christmas.

Just be wary of these - Common and there is a reason why - mass produced. Some of the biggest museums in the world hold one of these, but that only proves most museums don't know what they have! One museum, the Rijksmuseum has an authentic frog tsuba and one of the cast fakes. AK-MAK-1077 & AK-MAK-1063 It is all in the Sekigane - the fakes are all identical and have simulated sekigane, the tagane-ato are also cast in. Tat's enough of Tat !

A similar style guard here https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1163054633 Bushu 武州 school? Not the same individual.

I am not sure the plant can make up its mind - generally two lobes but variations have many lobes or just the one - must be many "cultivars" particularly in China and Japan and they could vary with the age of the tree. I have one, which I am looking forward to trying the fruit [in about 20 years!]- The fruit has a strong, unpleasant odor somewhere between rancid butter and dog faeces [yum ]. The nuts resemble a pistachio. Only a few seeds should be eaten at a time. The nut, you see, contains bitter cyanogenic glycosides. These break down when the nut is cooked, but it retains the compound 4-methoxypryridoxine, which depletes vitamin B6 and is especially toxic to children [good for the neighborhood - keep the population under control .] So if your children come home with dog faeces breath get them to hospital fast - probably a mental hospital for eating something that smells like faeces to start with!