Spartancrest

Some more 'bells' without rims from the V&A - a curiously information lacking museum. And the earlier post - is there a hidden face on the lower right of the bell? Or do I have an over active imagination?

Glen, this looks like one recently discussed https://www.jauce.com/auction/b1053959631 This has no rim but obvious it should have. Anyone with a spare rim available? Is it an attempt to resize the guard or is it a repair? Reduction rings = change the size of the rim thickness? One of mine shows the rim was added and welded to the main body. The rim is slightly thicker than the rest of the guard - difficult to see but clear in hand.

There are numerous ways to clean verdigris from copper/yamagane - However I would be cautious as you don't want to remove the rest of the patina. There is a recipe here - I would try lemon juice alone first it is something you can dilute and readily wash off if it is too aggressive. I have used citric acid on one of my pieces with great results , but it was in such a state to start with that there was little to risk. Your piece is not so badly affected and something as simple as a cotton cloth might remove the buildup without going the 'chemical' route. The old adage "when in doubt - do nowt" This is an old Cheshire proverb, 'nowt' meaning 'nothing'.

Half the fun of collecting, is working out what is being portrayed at times - Art even conventionalized Japanese Art is still in the eye of the beholder. I suspect many designs are just as obscure to modern Japanese as they are to Westerners. What does this represent? A skull or Jason's hockey mask? For that matter, did it start out as a tsuba at all? The adventure goes on.

A bit of an up-date - this guard shown amongst the group Posted June 5 above. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/tsuba-Japan-edo-zeit-2156-c-521443f8da Has an intact double in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Number 1930M934 It can be found in Greville Cooke's book on the Museum, page 138. With a little luck Grev might be able to show the full guard.

A 'bell' just listed - strange off-centre. https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1058081022

This is an old thread but a small guard has just turned up and I was wondering what people think? https://www.jauce.com/auction/v1057443930 The seller is not doing much to advertise his piece - virtually no information. Rectangular nakago-ana with sekigane at the bottom. Roped edge. For me it has a lot of Chinese style or even Indo-Persian - something you would normally find on a Mughal dagger?

"My guess someone lived a lonely life as a collector and then died. " Kirill that sounds familiar - . I would guess that is where the majority of pieces have come from, after all its been nearly 200 years since the samurai used them. Something for all collectors to think about- where does your collection go when we go too? [please, please don't say eBay!]

Geoffrey, I have some information on the Nanban guard for you - same dragon prow ship style. https://www.facebook.com/Asian-Export-sword-guards-and-Nanban-tsuba-564035753684007/ Also from https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/signed-nanban-style-ship-tsuba once again a similar design but with a phoenix prow. For a rough price guide you might like to check this site- https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/tsuba-%26-kodogu/t186-wonderful-namban-tsuba-chinese-boat I hope this is helpful.

Yes welcome Geoffrey! The dreaded value question, everyone will have a different opinion. What are they worth to you? Are you a collector or do you want to be a dealer? If you are a collector you would be hard pressed to start off with pieces as good as you have. We all wish we had your luck, because most of us started with less impressive pieces and only those members who can remember Queen Victoria on the throne will have purchased so many for so little money.

Colin, not directed at you. I just got my Doctorate in Metallurgy from this thread - I should have stayed "lost in space" [and my head still hurts]

They are great quality - you didn't mention the name of the shop? You wouldn't take $20 each? - Just joking - What about $200? That is the find of the Century [well the first quarter of 21st century at least!] You don't need to go out and buy a lottery ticket - you already WON!

Beautiful pieces and an interesting theme - wow you have been busy! Just the guard to go with that anchor kashira - https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/294566514997 Whoops- or this one is nice too https://www.jauce.com/auction/g1055698290 https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1056944942

It is an interesting piece - gets people thinking which is always a good thing . I was wondering if the texture was made intentionally? Like an ishime finish - what stands out to me is the seppa-dai is not corroded/rusted or whichever except around the margins. This would seem deliberate or how else to explain the seppa-dai? The texture reminds me of an old iron anchor sitting at the bottom of the ocean for 50 years - but then once again the seppa-dai even with a copper seppa attached would still deteriorate and it hasn't. Maybe the sword was lost in a desert and ended up sandblasted.

Hi Bruno, I have a single katamenuki same pattern as your fist image - you don't happen to know where your example lives?

This might fit in this thread- has anyone seem Kozuka and Kogai in nanban before? I just stumbled on this.-https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/nanban-kogai-and-kozuka-set-futakoromono Now where were these made?

Marcos I have seen two guards with four tsuba depicted on them [one was a modern fake or copy] unfortunately I can't lay my hands on the images. Both were certainly not as detailed as your superb sukashi - you should be justifiably proud to own it. Also I have seen some examples of tsuba on kozuka so it looks like almost all types of fittings have been decorated in this way - with one certainty - they are still pretty rare!

Marcos, there are a number of tsuba on tsuba already known - but Mr. Ōkawa has not wasted his time, his is a beautiful piece of workmanship. There was a thread earlier in the year on NMB on this very subject -

Keith, beautiful Habaki, I like the namban tsuba as well.

Hi Ali, there are a lot of good beginners books. I like two of Gary Murtha's books. "Tsuba" [2012] https://www.amazon.com.au/Tsuba-Japanese-Gary-D-Murtha-ebook/dp/B008DL2E7A & "Japanese Sword Guards - Art of War" [2015] https://uedata.amazon.com/Japanese-Sword-Guards-Art-Gary-Murtha/dp/1495115208 hard to find now. And for terminology "Handbook" by Markus Sesko. https://www.amazon.com.au/Handbook-Markus-Sesko/dp/3842364229 I put my own beginners guide out "Tsuba collecting for the Beginner" in 2015. https://www.amazon.com.au/Tsuba-Collecting-Beginner-D-Raisbeck/dp/1389385639 There is another author on NMB, Stephen J. King who has put out his own beginners book based on his own collection. https://www.ebay.com/itm/394045826480 You might be able to see if he has cheaper options. The links may not be the cheapest available but you should be able to find other sites from the descriptions and ISBN Numbers. You may get a few more titles to add to the list from members on NMB. Happy collecting it is a darn addictive hobby.

Hi Roger it looks like an attempt at a type called Uchimimikaeshi or Uchikaeshimimi depending on the reference. Unlike your example they are usually made from a thin round or oval plate with the edges turned in one direction while red hot and the 'corners' turned in the opposite. The plate looks thick on yours and it looks like it was a cross shape to start with. Perhaps it was a continental attempt to copy the Japanese style?

Temple bell are fairly common, one on auction now https://www.jauce.com/auction/k1019346842 no hole at the top and ura is just a plainer design of the omote. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/iron-tsuba-in-bell-form-depicting-kiyohime-wrappi-293-c-e068d26af7 No details of the ura but it does have a hole at the top. https://br.pinterest.com/pin/650910952377735943/ also no ura view but it appears wan-gata [cupped shape ] http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237/10401 Numerous rimmed designs as well. one here with bell and mask https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14758/lot/205/ The guard itself is not bell shaped obviously.

As far as tsuba go there are Tôran-kai 倒卵形 [also known as Hoju tsuba] which date back 1,500 years and on occasion turn up on auctions- see https://richardturner.wordpress.com/2009/04/10/toran-kai-倒卵形-tsuba/ https://tsubakansho.com/tag/hoju/ https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-1928107 [The Christies catalogue lists 129 as Shitogi but it is Hoju - jewel shape, Kofun refers to a burial mound] https://tosoguya.com/bronze_toran_kei.html - items for sale A link back to 2013 NMB with 'old' tsuba https://www.mandarinmansion.com/glossary/tsuba The earliest known tsuba are the so-called tôran-kai (倒卵形) or "inverted egg shaped" tsuba that date from the Kofun period of circa 300-568 A.D. These were most likely made by sword makers themselves. Metropolitan Museum, accession number 06.310.9. As Piers says, how far back do you want to go?

Welcome Ali Yes papers do tend to 'inflate' the price - in some cases up to or exceeding ten times the price. Papers can also be found to be wrong. Collect what appeals to you and don't buy just on whether it has papers. Assuming all Tsuba/or Nihonto in general on Ebay are rubbish is also a mistake, there are often very good pieces mixed in with the 'ordinary'. There are numerous auction sites that are far superior to Ebay, many direct from Japan, in fact many items sold on Ebay are also simultaneously sold on these Japanese sites at far lower prices. You should take advantage of NMB's expertise by seeing the reaction to any prospective buy [as you have done] but be cautious you don't give away the auction or you may have extra competition . For me personally, papers are the last thing on my mind when I buy any tsuba, indeed some of my most interesting pieces would never pass Shinsa. But so what!