Spartancrest

Hamidashi tsuba both hitsu are open. It is for a smaller sized tanto, nice raised rim. Wisteria decoration (?). The ura side looks recessed to fit over the Habaki closer into the saya. There is some information in this thread about similar types. An odd one here https://soldiersmuseum.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=97 It says it was fitted with a thick wooden seppa but the one you have has the recess better made.

Twice the mistake as the cm are wrong as well - they slipped a decimal point. The museum has a few badly out of whack dimensions and shows far too many images ura side only. It is a relatively big collection and mistakes are bound to happen but shouldn't a conscientious museum take corrections onboard?

This is the Museum that just keeps giving and giving https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/37862/ Wow the sword must have been enormous if the guard is 29 inches across! Dimensions 29 x 3/16 x 29 in. (73.6 x 0.5 x 73.6 cm) weight: 3.5 oz. (0.1 kg)

Viktor, have you noticed the two main designs of these "Fallen Liondancer"? One lot has bare feet like your last example and the other are wearing 'tabi' shoes as in your first one. Nice paperweights - now obsolete even for that purpose! Ebay junk https://www.eldreds.com/auction-lot/inlaid-shibuichi-presentation-tsuba-with-high-rel_10B489BA6A [expensive auction junk] https://www.ebay.com/itm/285283666195 [worse than junk!] https://germaniainternational.com/Japan.html Dragon High-Art [] Tsuba (signed) (Item Japan 1-14) DESCRIPTION: Here is a very fine bronze Tsuba. PRICE: $485.00 Christies sale - at least his tabi are clean

It looks very grand, Soten or Hikone style. I think from the work invoved in making it, you could expect the higher price. Out of my price range as well.

Hi Louis and welcome! Perfect place to ask. I think the tsuba is genuine - possibly late Edo - not top of the line but good. Sages studying a makimono [scroll]. You are correct the decorative tsuba were not used in warfare as such - at the time there was very little warfare going on, maybe a few personal feuds. The decorated tsuba were a means of showing status or wealth, Samurai didn't wear jewellery as such and displayed their wealth in their swords, inro and tobacco pouches.

Nice pieces Gary. I love the long eared rabbit sukashi! Some extra information for you on the double Ho-ou/Hōō https://yokai.com/houou/?srsltid=AfmBOopYPekWwOoB7MaC6Y_dMh3LxyxYTPes2yP-ePy9-Gbuf7KKQ8CY https://cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl/en/catalog/512025 https://bibliotheque...re&o=bookmark&n=0&q= See the illustration section [back of PDF] guard number 26

https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/8677/ - can someone close to Saint Louis lend the Museum a tape measure please. Just doing some basic image comparison the height [if indeed it is 44 mm] when compared to the width shows a difference of about the rim thickness - at a guess 3 mm? I don't see the guard being 44 mm in height to start with, it is much larger than for a tanto wouldn't you say? I don't think we can trust many of the sizes given by this museum. I look forward to seeing what the museum has to say - Dimensions 1 3/4 x 1 1/8 x 1/8 in. (4.4 x 2.9 x 0.3 cm)

These look like a modern design from sword part suppliers https://www.ebay.com/itm/256749986998 from China A little more exotic also from China. With a lot of Chinese reproductions they are often based on older genuine published designs - I haven't found the original piece yet though.

Bruno, yes some nice pieces, I discovered these when I was doing research on the Tadamasa Hayashi collection. Hayashi donated several of his pieces to the Guimet Museum back in 1894 - I am not sure what happened to the bulk of his collection, did it go to the Louvre or were they auctioned off?

Another from the same museum https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/37670/ - add this to approx. 20% of tsuba images in that museum showing the ura side only- Yes I have let them know, but will I get a reply?

Yes back again with more complaints - I just sent a message off to the Saint Louis Art Museum - I am sure it is just a typo, but can you see the problem of the dimensions given to this? https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/37636/ The Museum is also not very good at converting oz to grams.

It all looks off - that hitsu shape with the ategane is just odd - [where are my glasses? - - ] Oh that's right I don't wear any [Maybe it is time?]

https://www.jauce.com/auction/1180342028 What has happened here? It is not possible for the damage to have been caused in battle - not unless the attackers sword had cut through the sword blade itself. The tsuba must have been struck when unmounted - crazy destruction!

Piggybacking this thread with two new books just listed - both are Museum catalogues/catalogs and not scholarly works. Small collections with little information - picture books at best! https://au.blurb.com/b/12376932-tsuba-in-the-national-museum-of-norway Hard and softcover versions https://au.blurb.com/b/12376937-the-national-museum-in-warsaw-tsuba-collection Hard and softcover versions

https://paypayfleamarket.yahoo.co.jp/item/t1130313086 Not cast for $33 US. Good call on the cast Jean The hitsu should have had a file run through to clean up the overrun!

That is great idea and will no doubt be of immense merit to future collectors. As to the taxonomy I was going to try building a reference of known cast or "replica" pieces - the trouble seems to be that examples keep turning up making a comprehensive record next to impossible. For instance I started a record of Utsushi pieces that now makes up a book of 274 pages - and that is based on only about twelve basic designs! I am not talking about 274 examples but at least five times that number of individual pieces. Try the math 12 designs = at least 1,370 copies, times the number of known "common" designs and your guess is as good as mine. I still keep the book "open" adding utsushi when I find them. But it will never truly end. [a friend S.King did warn me!]

We are somewhat stuck with the definition of "Antique" = An object, often a collectible, that is at least 100 years old, prized for its age, beauty, rarity, craftsmanship, or historical significance. So we are stuck with anything over a hundred years old, but we have the choice to define what is beauty, rarity, craftsmanship or historical significance? I won't say most fakes are rare, have beauty or show any particular craftsmanship - but they may well have historical significance simply because they show a time when anything Japanese was all the rage - modern fakes are not antiques, but they may become that in another hundred years if we don't have the sense to 1. Stop the manufacture of landfill & 2. Make better use of energy and metals! Just an opinion.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405493486504 One listed here for US $1,135.25 [The site may be legitimate] Same exact guard, same images used but - DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SITE https://shopforsale.ru/product/326326781344 Suspected scam. In fact do not buy any of these! https://www.bonhams.com/auction/18307/lot/6093/a-nagatsune-tsuba-by-minamoto-nagatsune-edo-period-19th-century/ https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/auction/r1000252521?lang=en

Onin - Oh, the humanity! An interesting one from the Ashmolean museum image files - notice the "niku" around the nakago-ana and hitsu - was it made specifically for a boken or shinai? https://images.ashmolean.org/search/?searchQuery=EAX.5622

https://collectorsfirearms.com/112320-iron-tsuba-mgj750.html/ Brand new box - no cushions [slack quality] Is the auction house selling "half" daisho? Or do you need to bid [and pay extra fees] on the other half of the set? https://collectorsfirearms.com/20694-dai-sho-tsuba-mgj1408.html/ Daisho? Where is the other one? https://collectorsfirearms.com/20702-dai-sho-tsuba-mgj1405.html/ - Same question. Where is the other one?

Viktor - very very interesting, I have been following these "reproductions", "fakes" or "souvenirs" for more than ten years now and you have surprised me with a "new" one. [Same tagane-ato over and over again - it is the obvious area to check and it is a wonder it hasn't been altered in a better attempt to avoid scrutiny] The signature has been REPLACED on this fellow. It stands out very obvious against the polished back area of the seppa-dai which no longer has the same texture to the rest of the surface. Unfortunately the person smoothed off the end of the sekigane, back to the base metal under the paint layer - A good try but they --

Okan , I can't find the "crying from envy" emoji I like it but I can't afford it! https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1141876125

Hi Jiri and welcome. https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/tsuba-watch-0036/ I don't think it is Christian - certainly not "Hidden Christian" that is for sure. Nice silver fukurin which dresses up an earlier guard - I don't think Tempo/tembo had any other forms of decoration when they were first made - but fashions change I suggest this from the download section. It is very informative.

I will put my hand up and say I bought one years ago but I only paid $12 which is still more than they are worth - but a cheap enough paperweight price! Don't feel sorry for me - - I have had hours of fun bitching about the bloody things and trying to shy people away from them! One behind glass on Jauce https://www.jauce.com/auction/c1096574189 https://www.jauce.com/auction/e451593597 This could go over on the "Share the most cringeworthy tsuba you have seen" thread https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords10/KY337224.htm Not just the tsuba but the file and scruff marks on the blade they are selling!!