FamilleNoire

Hello everyone, Some short time ago I posted some images of a small collection of Tsuba that I acquired out of an old Dutch ethnographic collection, and folks here were spectacularly helpful with authenticating and identifying them. In the same collection there were these two Fuchi. The gentleman who's collection these came out of traveled extensively in the east in the 40s-50s. All of the items in his varied collection were carefully documented on small cue cards. I have included a picture of the card for these two fuchi. Thoughts on the pair of fuchi from individuals more learned then myself on the subject of Japanese fittings (that means pretty much everyone here) would be very much appreciated. Unlike the tsuba, I am seriously considering trading, or if necessary selling these if they might be desirable--You just can't collect everything! Thanks, Kemp

Thank you for the additional comments and thoughts! This is fantastic stuff to be able to read. Brian, The tsuba with the "mangi" is not pierced all the way through. The rougher texture that can be seen between the raised portion of the pattern in indeed part of the tsuba. The light was a little better outside today, so I shot a couple more photographs of the tsuba in question, and added a photograph of one of the cue cards from the Dutchman's collection. -Kemp

Thank you very much gentlemen! Stephen, thank you for the offer, I will send you a PM, however as I am getting interesting in potentially collecting tsuba I don't believe I will be looking to move anything on at this point in time. Grey, I strongly appreciate the information, that's wonderful. -Kemp

Hello everyone, I have stumbled into a little collection of five tsuba. Although an avid collector of 17th-19thc western tools, early Canadiana, and a few other things, these are my first tsuba, and it is no understatement to say that I know nothing about them. At the moment I have some books on order from my library about tsuba, however I am hoping some folks here might be able to give me their thoughts on the tsuba I have acquired. My instinct is that they are more resent tourist pieces, and not "genuine" examples made for domestic consumption, however as I said, thoughts from individuals more learned on the subject then myself would be appreciated. They came from an ethnographic collection that belonged to a Dutch gentleman who traveled extensively in the east in the 1940s-50s. All of the items in the gentleman's varied collection were documented on small cue cards with watercolours of the items (I have not included photographs of the cards on account of photo restrictions). At any rate the tsuba, and a couple fuchi that also came with the collection (the latter also not shown) are at least as old as the 50s... One of the tsuba is marked with a small tag that reads "KINAI-KURU 17th IRON". As can be seen in the photographs the central body of this piece appears to be one piece, and the outer band surrounding it, an other. This is confirmed by a slight looseness of the outer band. P.S. If only one side of a tsuba is shown in the photographs it is because there is no signature present on the obverse. -Kemp