cdrcm12

Hi Grev, Just to say thanks, tsuba arrived today and very pleased with it. The postal service was excellent. A pleasure doing business with you.

Update, spot on with the translation although my one is slightly different from the normal style for this artist: http://militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/25446-owari-toda-hikozaemon-iron-tsuba/

That's fantastic, thank you for your help.

Hi, Looking for a little help with this one please, having scoured my reference books and the internet struggling a little. Tsuba is nice Tosho style, with sukashi of a wild goose. Images below of tsuba and close up of mei - tsuba is 76mm, seppa-dai 4.8mm, mimi 3.7mm. Unfortunately one character is illegible.

Hi Robert, Thanks for replying, yes its got a pretty poor patina. Its either been over cleaned or possibly in a fire at some point. Giving it a lot of handling and occasional oil to see if that helps!

One from me.

Hi Jean Apologies you are quite right.

Hi Thanks for responding, yes I can see where you get 'take' from. Some corrosion or excessive cleaning could have removed the other parts of the character. I've not found any Choshu artists working under Kiyoi but there are with Kiyotake, although the take is 高.

Hi, I'm posting in the Translation section first this Choshu tsuba to check my interpretation of the mei. I read this as Choshu Hagi ju Kiyoi saku (長州萩住清井作)? The last couple of characters are not 100% clear. Many thanks

Hi another Toshinaga. Like to see your whole tsuba please. Thanks

Dear Geraint and Jeremiah, Thank you for your replies and comments. Geraint appreciate your search on the clouds, I'm inspired to look again myself, if you find anything let me know. Found this one whilst googling, unfortunately little description: Jeremiah, Agree there are elements that could be Choshu, this one in the MFA collection, Inoue Kiyotaka, Chôshû School

Hi, A recent acquisition I believe to be Mito school, late Edo period. Dimensions: Height - 84mm Width - 79mm Mimi - 5mm Seppa dai - 4.8mm I like the nunome zogan on the clouds and dragon, and the small gold and silver zogan dots on the waves. The dragon has silver claws, a little worn, which is a nice feature. It's a little dirty in parts any advice on cleaning or who could offer this service, given it a little oil, a stiff brush and some ivory rubbing but there's too many intricate areas? I'm calling it a cloud dragon but seems to like the water as well! Have a good new year, hope 2021 is better than 2020!!

Hi Mark, Thanks for the response. I'll have at look at Tadatoki's work to get a comparison of the orientation of his hitsu ana. I can only presume the kozuka hitsu ana was only used, if at all. Echizen another good shout I'll have a look at as well.

Hi, Recent new addition, possibly Kyo Shoami (style), fishing boat with nets and plant of some description (?) dimensions below: Height - 79mm Width - 77.5mm Mimi - 3.8mm Seppa Dai - 3.2mm What has me a little concerned about the tsuba is the off set position of the hitsu. I'm familiar with hitsu of different sizes, irregular shapes and some that look a little off centre as well but not as much as this one. Looks to have been mounted at some point. Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks Greg. I've not seen another with a patina quite like it, others look similar. Wonder if it's original?

Hi Dale, the patina was one of the attractions for me, image probably doesn't do it justice. Certainly no one has taken Brasso too it! Like the idea of the diamond, certainly would be different!

Thanks Mauro.

Hi Adam, Yes it was on ebay, took a chance as it looked okay, came with a nice padded box.

Hi, I'm re-visiting this post having read the post on Tatsutoshi and students. This isn't specifically about that artist but more that in my original post the last character of the signature on the tsuba we thought was Naga 寿, I'm not so convinced and think this may be Toshi 壽 but that now doesn't make much sense Toshitoshi? Could the first character being something other than Toshi? Any thoughts or am I off track and the original translation of Naga is correct? Thanks

Hi Dale, I think it may have been the post I submitted in Dec 19. Sorry useless at copying links but search my user name hopefully you'll find it. Attached image.

Hi George, Thank you for such a clear explanation of the design on my tsuba. I will do some further reading on Dewa Sanzan.

Hi, I posted in the Translation Assistant last night the mei of this tsuba and thanks to Steve M for completing the translation. 江府住 - Kōfu-jū 逸平義久 - Itsuhira Yoshihisa I've now taken some images (hopefully they have come out okay?) of the whole tsuba which I think depicts fishing in springtime, going by a bit of research on Japanese/Chinese landscape prints. Assuming late Edo period. I can't find any information on the maker, any insight from the forum would be welcome. Found a couple of similar variations of this theme but unsigned. There doesn't seem to much in the way of literature on Kofu tsuba, but hopefully someone can point me in the right direction? Also interested in if this is the makers full name? Used to seeing two character signatures. Fishing in springtime, Ike - no - Taiga (1747) Tsuba dimensions: Height: 77mm Width: 71mm Mimi: 4.1mm Seppa dai: 4.4mm Thanks Colin

Steve, Thanks for the quick response. Colin

Hi, Recent addition, I'll post some further pictures shortly. I can translate the Kofu ju but the rest I can only get the last character Hisa. Was expecting Masahisa but doesn't look like that. Any help from the couple of images attached would be appreciated. Many thanks Colin

All, Thank you for your comments.