Bob M.

Item No. 96 - Iron Tsuba with gold, shakudo , copper and silver 8.30 cm x 8.70 cm x 0.38 cm Subject of bat in moonlight with cutout details of clouds and fog , plants and grasses to front and rear - mumei Unusual Octagonal shape with lots of detail . Thought to be late 18th cent. Bought nearly twenty years ago from a European Collection Item No. 97 - Iron Tsuba 6.56 cm x 6.04 cm x 0.51 cm Subject of bat in clouds ? Am I just being fanciful , or does the lower cutout represent a bat ?

Item No. 94 - Iron Tsuba 64.0 cm x 53.5 cm x 0.45 cm Iron sukashi tsuba for tanto - evidence of being mounted on numerous occasions Has a ' feel ' of a 17th cent. piece Item No. 95 - Iron Tsuba 9.21 cm x 8.83 cm x 0.35 cm One piece iron tsuba thin plate but heavy because of large size. Signed - Yatsuhiro Third Generation Jingo Made This tsuba is made from a single piece of iron with the dimension at the centre the same as the mimi. The metal has been carved away in order to allow the mimi to stand proud , rather than forging a lip on the edge . Quality piece of work as you would expect from the adopted head of the family . Haynes 02039.0 name - Nagayoshi ( 1691 - 1777 ) NBTHK papered

Item No. 92 - Iron Tsuba 7.22cm x 7.12 cm x 0.50 cm Almost circular Sukashi tsuba with theme of waterwheels Any suggestions re school ? late 18th cent. ? Recent Acquisition. Item No. 93 - Iron Mokkogata Tsuba with inlays of pale gold ? and silver - sahari ? 9.22 cm x 8.31 cm x 0.58 cm Heavy tsuba with inlays of Mullein / Verbascum ? in what looks like pale gold and also silver - maybe Sahari but without any ' blowholes ' Very fine detailing for the subject and materials used - very few losses . Nicely worked raised rim . No indication of age or school , showing evidence of multiple mountings. Part of an auction lot about 4 years ago

Just to say that I am taking a short break from posting to this thread - will be back to normal in a week or so... Thanks for all the interest ! Regards Bob

Item No. 91 Iron Sukashi Tsuba with Shakudo liners 7.17 cm x 6.93 cm x 0.50 cm Akasaka tsuba with theme of Chrysanthemums both in background and foreground . Hitsu-ana both lined with Shakudo. A classic Akasaka design , probably dating from late 18th cent. Mumei. NBTHK Hozon papers. Bought direct from Japan eight years ago.

Mid to Late 18th cent. Akasaka ?

Hi George , Many thanks for that - in Genealogies , there is a Masatomo shown as part of the early Bushu-Ito school . Is this possibly the same artist ? Regards

Anyway , back to the work in hand - Item No. 90 Iron Tsuba in kakugata shape 7.12 cm x 7.00 cm x 0.46 cm Raimon ? Sukashi signed indistinctly Kofu ju Masatomo + kao Simple almost austere design , competently handled . Can Haynes or Wakayama throw any light on to which school / generation this Masatomo belongs to ? Purchased from Japan 9 years ago.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments - I will try to keep this thread going with hopefully a few pleasant surprises along the way... Bob S - for my sins , yes, I do own the tsubas in the Hallam videos .Your question has prompted a thought - How would it be if at the end of this thread , ( admittedly some way in the future ), pictures of groups of fittings were posted together for ease of comparison / study? I am thinking of subjects such as Tigers , Shoki and Oni , Iris , birds etc , or maybe grouped by artist / school . Everybody , please let me know what you think and any themes arising... Grev , I think you must be referring to my alter ego , Bob the Terrible , he and I don't really speak much these days.

Aw shucks , George... and Barry...

Hi Glen , Thanks for the link to Darcy's page , I had never seen that tsuba before or the fact that he put a link to the Utsushi video . This is the bit where I come in, as it was me who commissioned Ford to make a replica of the missing piece and get the process documented for future interested parties to see. I don't know if you have had a chance to see the documentary , it is only about 25 minutes long - perhaps it is even something that might be worth using in school ? There is also another video - called Yugen , which documents in a slightly different way , the making of another tsuba with a millet theme. I commissioned that one from Ford several years after the tiger... Give me a shout if you want or need any more info. Regards P.S. to find the relevant videos ( Utsushi parts 1 & 2 ) and Yugen , just go to Ford Hallam's You Tube channel.

Re Item No. 89 Have had some discussion ' off board ' about this piece and the thinking is that it is probably right for workmanship and signature - I was not really expecting this. Any thoughts or comments from Board Members ? Regards

Surfson , You are most welcome - the more the merrier ! Regards

Item No. 89 - Kozuka in shibuichi , with gold , copper and shakudo Subject of a Nio temple guardian in typical pose , signed Katsuhira A well crafted kozuka featuring a ferocious Nio warding off evil spirits . The nanako in regular pattern and spacing , the inlays ( including the teeth ! ) all well executed. Tree engraved to rear. Bought from auction about seven years ago.

Hi John , That is too spooky for coincidence - perhaps we are being told something... Best , Bob

Hi John , Re Item No. 83 - looks like your tsuba and #83 could be a daisho pair between them . To me there is some variation in quality with the other examples you have posted , most obviously in the Boston and Bonhams where there is some misalignment of the punches - not great perhaps but noticable. Interesting research on the man behind the signatures - possibly a fitting that needs to go to shinsa. Thanks !

Re. Item Nos. 87 & 88 Additional photos taken at more oblique angles - maybe a little easier to see detail...

Item No. 87 - Iron Tsuba with shakudo , gold and silver inlay 7.15 cm x 6.90 cm x 0.52 cm , 0.90 over inlay Subject of the sea and beneath showing an octopus and a grouper type fish under the waves . Early 19th cent. ? Very difficult to see and photograph , but there are numerous silver dot inlays spread amongst the waves , the octopus and grouper both in a lustrous black shakudo. Acquired 3-4 years ago as part of a larger auction lot. Item No. 88 - Iron Tsuba with brass inlay 6.85 cm x 6.56 cm 0.39 cm Subject of vine leaves and tendrils on a hammered ground . Tendrils possibly gilt. 17th/18th cent ? Heianjo type tsuba on relatively thin plate. Inlay appears 100% intact. Bought at the same auction as Item No. 72 ( buffalo ) , for a pittance - nobody else interested. Will try to post some better photos on both of these.

Hi Grev, Have deleted posting - On second thoughts , not a good idea . Thanks for your response ! Regards

Re Item No.86 Some photos of the box as featured . This is made from over 1000 year old Japanese Cedar and still has the classic cedar fragrance. I understand that trees of this sort of age are classified in a similar way to ancient monuments. It is illegal to use any wood from them unless it is as a result of storm loss or natural death. This means that the wood is greatly sought after...

Re Item No. 86 Additional views

Item No. 86 - Set for Daisho pair in mixed metals Related themes on a recently mounted set of fittings by Ford Hallam These were made approx 18years ago as a commission for a U.K. collector and show themes or associated subjects such as tiger and bamboo , dragon and rain ,the chinese ' four gentlemen ' , autumn leaves etc. I will post some additional views of the fittings seperately , also of the box.

Hi Glen, Private Message sent... Regards Bob

Hi Mauro , Re Item No. 85 I am sure you are correct about the scenes being Lake Biwa - you have reminded me that I did a little research when I first bought the tsuba , about 15 years ago , and Lake Biwa was mentioned then . I had completely forgotten about it . Re Item No. 84 Ko-Shoami was the attribution given by the auction house at the time ( it was part of a larger lot ) . Heianjo would perhaps suit better... Thanks for your comments !

Item No. 84 Iron Tsuba with brass inlay 7.68 cm dia. x 0.50 cm Attributed as Ko-Shoami mitsudomoe design with vines and tendrils , early 17th cent. Nicely made iron tsuba , in good order with all inlay complete. Acquired at auction over nine years ago. Ex Clarence McKenzie Lewis Collection Item No. 85 Iron Tsuba with pewter ? inlays and gold decoration 8.32 cm x 7.85 cm x 0.46 cm Iron tsuba with a total of eight different scenes on inset plaques thought to be pewter , possibly illustrating part of the tales of Genji . Ichijo School. NTHK papered. Smooth , well worked iron tsuba , very tactile . The piece shows a few signs of having been mounted at some point . I have seen a number of these plaques in the past , mainly with tsuba , but these are the freshest that I recall. I think that they are little stampings ( rather than carvings ) which were produced in sets , but these were probably made when the stamps were new and still retained their original fine detail.