Soshin

I like the tsuba as well. I would agree that the tsuba posted here is very similar to the first two tsuba listed at Japanesesword.com website. Yours truly, David (Soshin)

Thank you Brian for posting the whole set of tosogu. They are wonderful even if they are gimei. Yours truly, David (Soshin)

I have a iron tsuba simply signed Masfusa. The over condition of the gold and silver inlays are not great but the quality of the iron of this tsuba is much better then other iron tsuba in my collection. I did some research and found out that there were two schools of tsubako in the Edo period that had members that used that name the Bushu Ito and the Shoami Schools. From a stylistic analysis of the tsuba I would say it is likely Shoami school and not Bushu Ito but I know from this forum that stylistic analysis should be the last thing to consider when preforming a kanei on a Tsuba. I have posted a scan of the omote (面) side of the tsuba for reference. If anyone can provide additional information that would be a big help. Yours truly, David (Shoshin)

Thank you Peter for taking the time to address the larger issue with me trying to kantei my tsuba. Looking at the photograh you provided the type and quality of the forging of my tsuba would not fit with the Owari school classification of the Momoyama to early Edo periods. Yours truly, David (Soshin)

I am just posting a reply to my own thread as a reminder and to help facilitate recall for fellow forum members about my post. I came across the same stylistic sukashi bird patterns in a Tusba posted on this forum that was listed for sale as a Momoyama period Tsuba from the Heianjo School. I am fairly sure my tsuba is Edo period but could have been a copy made from this type of Tsuba of the Momoyama period or early Edo period. Here is the link to the post I am referring to. http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5336 The Tsuba is near the bottom of the for sale listing. Thank you for taking the time to read my post. Yours truly, David S. (Soshin)

Dear Gunome, I am not sure of the school of the tsuba but the design looks interesting thanks for sharing. The patina on the tsuba looks like it is in really bad condition. Did you get the tsuba in that condition? I have heard of people fixing patina on altered and damage tsuba but I have never seen any and I am not sure if it works. Yours truly, David

Dear Raven2, Nice tsuba, I have been meaning to go to the Chicago and San Fransisco shows sometime in the future. Lately I have been spending to much money on trips to Japan. Thanks for posting photos of your new tsuba. I really like the kiku (Chrysanthemums) design in Kyo Sukashi form. The tsuba('s) sabi also looks great. Yours truly, David

In terms of the design of the tsuba being the sun surrounded by rays of light that is also a strong possibility because the symbol of the sun has very strong connections to a few different aspects of Japanese Buddhism. The presence of the numbers 4 and 8 in the design is also unmistakable in my opinion. The specific aspect I am refereeing to is the Buddha named Dainichi Nyori in Japanese. A quick translation in English of the name of the Buddha would be "Great Sun Buddha". As for the age of the tsuba I likely say it is Momoyama or early Edo and the design copied from early Muromachi period (ca. 1400) works. Still I really like the tsuba even though it's geometry is a little off. Yours truly, David

Dear Peter, It could be a sun but after counting the number of sukashi openings in the tsuba I would likely say that the sukashi tsuba is in the form of a styled Buddhist Dharma wheel (Skt. Dharma Chakra) in Japanese called a Rinbo. I remember reading about a Tsuba that had similar design in a issue of the NBTHK monthly magazine. In the article it provided a fine example of a sukashi tsuba done in the design of a Rinbo. The tsuba had eight spokes in positive form in the wheel shape. Water wheels are also common but often have more then 4 or 8 spokes to the wheel design. Your sukashi tsuba has four positive form (ji-sukashi) shape and eight negative form sukashi openings. Both numbers 4 and 8 are very important in Buddhism. I hope you find this information helpful and thanks for sharing the photos on the forum. I am not sure what the school of sukashi tsuba belongs to. Yours truly, David

Thanks for correcting me John. I wasn't sure if I had the omote and ura sides correct on a tsuba when I posted. Yours truly, David Stiles

Dear Thierry BERNARD, Thanks for posting such a interesting photos of tusba on the forum. Generally If I am not incorrect and have things backwards the ura side of the tsuba has the mei on it most frequently. The ura side being also the most ornate side of the tsuba facing the tsuka and hands. As in Thierry Bernard case his tusba has it on the omote side of the tsuba which is rare. Yours truly, David

I had this Tusba in my collection for awhile. I have seen other tsuba with the stylized bird designs in Ji-sukashi labeled as Owari school. The iron of the tsuba is really nice and it rings like a bell when taped. Any information would be helpful as I am researching items in my tosogu collection. P.S. I remembered the website where I saw the Owari school sukashi tsuba at. Here is the link to the web-page. Maybe the author of the nice website in on the forum. It is at the very bottom of the page: http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/owari.htm Yours truly, -David

In answer to your original question. I would say it really depends on what the persons collecting style is and his or her personality. I tend to collect things that I find pleasing to look at as very refined Japanese folk art. I generally classify Nihonto and tosogu as very refined folk art. This style of collecting of mine can run a board range of quality from papered works to antique fakes (i.e. gimei) but I am never disappointed with my purchase. I enjoy researching each item if it is papered or not and try to learn as much as I can not just about style of craftsmanship and time period but also try to understand some of the Japanese classical culture that goes into the design of the art depicted in the Nihonto or tosogu. Take care and enjoy collecting and researching. :D

I have a tauba with a hitsu ana blocked off with lead and I think it looks fine. It adds more age and character to my tsuba. The person who added the lead plug knew what he was doing and did a fine job. I am of the opinion that someone should not trying to "repair" tsuba. I am also of the opinion that cleaning off of dirt and active red rust is fine if is done correctly leaveing the nice natural patina.

Great looking tsuba! :D I have seen another tusba that was mumei like this one with only the artists seal in kin-iroe. It was listed on eBay and I bid on it but it never got above the reserve price and I don't think it was ever relisted. I am sorry I can't provide any additional information about the maker of the tusba.

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback I have obtained about my study/collection of menuki. I noticed something about the chrysanthemum flowers on this set of menuki. It has a dark silver hue to them that make me think Shibuichi but gin (silver might be a possibility) for the chrysanthemum flowers. The oak leaves are dark in places not highlighted by the kin-iroe. Here is a photograph of the back side of the menuki. The small horizontal bar that extends out the back of the menuki appears to be copper. The base metal of the back of the menuki is dark.

I was reading up on the section entitled "Decoration in the Goto Style" in my only book resource on tosogu "Lethal Elegance" by Joe Earle. It said (paraphrasing) that the later Goto style had a interest in motifs from nature and carefully copying them from real life images. This coying from real life images was a western influence on the late Goto tradition. This sounds very consistent with the theme of my menuki being oak leaves intermixed with chrysanthemum flowers. Here is a little bit more information about my set of menuki. I had a few different people take a look at them a said the the base metal is likely Shibuichi with kin-iroe (gold highlights). The base material is much lighter then my other sets of menuki which have shakudo as their base metal.

I have started collecting menuki and how have a few sets. I was wondering if menuki like tsuba and other tosogu can be classified into categories by style and/or tradition. Basically in a similar manner in which tsuba can be classified. Here is a photograph of a set of small menuki that I purchased a few years back from Aoi Art in Tokyo http://www.aoi-art.com/. The only thing I know about them it that they date back to the middle Edo period. They are mumei. I am also looking for on-line or print resources that might also be helpful in my research. Thank you very much for providing any additional information.

Here is a another topic about "Kaneie" tsuba: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4251 On the second page of the topic I posted a photo of mine tsuba which is a 19th Cen. late Edo period Shoami school copy that was signed with a fake Kaneie signature. The signature on my tsuba is in a style trying to fake the second famous Kaneie tsuba-ko. I still like my tsuba but it isn't a lost masterpiece as I was hoping. :lol: I hope you find the topic URL helpful in your study.

Dear Ian, Is the fukurin glided in gold? I can make out what looks like a gold glided fukurin from both photos of each side of the tsuba. A silde veiw photo might be helpful as well. If it is then that's really impressive and it adds a nice contrast to the dark iron patina of the body of the tsuba and matchs some of the highlights. David

Ian, nice tsuba. Do you know what the mei reads? I can't see the mei from the photo you have uploaded. A close-up of the mei area would be helpful. Thanks for sharing photos of your tsuba with us.

I had to fix a few display boxes that were broken in a similar way your photo shows becasue the person selling the tusba to me shipped the tsuba inside the display box. Luckily there wasn't any damage to the tsuba(s) themselves.

Looking at the tusba I think you are correct about the inlay work of the pine needless. It is completely made of silver. Given the fact that for a large part of the medieval period in Japan Kyoto and other parts of western Japan were on a Silver standard it would be very expensive to make inlays of pure silver. In regards to the mei in my original post I was simply trying to say that the mei says the same thing in Japanese as the Kaneie II and Saga School not that my tsuba has a authentic signature of either the Kaneie II or Saga schools. I didn't pay very much for the tsuba in Japan and I wasn't expecting very much in the first place. I just wanted to post the picture for research and discussion purposes. Thank you John for the information about my tsuba was many Shoami style gimei copies of Kaneie common in the 19th Cen.? I still find the idea of a antique fake kind of interesting.

Thanks docliss for information about the Saga Kaneie school. I am new to the Nihonto Message Board I have another Kaneie tsuba obtained from Japan signed in a similar way as the tsuba list in the post and in the same way as the original second Kaneie (i.e. Meihin Kaneie). "Yamashiro kuni Fushimi ju Kaneie" I am thinking it could belong the Saga Kaneie school or if I really lucky made by the second Kaneie. My tsubas is a really nice looking tsuba and it likely the best I have in my small tsuba collection. The color might be a little off because I did the photograph with a scanner. Here is a small photograph for comparison and discussion purposes enjoy.