Soshin

Hi John, Nice quick write up of what Zen is. The only minor points I could add is that Chán is the Chinese term for Japanese Zen. Chán was a translation of the Sanskrit word dhyana (meaning meditation) into Chinese. Chinese Chán is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism notable for its emphasis on Dharma practice and meditation. As for the menuki the expression of wabi-sabi is in the worn gold inlays and the patina of the base metal in my opinion. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Mariusz K., Some true words of wisdom. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Curtis R., The lack of a signature on a very ornate and fine works was the practice for gift (kenjo) tsuba. Stylistic and technical techniques of my tsuba indicates it is a work Awa Shoami (Hirata family) school who worked only for the Daimyo family of Awa Province during the Edo Period. Check my website (link below) for a full write up about my tsuba as well as the linked discussion above. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Jean, Nice menuki set thanks for posting. I would agree with John and say Ezo. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Curtis R., I did notice something interesting looking at your tsuba. I noticed that the tsuba you posted lacks any yose-tagane around the nakago-ana on the omote side like my tsuba has. The chisel marks with a characteristic shape on my tsuba could have been used as a way for the artist to sign this work without using a formal signature. This would be important specifically for a Kenjo tsuba use by Daimyo or his direct retainers and associates where a formal signature would not be allowed. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Curtis R., This tsuba you are researching is likely a later copy (circa Late Edo Period) of my tsuba discussed on this tread here: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13617. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Christian, I call it a informal kantei as the tsuba is not papered by a recognized organization and any judgement right or wrong is just my educated opinion as a collector. Yes you might be right about the calling it immediately after posting the tsuba I likely should have waited a bit. In regards to your second question I have never examine any Ko-Shoami tsuba with this many large granular iron bones. Generally they are much fewer and smaller in size on Ko-Shoami tsuba. Also the thickness in relation to overall size of tsuba isn't often seen in Ko-Shoami tsuba as well. Hi Kunitaro-san, You bring up an important kantei point about the jitetsu which is also characteristic of Kanayama craftsmanship. Typically the jitetsu of Ko-Shoami is more of a dark brownish black in color while the jitetsu of Kanayama tsuba are a dark brownish blue in color. In terms of the design at the top and bottom it could be a cross or some other design of European influence. Thanks for everyone's interest in the tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here is my kantei attempt at the tsuba. To me it looks like a classic Kanayama tsuba from Owari Province of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568 – 1615) (安土桃山時代). The small size, great thickness, many granular iron bones, hammer marked surface, and the rounded square shaped rim when but together all in a single tsuba with a some what abstract ji-sukashi design is characteristic of Kanayama craftsmanship. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, A friend of mine and long time collector of Nihonto and Tosogu wanted me to take and post on the NMB some nice photographs and a description of this tsuba that he let me borrow for awhile to study. I will begin with some basic information and some nice detail photographs of the plate and rim. I will then follow with my own kantei of the tsuba. Your own analysis, feedback, and opinions about the tsuba are always welcome. The tsuba has not been papered by any organization. Thank you. Basic Information tem Name: Wild Geese and Pine Trees Japanese Title: 雁に松地透 図鍔 (kari ni matsu ji-sukashi zu tsuba) Material: Iron (tetsu 鉄) Size: 7.0 X 7.0 cm, 5.5 mm at the rim Signature: mumei (無銘) 　 Shape: Maru-gata (丸形) Openings: Ryohitsu ana (両櫃孔) Surface Finish: Tsuchime-ji (槌目地) Attachment: None General Observations Along the rim of the tsuba has many large granular iron bones (tekkotsu). The rim has a rounded square shape (kaku-mimi koniku). Overall the tsuba was a bit over cleaned by the previous owner before my friend specifically along the inside surfaces of the sukashi. It also has a few places where the patina is thin but overall not that bad. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here is my all time favorite (sorry Mike Y.) tsuba with this design. Keep in mind I still really likes Mike Y. example which is more then likely older. This tsuba is a NBTHK Juyo Tosogu made by the Ko-Shoami school circa the later part of the Muromachi Period. I just love the ji-sukashi design of the ken (swords) within the rinbo (Dharma Wheel). The photo was taken from Token Bijutsu Magazine. Enjoy everyone. :D Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Pete K., Thanks for the additional details and the clarification the rubbing of Nobuie tsuba were complied and reproduced in the Bakumatsu Era by Nakamura. To say they were published by him isn't compeletely accurate statement on my last post. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, It is a nice weather today for November in Maryland so I did a art photo of what I think is a Ko-Tosho tsuba in my collection. It is unpapered and of average size at 8.0 cm is diameter. The thickness at the rim is 3.0 mm. The ko-sukashi design is of a war fan or gunbai in Japanese. The kozuka-hitsu ana I think was added later to the tsuba. The patina is a bit thin in a few places but overall not that bad and no active rust. The color of the patina that is there is a nice bluish-black characteristic of Tosho tsuba. The rim also displays a fair number of fine tekkotsu and the surface displays the hammer marks (tsuchimei-ji) of the tsuba maker. More photos of this tsuba is on my website. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Ford, That is a really good point. I think the publication of this book: http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/c125-nobuiye-tsuba-shu-akiyama-kyusaku had a really big impact in the making of many late Edo Period Nobuie style tsuba by swordsmiths. The specific book I linked to is the 1926 edition by Akiyama Kyusaku which was taken directly from the original work Nobuiye Tsuba Shu by Nakamura Kakudaiyu. This early book of Nobuie tsuba rubbings was published is the 1850s and it was a first of its kind. Before that the Nobuie designs were not know to the general Japanese public. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here is a good example of this schools work with NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho papers: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/tsuba27.html. The example is in a late Edo Period Nobuie style and is a signed work of Naoaki a student of Naokatsu. Yours truly, David Stiles

Dear Mike Y., Thank you for posting such a wonderful tsuba. The ji-sukashi design is clearly a Buddhist Dharma wheel in my mind. The patina of the iron is just wonderful. I could picture the old Tendai-shu warrior-monks such as Benki would have such a tsuba on their Odaichi or Nagamaki. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Henry W., Good question. I think it is likely size, age, and quality of iron as well as the ko-sukashi design. This just my opinion and what I would look for. The patina as already stated is also really important. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Mike Y., I would like to acknowledge and thank you for all of the wonderful examples you have posted on the NMB. All of which are way outside of my purchaing power and would not normally be accessible to me. Being a member of the American branch of the NBTHK I would also go on to personally thank you for all the wonderful research material you have put together for NBTHK members in the USA. Please continue posting on NMB but if you had enough I can fully understand as I somestimes wonder why I contribute myself. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Henry W., That is a nice tsuba you linked to. I generally agree with Kunitaro-san statements with following exception. Lately the NBTHK has only been using the Ko-Tosho describtion for tsuba that date from the Middle Muromachi Period or before. This is different than how Sasano and others in the past have used the term to refer to pre Edo Period Tosho tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Stephen V., No the tsuba designs were carved and inlayed. I will send you a PM shortly so you can send me better photos for my reference. The two quickest indicators that this tsuba was never intended to be mounted on a sword is because 1) it lacks a seppa-dai area free from a design carving and inlay around the nakago-ana to rest the seppa used to fit and fill gaps between the tsuka, tsuba, and habaki, 2) the nakago-ana has never been altered to fit a nakago of a Nihonto. The Japanese generally use the term shiiremono which literally means “received commodity”to describe these type of decorative art of the Meiji Period while nicer pieces were for domestic use a larger proportion of pieces were of lower quality intended for export to west. Haynes's Index has the following dates for is signed works 1867 and 1875. The last date is the 8th year of Meiji Period. It is record that he was born in city of Mito Hitachi Province and work at Mukogaoka in Tokyo. Hope you find this little bit of additional information helpful. Edit: Here is a link to a signed tsuba by this artist at a Christie's Auction http://www.christies.com/lotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4777232 this was provided by Stephen V. by email. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Ludolf, Thanks for the more specific information about who made the tsuba during the Meiji Period. I will take out my copy of Hanyes's Index and look up the artist this evening. I was wanting to add this is a good example of shirimono produced in the Meiji Period. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Stephen, In my opinion you tsuba looks to be from the Meiji Period. It was never indented to me mounted on a Nihonto and was made and sold mostly for the export market. The Japanese term for this "shiiremono". Would a more detail discussion of how I arrived at this conclusion be helpful? Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Janusz, What are the measurements of both tsuba including thickness? Both tsuba I think are real and of Japanese origin. The second tsuba I am fairly sure is a Kinko (soft metal) Sanmai tsuba from the Edo Period (1616-1868) but can't be completely sure until I see the inside surfaces of the openings as well as a view of the plate rim. The first tsuba which is iron is more difficult and it looks like it dates to the later part of the Edo Period (~1770-1868) and would likely be the work of the Shoami school from that time Period. The Shoami would also work these type of sukashi designs like this among a course surface. This late Edo Period date I think is indicated by heavily contrived hammer marks on the plate surface and dry blackish color of the patina. The rim cover of the first tsuba was likely added much later and is not original while the rim cover on the second tsuba is original and is typical of Sanmai tsuba and how they are made. I hope you find some of the information helpful. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Alan, It might have said Norisuke but at this point it is really hard to tell. I agree with Christian the tsuba was not repatinated. Norisuke and the Futogoyama school in Owari were the major producers of late 3rd generation Yagyu tsuba during the Late Edo Period. Finding Norisuke tsuba with strong Yagyu design isn't uncommon. Here is a school example that was unsigned and papered by the NBTHK to Ko-dai Yagyu: http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F12184.html. I think my tsuba would paper the same way by the NBTHK if submitted. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Denis, After spending the evening looking for information and organizing some of my Nihonto related information from the NBTHK I was not able to find any information on it electronic or otherwise. I was very upset and regretful with myself for selling this Nihonto that I didn't leave any records having had it include photos or a write up. Now the only thing that remains of the Nihonto is in my memories. I sold it to a collector in Chicago so maybe I'll see it at the Chicago Japanese Sword Show in a few years. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I once had a signed Echizen Kanetane Katana with NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho. Let me do some searching on my computer tomorrow to bring up information about the Nihonto. If I remember correctly it is was in old polish and was papered in the 1970s. Likely new papers at the time wound have required a new polish. When I had it I was thinking it was the work of the Shodai Kanetane of Echizen. It was a really nice katana. P.S. This I think this is my first post in the Nihonto forum. Yours truly, David Stiles