Soshin

Hi Mariuszk, I was not referring to Saga Kaneie school work as BS but the reasoning in my original post circa Jan. 2009. Here is the new photos taken last week. The pine needles are made of iron with a light patina. The dots associated with each needle is inlayed brass. Enjoy. :D Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, After looking at my post from almost four years ago the only thing I can say what a buch of bull sh-t. I did some much better pictures of my above tsuba and other more knowledgeable collectors have attributed my tsuba to the Saga Kaneie school. In terms of iron it also compares to a papered Saga school tsuba I have. I will post the better photos I did after work. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi John L., Thanks for the correction. Regardless we are just talking about mediocre late Edo Period work at best. Therefore it many be better If don't remember such things. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Allen, I generally agree with Grey but number five is signed Masafusa and not Masamichi and it likely the most valueable tsuba in the small collection at about $350 USD on a good day. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Colin, Nice tsuba. You do see many Nara school tsuba with these types of designs. I wonder what the design is in reference to. Likely maybe some old Japanese folk tale or Chinese legend. Thanks for taking the time to post your new photos of the tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Morita-san, Was this tsubako a master of the Aizu Shoami school? The detail and composition is wonderful. There was a wonderful unsigned Aizu Shoami school tsuba listed on Ginza Choshuya a high-end dealer shop website located in Tokyo. It is no longer on their website. The design was of a dragon. Thanks for starting the tread. Yours truly, Davis Stiles

Hi Henry, Thanks for the information and doing some research in that book. This book is still worth getting and I consider it my next purchase. It looks like the Sai-Hai is a common design for Yagyu tsuba from looking at the photo in Owari To Mikawa No Tanko. The caption also states that Yagyu tsuba of the third period (primarily made by Norisuke and the Futagoyama school) also used the Sai-Hai design theme. I would love to see in the two books sited in the caption as sources of the design if they have some Yagyu tsuba that are ita in place of sukashi tsuba with a Sai-Hai theme. Yagyu tsuba can be both ita and sukashi but in answer to you question I don't think Yagyu tsuba used inlays of any type. Here is a NBTHK papered ita Yagyu tsuba: http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F10412.html. I have came across another Yagyu with this crossed stick design but it was done in ji-sukashi. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Christian, Thanks for the nice reply and letting me know if the design is in the Yagyu design book or not. That bit of information is very helpful. Hi Rich T., Thanks for the reply as well. Looking at Skip's note again about the tsuba it says Iwata Norisuke who is the second generation Norisuke and head of the Futagoyama school. If you know of anyone selling the book Owari To Mikawa No Tanko by Sugawara that would be great. I would like to have it to continue my study of tsuba from Owari. Yours truly, David Stiles

Very well said by Jean. Congratulation Ford! Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Colin, Thanks for the reply. Grey did tell me that other people were intrested in it but I was the first. Next time I am at a show I will need to ask Skip about this tsuba. Not having access to the Yagyu design books I can't confirm if this is a Yagyu tsuba. Regardless it is inline with what I want to collect be clearly of Owari origin. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Denis, I would estimate a late Edo Period Myochin work. What are the tsuba measurements including thickness? Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Have not posting anything new on NMB tosogu forum for a few months. Just finished with photos of a new tsuba I purchased after selling three tsuba and a koshirea. The design is of a sai-hai or baton carried by a samurai commander in feudal Japan. The sai-hai was culturally a sign of rank. Here is a link for more information about the design via Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saihai. The overall size is a small one at 6.5 cm X 6.2 cm. The thickness at the rim is 5.7 mm. The tsuba is really fun to look at in hand. The characteristics of the iron (color and sandiness), overall size, and square rim reminds me of the Futagoyama school of the Owari Province circa late Edo Period. Here is a NBTHK Hozon Tosogu Kanteisho example of the schools work on my website:http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo23jk/id20.html. The tsuba on the right side of the screen. Layers can be observed along the inside edge of the openings much like the tsuba on my website. The original owner was thinking it was a late generation Yagyu tsuba and the Futagoyama school headed by Iwata Norisuke did make some late Yagyu tsuba but I am not sure if the Hai-Sai is a design found in the Yagyu Family design books. Please feel free to comment, add additional information, and thanks for looking. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Ford, I love your work Ford I hope you do well in the contest. The idea that there is no good tsubashi in Japan is completely false. This is a very nice tsuba you posted. If I knew it was for sale I would not have spent all my saved money on a Yagyu, Ko-dai tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi, I would agree with Ken W. comment. I found a small hand magnifier very helpful in my study of tosogu. Yours truly, David Stules

Hi Ford, What a wonderful tsuba. :D Good to see you don't spend all you time on NMB. Best of luck at the contest. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I would agree with Clive the plate condition isn't that good as there is what looks like red active rust. The date is also Edo Period as well. The detail of design is also good. Nara school masters generally signed their work so I don't think it was produced by one of them. With that said it might be a Nara school work. The is just my free opinion. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Christian, Here is what I am referring to please see below. Mr. Haynes also talks about this in regards to a Ko-Tosho and Ko-Katchushi tsuba in his collection in the recent book circa 2010 Study Collection of Japanese Sword Fittings (Gai So Shi) items #8 and #18. I hope my question is now clear. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Ford, I am just agreeing with you. Mr. Haynes did help John Berta with the article. In a more recent book 2010 it is claimed that the reversibility of some design of Ko-Katchushi tsuba example would prement then to be mounted on a tachi or tachi like sword worn with the edge down. This also influenced me in asking my first question as the Ko-sukashi design on my tsuba is reversible like Mr. Haynes' fine Ko-Katchushi example. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Ford, I remember reading this bit of misinformation a few places including NMB which left me dump founded a bit. This was in part the reason for the tread. There is well docurment edvience that there was extensive trade between mainland China and the Ashikaga Shogun in Kyoto. As the Onin group was based in Kyoto as well as the Shogun government the time period and place match. The only question that now remains could my Onin tsuba or for that matter any other of the same age be mounted on a tachi or similar style of sword that had the edge worn down? In regaurds to your other major point my Onin like others I have seen in photos look to be modified Ko-Tosho tsuba with Chinese brass inlays. This would indicate a Ko-Tosho and not a Ko-Katchushi origin. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, I was reading through the old (circa 1985) JSSUS article titled Tsuba with Brass Inlay by John Berta. He states that Onin tsuba were originally without additional hitsu-ana for the kogi or kozuka and if they are present then they were added later. It goes on to say that the origin of the Onin tsuba is with Katchushi tsuba makers starting to inlay their tsuba with new imported Chinese brass. With this very expensive inlay even more expensive then gold at the time during the middle Muromachi Period does it not make sense that these early Onin tsuba would be mounted on Tachi used in a formal setting? Another possibly it was used on some time of transitional type of sword that had both uchigatana and tachi characteristics. With the design on my Onin tsuba much like many Tachi tsuba it can be reversed with the cutting edge down. I date my tsuba by comparing characteristics discussed in the article to the height of production of Onin tsuba from between the Onin and Tenmon eras (1468-1554) of the Muromachi Period. The kozuka hitsu-ana was likely added during the early part of the Edo Period as indicated by its shape. The measurements for my tsuba are 7.8✕7.6, 2.5 mm thickness at the rim. More detail about this tsuba can be found on my website. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Thanks for posting such a fine example of the Nara school. I don't have any idea as to the theme. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Grey, Looking at too many tsuba like it will likely cause me to go blind. I agree with Curran's points specific about it being a mediocre repair. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Everyone, Here was the Umetada tsuba I was thinking about. It dates to around the time of Umetada Myoju which is Momoyama to early part of the Edo Period. It might be oxidation I am looking at collected into lines of the katakirbori carvings as Ford has pointed out. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Grant K., Yamagane is the Japanese term for unrefined copper. Rich T. has some very good examples on his site. I remember a masterpiece done in refined copper by Umetada Myoju where the rim and other features were highlighted using black lacquer. Once home I will try and fine the photo to post for your refernce. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Grant K., Not as familiar with these type of tsuba but it does look Japanese and anitique. Check my website for more information about types tsuba I know most about. The black highlights are likely lacquer. This is a common technique to do highlights with this type of carving in soft metal. I cannot confirm the signature is real as false signatures are not uncommon on real Japanse antiques. Overall the quality of carving looks average at best and the price is over the top in my opinion typical of eBay. Yours truly, David Stiles