FlorianB

Please note that the european constellations are not the same as those in far east! Here's an old constellation map - alas I don't know where it comes from because the picture was hidden in the depth of my data. But please refer to these constellations when talking about star motifes on Tsuba.

Although there are similarities to star constellations these seem only coincidental. At least the mentioned constellations have different intervals between the stars. The idea of this scattered (chirashi) shippo-pattern (like many other patterns) is imperfection to symbolize transience and decay.

The both holes are called hitsu-ana, openings for kogai and kozuka when the Tsuba is mouted. There are many Tsuba on which one ore both hitsu-ana are plugged with soft metal, sometimes even with gold. Shutting the inner hole of the crest is not necessary, I think it would look nicer without the copper plug. BTW: If the kamon (heraldic sign) should be the kuyo-mon of the Hososkawa clan (see below) there should be nine stars (including the inner circle), but here we have ten! That's suspicious in my eyes.

Pounding rice with kine (mallet) in a usu (trough) for mochi production

Absolutley. Many iron plates with a more or less simple design have been pimped up with soft metals. Very attractive combination, though purists will shudder. Here's another piece of a fellow collector:

Here's another cucoo https://nihontofrance.com/tosogu-2/tsuba-akao-2/?lang=en

Is it Hayashi at all? Hayashi would have made a more precise symmetry. Here I see discrepancies in the axes and askew hanabishi. I would suppose it’s Shoami. They made such kidney-shaped openings, too.

Brute force?? I can't see it in this way – on the contrary its an elegant piece with subtle variations in the lattice. Maybe strong and self confident describes it better. Not really. There are a lot of Tsuba with either rounded or suhama-shaped ana on both sides, maybe to emphasize the balance.

Yes, indeed a nice piece! I suppose the mokume-structure has been enhanced by etching. Not unusual. Not clear to see, but I presume the mokume structures continue onto the rim as well?

Maybe symbolizing a hanaguruma (flower cart)? https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/fine-Japanese-art-2/kano-eikei-1662-1702-edo-period-late-17th-century

I have to correct myself, I’ve never heard of this plant before. The Trillium plant indeed could be found in Japan (Trillium camschatcense), specifically on Hokkaido. So this seems to be the right track. Perhaps a northern clan?

Tsuruta-san offers a suigetsu-Yagyu: https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumeiunsignedyagyunbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-tosogu/

What about the smooth surface of those Yagyu-pieces? Shouldn't be there a "sandy" texture?

I can't think of any flower with three petals. The shape of the blossom reminds me most of the Kikyo flower (Chinese Bellflower or Balloon flower). However, that one has five petals, so perhaps this is a design variation. Or simply a floral shape, according to the designer's whim.

I agree the pieces by John B are etched. But I wonder how to get the smooth transition of the details in the first one. The dot like elements on the others remind me to aquatint, a special way of etching for artwork: Colophony powder is applied to the surface and heated until it starts to melt. After cooling it sticks to the surface and protects the surface in an etchant. In the result You have something like a dot matrix in which the motif is scratched in. Similar can be done with lacquer by dropping or spraying with a brush as Robert S mentioned.

The days when you could buy something cheaply at a flea market that turned out to be a treasure are, unfortunately, over. Even in Japan.

Sorry I’m a "Doubting Thomas"! The longer I'm thinking over Ford’s video it seems a very time- and labour- consuming process if You do the same on an iron tsuba even if it is not hardened. BTW: Wasn't there once a discussion if Tsuba consist of iron or steel? Thus at least I plead for my method scraping the lines (like Ford shows it) into a lacquer coating and the etchant do the rest. Quick and easy.

Here are two specimen of yasurime enlarged which made me think they must have been etched and heated: However, Fords video made me think - although he used the scraping tool on a copper plate.

In my illustration I showed a very simplified version of the process. In fact I recognized myself, that there are different structures and tiny holes which I ascribe to non-homogeneous iron the Tsuba is made of.

Obviously I poked my nose into a topic which seems far more complicated I thought. At least the only way to explain undocumented techniques is by deduction and assumption. Concerning removing of lacquer the information I read was obviously wrong. However, I was thinking also about a mechanical removal by scraping or burnishing. Geraint, That is exactly what an etched Tsuba would look like without further treatment. Steve I have some other Tsuba with a smooth surface (and tekkotsu) which I always understood as a result of yakite according to the doctrine. Creating a high relief like this on Geraint’s Tsuba above is one method, but for an amida yasurime it is far more easy to scratch lines into a lacquered cover. Jean My problem was how to connect the terms „etching“ and „heat“, so my idea seems logic to me. – let them rust!

I haven’t found a detailed description of yakite-kusarakashi yet. Even Markus Sesko’s book gives only a vague account. This technique was used by some schools like Hoan. Knowing it is an European invention and together with my own experience with etchings (artistic prints) I guess the vital process as follows: The surface of the plain Tsuba is covered with lacquer to prevent a corrosion by acid. Either the motif is painted on a Tsuba or the piece is completely covered with lacquer and the motif is scratched in (for example an amida yasurime). Then it is put into an acid bath (I suppose it was hanged into a small canister containing the etchant) and the acid affects all uncovered areas of the metal. Note that the corrosion deepens uniformly irrespective of the width of the openings. After a certain time the Tsuba is taken out of the etchant, remnants of acid are washed off and the cavities form now a relief with sharp ridges. Thus at least the yakite process will smooth the surface and incidentally the lacquer is removed by burning (or does it flake off?). This seems logic because recently I read on this board that urushi can’t be dissolved with chemicals. There are also pieces on which acid has been dropped randomly directly onto the surface to get a more weathered look (i.e. more sabi). I hope I understood the procedure correctly but I don’t know neither which acid was used (I used sulphuric acid) nor the time which is necessary to corrode an iron Tsuba in this way (I only etched plates of soft metals like copper and zinc). Maybe someone has more detailed information? Thank You in advance!

Agreed with the previous opinions. There are many Akasaka-Tsuba without distinctive traces of layers. At least it means they are well forged. Visible or even open layers are often result of corrosion because the inner core is made of low quality iron. I would advise You to get a look on other Akasaka pieces to gain more experience how to recognize layers even if they are not clearly visible.

Concerning the tax lists: The book „The Culture of Civil War in Kyōto“ by Mary Elisabeth Berry is a more scientific book thus not easy to read and contain the history and development of Kyōto in the pre Edo-era. In chapter #5 she mentioned lists of products and manufactures which seem to have been assembled and published from time to time. The footnote No. 5 of this chapter (p. 324) says: „The earliest extant list of local manufactures and products is TEIKIN ŌRAI (…between 1394 and 1428) which notes 22 specialities for Kyoto and its environs. KEFUKIGUSA (… publ. 1645…) lists more than 1.800 products of the country, 39 percents of them issuing from the home provinces." (Kyoto no Rekishi vol.3, pp. 418-19) In the same chapter she cites „a rare census report of 1593 … listings 95 workplaces and shops“ in Kyoto. The footnote 36 (p. 327) says Kyoto no Rekishi vol.3, pp. 414-16, Kyōto chūsei toshi-shi kenkyū pp. 433-35 If those references will reveal some facts about Tsuba making in Kyoto I don't know, but it could be worth a look. Probably similar lists will exist from other towns, but I don't know.

Wouldn’t those be described as Shoami according to the idea of a „movement in design“? I also notice the different sizes of the hitsu-ana, a peculiarity frequently seen on Shoami works.

Glen, my upset settled down while I understand Your motivation. I read Your posts not twice but thrice to absorb it. Thank You for the input! Gut feeling and doubts also also based on particulars which are worth to be discussed. We all know (or should know) that there is no system at all to refer to. Akiyama’s cautious suppositions became facts by the thankful descendants. And today the same: It’s easy to follow these "facts". Give me a paper and I can cling to it. The NBTHK folks are the experts so who am I to doubt it? But Your mentioned „money making machine“: I can’t believe they do it solely for the sake of money – there must be higher ideals. BTW proofs: Maybe tax lists (if available) could be significant? When I read „The Culture of Civil War in Kyoto“ by M. E. Berry there have been tax lists mentioned. Although the reference was given I was not able to get insight in these. I don’t expect details but it would be interesting at least to get the number of workshops at those times (not so many I presume).