Brian Posted March 3, 2013 Report Posted March 3, 2013 Haven't posted this one before, as I just consider it maybe a late Edo or Meiji piece, but knowing nothing about this style I thought I would post it and see if anyone can confirm or deny. Came on a "Muramasa" hira zukuri katana that looks to be more Shinshinto utsushi. The tsuba is copper? or similar, and looks to have some remains of laquer or other patination in the low spots. Anyone know what the motiffs are? Religious symbols or otherwise? Sizes can be posted tomorrow if needed. Most features can be seen in the pics hopefully. Thanks for any info. Brian Quote
christianmalterre Posted March 3, 2013 Report Posted March 3, 2013 Looks very good to me Brian Suaka/Yamagane as it seems...some remaining spots of gold(mimi)(if i do see right),rather enlongated Seppa-Dai as it seems... Old...(Momoyama) some Ko-Umetada stylism mixed with Ko-Kinko stylism(in a certain way their´s Aoi from that time) i think... Smaller-Kyo stylism evidend... In Sum.... Very nice! Christian Quote
Marius Posted March 3, 2013 Report Posted March 3, 2013 IMHO, Edo suaka tsuba. The sukashi is awkward and the openings are way too crisp to be Momoyama. A revival piece, I dare say. Quote
Soshin Posted March 3, 2013 Report Posted March 3, 2013 Hi Brian R., A tsuba being late Edo or Meiji Period doesn't mean its categorically bad just not that old and not on the Yamabushi Antiques website.:lol: I would say your tsuba is a little bit older likely dates to the middle Edo Period and belongs to the Kinko group. Some of the mon-sukashi looks interesting as one looks to be a manji a common symbol used in Buddhism and the other is a tomoe or ying yang symbol. All of these would have been considered good luck symbols to the Edo Period samurai caring this sword. Would love to know the detail measurements. Thanks for posting it for discussion. Yours truly, David Stiles Quote
Brian Posted March 4, 2013 Author Report Posted March 4, 2013 Thank you gents. Yeah, mid-Edo revival piece would fit with the feeling that I get from it. Crisp detail does indeed point away from earlier in this case. I do like it though. Brian Quote
christianmalterre Posted March 4, 2013 Report Posted March 4, 2013 Me do like it too Brian send me some hint when case "yes i would part" does reach tide... Christian Quote
Ron STL Posted March 6, 2013 Report Posted March 6, 2013 Interesting tsuba. My first impression was ko-kinko. The hammering around the nakago-ana was convincing. The crispness of the sukashi could happen since the plate is protected by a heavier rim. But I would had thought there would be some surface markings or punchings as you see on earlier pieces. The hitsu-ana looks original and appears to have a nice "pillow" set into it. If not ko-kinko and Edo work, I'd likely push it only into early Edo. Quite interesting and I'm sure having it "in the hand" can tell you more. Ron STL Quote
MauroP Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Hi everybody, just a suggestion from a (still) uneducated student: a tsuba with some affinity is reported in “Tsuba no Bi” page 64 and is described as tachi-kanagushi tsuba (太刀金具師鐔). Bye, Mauro Quote
Brian Posted March 7, 2013 Author Report Posted March 7, 2013 Going to take some better pics this weekend. It is on a nice katana I own, so not a tsuba purchase for me, but I like to know what I have. Brian Quote
Marius Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 a tsuba with some affinity is reported in “Tsuba no Bi” page 64 and is described as tachi-kanagushi tsuba (太刀金具師鐔). Mauro, I am sorry, but a late Edo tosho tsuba has also "similarity" to a ko-tosho And a run of the mill late Edo sukashi is quite "similar" to an excellent Kanayama :D But to be honest, it is not so much about the quality of this piece vs. similar early tsuba. The composition and motives of the sukashi are just wrong for the purported period, those early tsuba had simple inome + flowers sukashi, no chidori or tomoe. Also, stamped crests. Another thing that seems to confirm Brian's tsuba's young age is the material. It is made of suaka, while in those old tsuba yamagane was used. Please browse Tsuba Kanshoki or Tsuba Shusei for examples. Here are two: http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/BM%20Aoi%20Tsuba.htm http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/BM%20M ... 0tsuba.htm Quote
MauroP Posted March 7, 2013 Report Posted March 7, 2013 Mauro, I am sorry, but... Touché Bye, Mauro Quote
Marius Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Just adding a few of similar tsuba, but from the Muromachi period (from Tsuba Kanshoki and Tsuba Shusei). Enjoy Quote
Henry Wilson Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Good old inome. That is a nice spread Mariusz. Someone should comment on inome. It could be quite interesting. Sorry about the hijack. Quote
Marius Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Henry, what interests me is if these sukashi (including inome) were cast. On Brian'ts tsuba they look like they are cut. Quote
christianmalterre Posted March 8, 2013 Report Posted March 8, 2013 Quote: Inome "A guard border design having small wild boar eye-like holes intended.This style is considered to have been used from early age"(Hawley) "Auge eines Keilers,beschreibt eine herzförmige Durchbrechung,meist in den Ecken eines rechteckigen Tsuba"(Klefisch) "Heart-shaped openings of vary early origin;first used on hollyhock-form sword guard"(Syz) "Herzförmige Durchbrechung sehr frühen Ursprungs.Die herzförmigen Durchbrechungen fanden ihre ursprüngliche Anwendung in frühen Tsuba der Nara-Zeit in der Form eines Malven-Blattes(aoi-gata)und wurden gelegentlich bis in die Edo-Zeit an Stichblättern verwendet. Relativ ungewöhnlich ist auch die Verwendung der inome in Verbindung mit einer Sechspaßform und den in Zweier-bzw.Vierergruppen angeordneten chinesischen Zeichen"(Heckmann) "Heart-shaped openings of very early origin,first used in aoi tsuba"(Torigoye,Kazutaro&Haynes) Need more? LOL! Christian Quote
Marius Posted March 14, 2013 Report Posted March 14, 2013 Digging out this thread again... I have found another tsuba which bears some resemblance to Brian's. It is an Iyo Shoami, mid-Edo tsuba. See the difference in workmanship. 1 Quote
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