Tsuba kantei Higo? Umetada?

[Ron STL]

A friend brought over an very nice iron tsuba today for opinion. I did not measure the tsuba but it is nice size (~76mm) and fairly thick at the rim (~5mm). The plate feels dense (heavy) and has very good color and condition. Photos showing both sides will be coming. For now, both sides have the same design but are not mirror imaged. (positioning of leaves, etc. are slightly different side to side.) The flat rim appears to be the original plate and the oak leaves and knarled trunks appear to have been raised, carved from the original plate. (This technique name escapes me at the moment. Niku-bori?)

 

From the gold bamboo and kiri leaves and the twisted vines, I felt this might be a Higo tsuba. Hitsu-ana are also the same shape and made slightly flowing, not pronounced rounded, rounded, rounded. But looking further, the flattened rim and the hitsu-ana shape led me to think more ko-Umetada or simply Umetada and not so much Higo. Oh yes, the other "detail" photo show some missing inlay. Note that the inlay has been inlaid and not applied nunome-zogan. No positive answer here but it would be interesting to get some opinions on this lovely iron tsuba.

 

Ron STL

[Soshin]

Hi Ron STL.,

 

I like the tsuba the design and gold flat inlays (hira-zogan) are nice. I think it is a later Umetada school work circa the middle Edo Period.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[MauroP]

Could be Aizu Shoami school?

[Alan Morton]

Aizu Shoami.

 

Alan

[Ron STL]

Aizu Shoami? What would direct us to Aizu Shoami over Umetada??? This never entered my mind, why I ask.

 

My friend might supply a couple better photos which I'll add to the topic. Unless of course, we have convincing opinions. With so few replies I suspect there might not be much more to say, but again, I'd love to here how Aizu Shoami was determined. Thanks!

 

Ron STL