Help on a "chrysanthemum" tsuba

[Bernard]

Hello everybody,

 

This is my first post. I live in Switzerland and speak French. Please, forgive my English (I’ll do my best).

 

I have inherited a small collection of Japanese sword fittings and would be pleased to receive informations on them (authenticity, school or maker, quality).

 

I have very little knowledge about Japanese art and realise through the search I made on the Internet how vast and complex it is.

 

As nothing can replace the connoisseur’s expertise, I shall be very grateful to forum members for any information/commentary/link to pertinent websites based on the photos I ‘ll post.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

This tsuba (7.5 cm) looks like a chrysanthemum ; the back is concave and seems to be lacquered. That’s all I know about it. What is it ?

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img34/2580/j9f4.JPG

http://imageshack.us/a/img203/9077/s347.jpg

 

 

Regards.

 

Bernard D

[Geraint]

Welcome Bernard!

 

An interesting tsuba. It appears that the kogai hitsu has been completely lined in shakudo which is unusual. As you will know from your research tsuba are almost always flat, thought they may well taper either from the edge towards the centre or the other way. I would suggest that this dished tsuba is an unusual example, the marks covering the seppa dai at the centre of the tsuba could suggest a Namban connection, tsuba influenced by European styles.

 

Others far more knowledgeable than I will no doubt chip in but I find this an interesting piece.

 

Enjoy.

[docliss]

Dear Bernard

 

Thank you for posting images of your kiku tsuba – I like it ….It is very difficult to attribute it to a particular school; Bushū, Chōshū and Shōami are all possibilities. Because of the excellent quality of the gold nunome-zōgan, I would personally favour an eighteenth century, Shōami attribution. There is no doubt that it demonstrates a strong namban influence, and the kōgai hitsu is clearly a later modification, as is the urushi.

 

John L.

[Bernard]

Dear Geraint and John,

Many thanks for these informations.

Regards.

Bernard D

[John A Stuart]

I believe this tsuba is almost certainly Bushu. John