For your enjoyment 3 - Soft metal tsuba

[kissakai]

Hi

There are only a few soft metal tsuba in the museum so I’ve selected a few

As before this is the museums description and I have no idea if they are correct in date or school

I personally like No's 3 and 6

 

 

1) 19C Tetsugendo

 

 

2) Cira 1800 Ichinomiya of Kyōto

 

 

3) Cira 1800 Nara - Hamano branch

 

 

4) Cira 1800 Nara - Hamano branch

 

 

5) Cira 1780 Nara

 

 

6) Cira 1820 Nara - Hamano branch

 

 

 

I think I will add a couple of cloisonné tsuba next

 

Grev UK

[Marius]

Grev,

 

I am afraid they look like hamamono - mass produced export tsuba from the Meiji period (manufactured in the docks of Yokohama, hence the name).

 

Even if some of them they are earlier, they are shiiremono - mass produced items of the Edo period.

 

I have seen many such tsuba in two or three 19th c. collections.

[Ian]

Hi Grev

 

Thanks for posting these. It's nice to see a full spectrum of tsuba

You are doing a good job for the museum. I like no 3 and 5 ! :D

 

Regards

 

Ian C

[Brian]

Grev

Since you don't own these, I think it's ok to confess that I don't like any of them. I think they are all poorly done, and agree with Mariusz.

That's not to say you shouldn't share them. Just as important to be able to spot these as anything else. Thanks for sharing as always

 

Brian

[b.hennick]

There is an apt saying:

"Good from far but far from good."

[Marius]

I am with Brian here :-)

 

Your work is greatly appreciated, and even those uninspiring tsuba are an interesting artefact and testimony to the times when they were made. As long as the museum does not proudly show them as works of Japanese art...

[kissakai]

Hi

I really glad I posted these due to all your replies.

As I said this may above my comfort zone but don't forget these descriptions were in the original 1915 catalogue!

They can be examples of tsuba to be wary of for the new collectors

I know realise that if I can do a book then do I print all good and bad or just the best?

As the project is possibly only half way so at least another year before I even decide what to do with the amassed information

 

 

Grev UK

[b.hennick]

Since it represents the museum's collection I think that you need to include all. Perhaps the best get their own page and the worst get 4 or 6 to a page. That would fairly represent what they have. The big problem is going to be how to organize the catalogue. Your could do that in many ways - School, quality, acquisition date, when made and so on.

[ROKUJURO]

Grev,

 

it is always interesting and educational to see samples of this museum's collection, so thank you again! Even if these shown today are considered HAMAMONO, No. 3 has been used a lot as it seems.

 

Are the insects and spiders on this one mounted to be moveable? Very fancy - the SAMURAI was probably very proud of it!