Tsuba Kantei....

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Happy Monday everyone! Here is a NTHK papered tsuba new to my collection. I would like this to be a week long kantei on this tsuba. The measurements are 7.8 cm wide by 7.9 cm high. The thickness varies from 2.7 mm to 3.0 mm at different places along the rim. After a week I will provide detail answers to all four questions and a photo of the NTHK paper. The following is what I am looking for in terms of answers. Let me know via PM if you have any questions please try to reply only with answers.

 

• 1. Approximate age for example the Jōmon Period or Nanbokuchō Period.
  2. School or group that made the tsuba for example the Goto school or the Kyo-Kinko group.
  3. Province or major city where it was produced for example Hizen Province or the city of Kyoto.
  4. Quality level of the piece as evaluated by the NTHK. Did tsuba received a shintesho or kanteisho level paper from the NTHK?

 

P.S. The tsuba has not been added to my website so you will not find any help there.

[seattle1]

Hello:

1. Early Edo

2. Katchushi > Satome or Tembo sub-group

3. Unknown

4. 70 pt. Kanteisho

 

Arnold F.

[Brian]

Was thinking early Edo Saotome. Second guess would be same period, Katchushi.

Kanteisho.

What is the "rivet" doing there?

 

Brian

[seattle1]

Hello:

I think we're reading from the same page Brian. Saotome, more than any other group with a name, are sometimes just classed as katchushi, or if differentiated, Saotome standing alone. Tembo could almost be put in the same bucket as they and late Saotome are so similar. What the shinsa team, Mr. Ohashi, might have called it, is another guess.

Arnold F.

[MauroP]

Hi David,

here my guess (half relaying on my very limited tsuba knowledge, half on psychology):

1. Momoyama jidai

2. Saotome

3. Shimotsuke or Hitachi provinces

4. NTHK kanteisho

That's the rationale: ko-sukashi in Saotome tsuba is typical of early production (as kokuin are more typical of Edo jidai), and a well preserved pre-Edo tsuba deserves an high level origami.

Of course the tsuba may have been judged a Shōami stuff, and all my theory is just garbage...

Bye, Mauro

[christianmalterre]

THIS David

 

is a STRANGE Tsuba in several aspects!

 

i do pass volotarily here so to give you any further comment on it.

(LOL)

Christian

edit:

forgot mine smily to you :D (here it is)....

[sabi]

Nice plate here, David. What's the motif?

 

1. Momoyama jidai

2. Saotome

3. No idea, very minimal knowledge on provinces so far

4. NTHK Kanteisho

 

Pretty much agreeing with Mauro here. No hot-stamping which leads me to pre-Edo along with the surface texture and patina. Unique kogai ana shape also screams Saotome to me.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thanks everyone who so far pracipated in the tsuba kantei. I was kind of hoping more people would precipitate in the tsuba kantei but with DTI soon to be going on I not completely surprised. I will write up the answers in detail over the weekend and post them by Sunday afternoon my time. :D

 

P.S. Evan, I will also include what the subject is of the openwork design on the tsuba.

[MauroP]

I think the subject of the openwork could be ashi - 芦 (Phragmites australis L.).

Bye, Mauro

[Rich S]

I also suspect Momoyama Saotome, 70pts; but could also well be Tembo.

Have one rather similar; Kanteisho to Tembo (no typical Tembo stamps).

Which either one, I really like it. Great tsuba. Thanks for sharing.

Rich S

[Stephen]

all the above answers are pretty pat

I think David is a bit more tricky, ill go out on a big limb and say

Early Kaneiye early edo

 

motif

wisteria vine

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=wisteri ... CAYQ_AUoAQ

[Stephen]

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here is my write to all the questions for the tsuba kantei including others asked by members. Feel free to ask questions and discuss.

 

1. What is the approximate age?

Answer: The approximate age stated by the by the (Nihon Token Hozon Kai日本刀剣保存会) [NTHK] in writing is the early Edo Period (edo shoki 江戸初期).

 

2. School or group that made the tsuba?

Answer: The attribution is to (Saotome saku 早乙女作). Meaning that the Saotome school made this tsuba.

 

3. Province or major city where it was produced?

Answer: The tsuba was likely produced in the castle town of (Odawara小田原城) in Sagami Provence (相模国) as it dates from the early Edo Period. The Saotome tsuba making school was founded by (Nobuyasu信康) during Azuchi-Momoyama Period (安土桃山時代) who is recorded to have been born in (Saotome-mura 早乙女村) in near by Shimotsuke Province (下野国). The second generation Saotome master Ienori (家則) later moved to Odawara. The Saotome school of armor makers secondarily related to the tsuba makers has its origins during the late Muromachi Period (室町後期時代) in Shimotsuke Province.

 

4. Quality level of the piece as evaluated by the NTHK. Did tsuba received a shintesho or kanteisho level paper from the NTHK?

Answer: The tsuba received the upper level kanteisho paper by the NTHK with a point score of 74.

 

5. What is the openwork design?

Answer: The small openwork carving (ko sukashi bori 小透かし彫) design is that of a tree (ki no zu 木の図) as stated by the NTHK.

 

6. What is the “rivet” on the backside of the tsuba?

Answer: It is a forged iron repair of the plate of the tsuba near the nakago-ana. It was likely done sometime in the Edo Period to repair damage to the tsuba when the sword it was mounted on was used.

 

References

1. Tsuba by Gary D. Murtha

2. Tsuba An Aesthetic Study by Kazutaro Torigoye and Robert E. Haynes

[Ford Hallam]

A tree?! damn! I was sure they'd have gone for 'butterflys'.

[Soshin]

Hi Ford,

 

This is a tsuba to be felt in hand like many other nice Saotome or Tenpo tsuba. The glossiness of the patina, hammered texture of the thin iron plate, and feel of the turned up rim is what attracted me to the tsuba in the first place at the show. Selling a tsuba like this can only happen in person as photos even very good ones cannot capture those aspects of the art. The openwork design is simple and more then a bit abstract. A butterfly or moth on a tree branch is also a reasonable explanation for the openwork design. A tree branch with only few remaining leaves reminding me of the Fall season, again also a reasonable explanation.

[Brian]

David,

I think you missed the "Fordism" present in his answer

Yes Ford, I remember that discussion here.

Tree indeed? ....LOL.

Good answer, glad so many were able to get it close. Next time, you have to be more tricky for Stephen.

 

Brian

[Soshin]

Hi Brian,

 

Saving my money now will try to pick up something papered next year at the Tampa show and will try a similar kantei on NMB before listing it on my website. I will try to make it more tricky for Stephen.