Unusual (strange) Tsuba

[Grey Doffin]

Hi guys,

This tsuba on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271692320367?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT

strikes me as weird and totally impracticable (seems it would be in the way if worn). For as large as it is it seems like it would be quite fragile. Can anyone make out what smith or group the paper gives it to? Any idea what the smith was thinking when he made it? Aviation?

Grey

[jason_mazzy]

I agree. i laughed at this one before. NO idea what the deal is on this.

[jlawson]

Could be a stylized Mon? I imagine it is stronger than you think and less fragile than it appears. Practical - probably not but it is unusual and I like it...

[MauroP]

The NBTHK paper is remarkably poor of useful informations. It simply reports:

ajiro tsuba - tetsu-ji kawari-gata nikubori - mumei

No suggestions at all about school or style.

Bye, Mauro

[smicha6551]

Makes me think of a guard from a Spadroon - but with two more petals.

 

Is this a well known/reputable seller? For a lot of reasons I'm not interested in this tsuba but the seller has a few books I'm considering.

[Toryu2020]

A ceiling fan?

Whatever it is I think it's cool.

-t

[Robert Mormile]

All:

 

I think they are each a woven hand fan. Robert

[Bugyotsuji]

Ajiro means woven bamboo, ie for conical hats, Jingasa, fans etc. and conjures up summer images. This looks like four Uchiwa fans to me, and indeed highly unusual, agreed.

http://thumbnail.image.rakuten.co.jp/@0 ... 801195.jpg

[MauroP]

Thanks Robert and Piers for the suggestions, that subject is puzzling me for a while.

I post here the original kanteisho origami for future reference.

Here below a little tsuba (68 x 65,3 x 4,1 mm, 69 g weight) from my collection with similar subject. Unfortunately the original kamon inlay in missing.

Bye, Mauro