Heianjo Zogan Tsuba Serial Production/info?

[zanilu]

 Hello to Everybody on NMB

 

I have sort of fascination for Heianjo zogan tsuba. So I bought some over the years. Among those in my collection I have three that are extremely similar, practically identical in design differing just for their size.

All tree tsuba are mitsudomoe testuji with bass inlay in the form of wines and leafs. The smallest of the tree has kozuga and kogai itsu-ana. The largest smallest I consider as part of a sort of daisho. 

 

I have found on the net several tsuba (fig-01 to fig-05) similar for design and dimensions to my trio as reported in the attached table.

 

According to Haynes website:

 

A form of brass inlay, see Figure 4.20. This method was used even in the old periods, but from the latter part of the Muromachi Jidai to the Momoyama Jidai, it was called HEIANJO ZOGAN and HIRA ZOGAN of SHINCHU (brass) was quite popular. There are a fair number of extant works by YAMASHIRO NO KUNI JU NAGAYOSHI, HEIANJO JU MASASHIGE, IZUMI NO KAMI KOIKE YOSHIRO, and the like.

 

All my tsuba and the those found on the web look to be of the late Edo period to me, not as old as Muromachi.

 

The workmanship and the designs of these tsuba look the same. Is it so also for a better trained eye? I mean there are subtle differences in the design and realization that I cannot see? 

 

I have rarely seen signed Heianjo tsuba (I could be wrong of course) and I have not find any specific information regarding schools or artisans (I could be wrong on this too!).

 

In Heianjo tsuba there seems to be a sort of serial production of certain designs (this one and others). Is this due to the popularity of these designs reproduced by different group of artisans or can they be traced back to some workshop/groups or geograpic areas?

 

I was wondering whether there are specific information about this style or school and whether it is possible to divide them by design or specific peculiarities. Also if anyone of you as information about this mitsudomoe design that he/she can share I would be grateful.

 

Regards

Luca

 

Size Table

---------------------------------------

tsuba-01     83.7 mm x 82.7 mm x 4.9 mm

daisho (dai) 87.0 mm x 86.0 mm x 4.0 mm

daisho (sho) 78.0 mm x 77.4 mm x 3.6 mm

---------------------------------------

fig-01       83.0 mm x 83.0 mm x 6.0 mm

fig-02       82.0 mm x 82.0 mm x 5.0 mm

fig-03       85.0 mm x 85.0 mm x 4.5 mm

fig-04       87.5 mm x 87.5 mm x 5.0 mm

fig-05       84.2 mm x 83.6 mm x 4.5 mm

---------------------------------------

 

[christianmalterre]

dear Luca,

 

here´s a book which may be of interest into your´s query!

 

you can buy it from Grey Doffin´s site! (very cheap-as i have seen it priced right higher elsewhere)

 

Christian

[zanilu]

Thaks for the info Christan.

I will vheck it out.

 

Luca

[christianmalterre]

you will love it!

 

this is a very beautiful publication- with crisp photos!

 

Christian

[Brian]

Nice collection. Many of these schools produced "stock" for the shelf...so they would produce many of one design, and have them ready for order.

These were essentially factories, producing certain designs to a pattern book.

[Kurikata]

Does someone has similar exemple with this one ?

[John A Stuart]

Sounds like a nice research project for someone to collate and differentiate into periods, type of construction, materials used (shinchu types, base plate etc), artist, and then publish. John

[Ron STL]

There are some great articles in recent JSS/US newsletter on this subject, written by Mike Vinehout. Also some fine examples are shown in past issued of our KTK catalogues. Onin, Heianjo into Kyo-zogan, all very interesting to study as long as the tsuba are of good plate material. Not so interesting when very late examples show up on what we used to call "factory" plate. Ron STL

[Ford Hallam]

A systematic analysis of the brass used in these pieces would be a helpful start. Specifically the cadmium levels which recent research has revealed may determine a pre or post 1573 ~ 1620 dating.

 

And btw. it's highly unlikely there's any validity in the notion early tsuba with brass inlay used Chinese brass coinage as the source of the brass.

[Stephen]

http://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumeiheianjo-flower

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Japanese-Heijo-TSUBA-for-Katana-Brass-Inlay-Openwork-Edo-Excellent-152g-/171999174423?hash=item280bf31f17:g:jDAAAOSwLVZViA7r

[zanilu]

Hi Stephen.

 

Nice pieces especially the second one!

 

 

Ford.

I have a some knowledge about metal analysis from my work, but I can not thing to any technique that will not damage even in very tiny regions the metal or the patina.

Do you know of any method that is at the same time cheap and harmless for the piece under examination to determine the composition of the brass.

 

Regards

Luca

[Ford Hallam]

Luca

 

there are a couple of non-destrustive methods for analysing metals but nothing is cheap, I'm afraid.

[zanilu]

Ford

 

 

 

there are a couple of non-destrustive methods for analysing metals but nothing is cheap, I'm afraid.

 

I was afraid of your answer. X-Ray diffraction of SEM/TEM are too expensive to be considered for a personal research... 

 

Luca

[Ford Hallam]

http://www.nitonuk.co.uk/xrf-analyser/#

 

 

I've used one of these in my own research recently and have plans to organise a broader analysis project but that must wait until my present work is completed. And £25 000 f0or that handheld gizmo may take a while to raise. However the data it will deliver may in some cases transform our present understanding of Japanese metalwork datings and in others serve as a valuable confirmation of authenticity. I may even issue papers.   At least mine will be objective.

[Peter Bleed]

Friends,

As usual this thread has moved across a couple of topics. I've enjoyed them all, but I'd like to go back to the issue of "stock production."

In fact, I suspect that the mass of tsuba that we see were much less than original creative undertakings. They were made by workers who may have had some technical skill, but that skill may have been limited and they probably were following designs created by others. They likely did only a part of the production. And they were paid - not very - much by the piece. It is also worth remembering that tsuba followed fads and fashion. They were more likely following rather setting tastes. I am also recalled stories about potters who had to throw several lots of 10,000 IDENTICAL tea cups before they could be taught how to make other forms. Kinko had to pass thru a comparable system, making their masters rich and themselves skilled.

Peter

[zanilu]

Hi Ron.

Are the JSS/US newsletter articles available on the net?

 

Regards

Luca

[Ron STL]

Luca, I do not think so since those articles were published as part of 2015 newsletters, if I'm correct. Maybe Mike Vinehout or Grey Doffin can check on this for NMB members. If I can find something about this, I'll pass it along. Meanwhile, I will post a simple but lovely Heianjo tsuba that was one of my very first tsuba back decades ago. Morihiro Ogawa happened to be in St. Louis and I showed it to him, knowing nothing about tsuba at the time. I was so happy when he said it was a nice example of Heianjo tsuba. I still have the tsuba, a fond memory of years gone bye. Ron STL

[b.hennick]

Once all the 2015 issues have been published the JSSUS will make the full year's articles available on Lulu. 2014 are there now.

[zanilu]

Thank for the info Barry.

 

I will check it out...

 

Luca

[C0D]

Sorry i step in, what about this one? Heianjo made also mixed materials inlay too? 

This appear to be brass, copper and maybe some shibuichi drop.

 

 

[Brian]

Good question, interested in the answer myself 

Ford, are those different metals, and would that then change the school completely?

[Ford Hallam]

Manuel, Brian

 

We do see copper and brass together on Heianjo work. The shibuichi drops are more likely silver, it's possible they're original but may have been added later. If they are actually shibuichi they'd have been added after the start of the 18th century.

 

Personally I wouldn't regard these brass inlay guards as belonging to organised schools as we think of them in the Edo period. It seems to me to be more of a communal production in that certain styles became popular and were centred on certain areas of production.

 

It is often claimed that brass was at one time very expensive in pre-Edo jpan but I can find no evidence to support this assertion. In fact although zinc was never actually mined and refined in Japan until the early 20th century and was always imported from China it was used to make copper go futher. It was cheaper than lead and allowed the alloy to melt more readily.  Brass coinage in China only really appears in the last 1/4 of the 16th century so that source of brass for the inlays is likely also unlikely in my opinion.

 

It's also important to recognise that what we today see as a lack of originality was not necessarily regarded as a negative thing at all in the past. Continuity of style was highly valued. One only needs to consider the survival of the Goto to recognise that the 'powers that be' valued that tool (unchanging styles) for maintaining a sense of stability and continuity.

[C0D]

Manuel, Brian

 

We do see copper and brass together on Heianjo work. The shibuichi drops are more likely silver, it's possible they're original but may have been added later. If they are actually shibuichi they'd have been added after the start of the 18th century.

 

Personally I wouldn't regard these brass inlay guards as belonging to organised schools as we think of them in the Edo period. It seems to me to be more of a communal production in that certain styles became popular and were centred on certain areas of production.

 

It is often claimed that brass was at one time very expensive in pre-Edo jpan but I can find no evidence to support this assertion. In fact although zinc was never actually mined and refined in Japan until the early 20th century and was always imported from China it was used to make copper go futher. It was cheaper than lead and allowed the alloy to melt more readily.  Brass coinage in China only really appears in the last 1/4 of the 16th century so that source of brass for the inlays is likely also unlikely in my opinion.

 

It's also important to recognise that what we today see as a lack of originality was not necessarily regarded as a negative thing at all in the past. Continuity of style was highly valued. One only needs to consider the survival of the Goto to recognise that the 'powers that be' valued that tool (unchanging styles) for maintaining a sense of stability and continuity.

Thank you Ford, do you have any example of mixed inlay material tsuba?

What you think about the age of the tsuba? It appears late Muromachi / Momoyama to me

[zanilu]

Brian, Ford

 

If you look at the sho tsuba of the "daiso" of my original post you will see tha the beads just above the top (edge side) of the nakago ana are made of copper not brass like all the other inlays.

Is this whst you mean with "mixed inlay"?

 

Luca