another dilema

[Mike]

I have another tsuba that untill recently I thought it is Kyo Shoami school, it is lobster design. A few days ago I found identical design on Dr. stein site saying it is Heyanjo sukashi. I don't have enough knowledge or books to assist me. What do you think?

Mike

[Rich T]

Many of the works in sukashi crossed paths, schools and styles in the early edo periods. The tsuba linked here is typically Shoami, and Kyo Shoami to be precise, and I would have called it that. One of the most notable traits of the Kyo Shoami tsuba is a mirrored patter. However, some of their very best work is not mirrored, and can have similarities to Heinajo, Owari and other works. Artisans moved about and learnt from others on their travels, just as swordsmiths did.

 

 

Attributions can also change as time goes on and we learn more, of people with differing opinions judge it to be by another group.

 

A classic case is an Akasaka tsuba on Nihonto.

 

http://www.nihonto.com/5.5.06.html

 

Recently papered by the NBTHK to Akasaka, I have this exact tsuba in 2 publications. One by the Japanese store who sold it as Shoami, the other a book ( catalogue ) I think of Alan Harvey's sale which that was written up by Robert Haynes from memory that called it Higo ( that's all a bit scratchy as I am going form my grey matter, I need to go look into that again ). Now you might say " the NBTHK will be right then" but they may not, you could find you take it to another expert and you will get a different answer again.

 

The thing is, it is really hard when they are not signed. It is just impossible to know who made it, we give our best guess and, hopefully based on years of experience and study, but that's all it is at the end of the day, unless there are extenuating circumstances they tell us otherwise.

 

It's a tough field, harder I think than swords.

 

cheers

 

Rich

[Bungo]

changing the names of your children would not make you love them less..............yes ?

 

p.s. for the single dudes and dudettes....... change " children " to " lovers "

 

 

Milt THE loving ronin

[Rich T]

of course you are right, but they may ignore you even more than they do now :-)