Tsuba Beauty Competition

[kissakai]

Hi

I wonder if anyone wishes to add any comments about these two tsuba?

None of these will win a beauty competition so I'm not expecting any kind words just an honest opinion

 

School: Ko Shoami

Period: 1700

Size: 77 x 75 x 3.5mm

The only shapes I see are leaf-like

It has condition issues

 

 

 

 

School: Myochin

Period: 1750

Size: 59 x 50 x 4.3 and 7.1mm

Fake kanji?

I'm guessing the shapes may be clouds that may be a later addition

 

 

 

Grev UK

[johnnyi]

Grev, you took really great pictures. What lighting did you use?   

 

John

[kissakai]

Hi John

I've taken 100's of tsuba pictures so it may just be a knack

Always outside ideally on an overcast day

If it is sunny then using a piece of card you can move it around so direct sun light doesn't make the tsuba surface to bright

Never use a flash

I've used the same coloured card for ages as it doesn't influence the colours so the tsuba is more natural

Any colour is OK but it needs to be a muted uniform colour that is not too bright

Initially try one tsuba against different colours and see which gives the most natural tsuba tone

I used a canon compact for years to good effect but now use a DSLR but sometimes my old camera gives me a better image

 

 

Good luck

Grev

[rkg]

Grev,

 

I'm not sure what to say about the first one - I guess it could be binned as ko-shoami.

 

On the second one, the piece -might- be by the guys associated with tempo work. I have a tempo piece with similar inlay work:

 

 

And the obligatory VR image set (as usual, click and drag to rotate):

 

http://www.rkgphotos.com/recent_stuff/tests/vr_images/rock_snow_tempo_front/rock_snow_tempo_front.html

 

I thought it was tempo from the auction images, In hand it was confusing - the piece looked like it might have been myochin (the iron reminded me more of what that group might use) - but after comparing the piece to several known high grade tempos, I realized it really should be classified as Tempo...

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

 

 

[kissakai]

Hi

Thanks Richard for the images as they helped

Can I just keep this finally to one question by just asking if the kanji on the second tsuba real?

 

 

Grev UK

[Shugyosha]

Hi Grev,

 

I think it could pass for "haru" as in springtime. Sorry, I'm on my phone at the moment so I can't copy across the kanji.

 

I'm away from my books so I've no idea if there was a tsubako signing with this single character, but it does seem unusual.

 

Best regards,

John

[Pete Klein]

春:  Haru

 

I get the feeling that it was added after the tagane as the lower right should have been obliterated by the tagane.  It's not a mei as there is no sign of anything below this character.  The inlays look like they have been cleaned.  It is possible they were added to an older tsuba.  I hope this helps in some way. 

[kissakai]

Hi

I think that says it all and as a guide for me:

Tsuba one ko shoami (catch all) with either fire damage or general corrosion

Tsuba two - may originally have been myochin but kanji and 'clouds' added later so it resembles tembo work

 

 

Thanks

Grev