Looking For Info On A Tsuba/menuki

[Chango]

 

 

I'd be grateful if I could get some help on identifying the school, era and if possible maker of this tsuba, as well as an idea on the motif/symbolism of the tsuba and menuki if anyone knows. These pieces are from the Kanemoto wakizashi I asked about in the Nihonto forum. Unfortunately I'm missing the second menuki.

Thanks!

[Grey Doffin]

I suspect the tsuba is a modern cast repro.  The lack of a defined seppa-dai is a big red flag.  This area of a tsuba is usually left unadorned, except in the case of very late Edo/Meiji pieces of Kinko made to be collected, rather than to be mounted.

The menuki looks real but not terribly good quality.  It is a commander's baton, I think, and I forget the Japanese name.

Grey

[Tanto54]

Dear Jason,

 

The tsuba motif is Shiba Onko (Chian/Sima Qian or Sze Ma Kwang in Chinese).  He was a statesman and historian of the Han Dynasty. This is a famous episode from his childhood.  He and his companions were watching fish in a huge vase when one of them fell headfirst into the vase and was drowning.  The rest of the the playmates ran away shrieking; however, Shiba Onko did not run and had the presence of mind to save his friend by using a rock to break the jar and drain out the water.  This episode was a popular theme among Edo-period artists as a parable of intelligence and virtuous behavior.  There appears to be some wear from the seppa at the edge of the seppa-dai, so this tsuba may have been mounted at one time.

 

The commander's baton on the menuki is called a saihai.

 

 

 

[Gunome]

Hello,

For me this tsuba is not a modern cast repro item. I would rather said a late edo period tsuba.

The carving is chiseled and not molded.

Looks like hikone bori school

[Chango]

Thanks! It's definitely not a cast reproduction; the gold wire inlay is real and the piece is naturally aged. I've cleaned it up quite a bit too; there was a lot of grime and rust obscuring the details when I got it.

 

Although it was on a sword I bought it was not fitted to the blade and would be too loose for actual use. The sword is also missing it's fuchi/kashira so I suspect the tsuba is not an original part of the koshirae.

 

I appreciate the info, now I have more to go on as I look for comparisons. Thanks again!