Inlaid Mei

[Ken-Hawaii]

Looking at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Mixed-Metal-Tsuba-Monkey-Man-Edo-/232009505804, I've never seen a mei inlaid like this. Is it common, & why would a tsubashi do it this way?

Ken

 

[Stephen]

Wont even guess, but i find a lot of their tsuba questionable

 

 http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_ssn=hartman_rare_art&item=232009505804&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=tsuba&_sacat=0

[Kevin Adams]

To cover a mistake when the mei was originally carved, I reckon.

[Dojikiri]

I have seen several over the years, It appears Sanemasa always signed on a tablet (tanzaku), I have never liked his work though. I have never checked up on the artist but a connection to the Yanagawa school seems unlikely to say the least.

 

Alan

[Ford Hallam]

As Alan says this is typical for Sanemasa. I've restored a couple just like this. The workmanship and general style is absolutely correct in the ebay example imo.

The asking price, on the other hand, seems just a little bit ambitious.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I'd never heard of tanzaku before, so thanks for that tasty tidbit, Alan. 

 

Yes, Ford, their prices are a bit...let us say, more than slightly ambitious. I actually wrote to them when they had a Heianjo tsuba virtually identical to one I bought from a local collector for $300, that was "on sale" for $4,200. Their response was that they have very little markup on the items they sell, & would I please mind my own business?!  

 

Ken

 

[Stephen]

I tried to ask for a lower price on a Iron Omadaka tsuba they had, clearly showing loss of patina, they said they didnt know what i was talking about, ...their prices are going up since Japanese traders started selling not owned tsuba at a 40% mark up.