A couple of tsuba for the panel.

[johnb]

Any help with id-ing these two would be most appreciated.

 

Thanks Johnb

[Rich S]

First one - no idea. Second seems to be signed Nobuie,

but don't bet on it. Still a nice looking tsuba IMHO.

 

Rich S

[Bugyotsuji]

Shouldn't be answering here as I don't have my books with me. Should wait to get home as I am bound to get egg on my face.

 

The top one looks like Shoami on the right, and signed on the left by someone with one character 包?+ 作 for 'made by'. (Ho-saku???)(Tsutsumi-saku???)

 

The bottom definitely looks like Nobu-ie, as Rich said above.

[Rich T]

Hi all, yes the first one is signed Shoami Kanenori 正阿弥 包矩. From Aizu province, D: Ca 1750 - 1780

 

The other is of course signed Nobuie and I agree with rich, but it might be a later copy. I need to check the books. There were several Nobuie that were not related to the two main masters.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[johnb]

It is a nice looking tsuba...also imho. It's big too, it measures 88mm by82. I've had a look round on the net and he tortoise shell pattern seems to be a recurrent theme Nobuie tsubas, as does the water weel. I've attached a couple that use both themes, oneof them a copy.( And both not mine, damn it).

Question is...is it a copy?

[Pete Klein]

Hi Johnb -- I would say from my research that this would be a later Edo copy. It appears to have been made from plate steel and is lacking the surface characteristics of either the first or second Nobuie. The way the mimi has been flattened was not used and the overall shape is not correct for either of the masters. I have seen a few of these. I am attaching a picture of a shoshin example with similar motif for comparison. As for the other 'Nobuie' such as Akasaka, Echizen, Owari etc. it really doesn't fit into their techniques either. Nobuie is a bit of a complex study but a most interesting one.

Hope this helps a bit.