It’S All Greek To Me

[Justwalt]

Hello all, first time posting here, and first serious inquiries into the pictured tsuba.

 

There appears to be two different languages and some odd symbols as well.

 

Any help in translating these is appreciated greatly. Thank you

 

[kissakai]

The kanji is what is called Sosho or grass script

The characters in the box is called a kao and it is a bit like a makers trade mark

So you can do a bit of digging and I will have a look at the translation tomorrow

I'd be interested in what other NMB member think about the quality of the tsuba

[Geraint]

Given that photos two, three and four are upside down............

 

All the best

[SteveM]

It's all kanji. The image in the cartouche is like a proto-kanji, sometimes used in seals. 

 

The two on the right look like

榮寿 (Eijū)

but the bottom part of 榮 (or 栄 as is written nowadays) looks more like 生 than 木, so I may be off the mark with that.

 

On the right is perhaps 成龍軒, again with some trepidation about the first kanji. 

I do not know what the one in the cartouche is. 

 

Just looking at the tsuba, it seems to me to be a kind of tourist piece (that is my impression from looking at the color and the design). It doesn't seem like a century or centuries old tsuba. 

 

Edit: Fixed 幹 to 軒

[Guido]

The signature reads Seiryūken 成龍軒 Eijū 榮壽, but I have my doubts about its authenticity.

[Justwalt]

Thanks, y’all make this seem easy. Regardless of this tsuba being some original period work, it was given as a tip to a waitress about sixty-five years back, and was passed to her daughter several years ago.

 

It looks and feels like solid brass with copper overlays... maybe gold in the dragon’s eyes, and the cartouche. The dragon looks perfect, but the script and inlays look rough, given the materials used here.

 

[Brian]

The Eiju group specialized in dragons, and in my opinion this is in line with some of the average work. But either way, it's a couple of hundred $'s at least, so a very nice tip indeed. Could really use some professional touch ups.

[Greg F]

I find this tsuba interesting. Would like to hear what more members have to say. I wonder what Fords take on it is.

 

Greg

[Grey Doffin]

I think it was made yesterday to fool someone into believing it is a tsuba.  The dragon occupies the seppa-dai, which wouldn't happen on a working tsuba.  There were tsuba made in Meiji & Taisho for western taste that did have design on the seppa-dai but they are high end (quite elaborate) and this one is low end.  Notice, in the last picture, how the gold paint, if that's what it is covering the surface, slops into the cuts of the mei.  No real tsuba was painted gold after the mei was cut.

Grey

[vajo]

Hello Grey,

 

for example the ashmolean museum has many of tsuba with motif in the seppa-dai.

 

http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/media/collection/w800/Collections/Single_Objects/EA/EA_X/EA_X_10000/EA_X_10953-a-L.jpg

http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/media/collection/w800/Collections/Single_Objects/EA/EA_X/EA_X_10000/EA_X_10941-a-L.jpg

http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/media/collection/w800/Collections/Single_Objects/EA/EA_X/EA_X_10000/EA_X_10942-a-L.jpg

 

I have some too.

 

btw. nice tsuba 

[Justwalt]

Wow folks, I appreciate everyone's interest and input on this piece, I am having the tsuba brought out of storage

in PA this week. It's current condition is as it was 65 years ago, always in secure storage. The photos were just

a month ago when I first saw and held it. There's no paint, but looking close up at the black in the cuts/stamping/?

kind of looks like an antiquing finish even long ago... The photos take then were just to translate the script,

step one, if you will. I'll have it soon to do a thorough examination. Apparently every aspect of tsuba construction

is studied. We're learning, and would rather know what this is, than to not.... it may be passed again to the granddaughter.

 

It is a family memento... real, reproduction or rubbish, it still is an intriguing area of history explore.

 

I'll definitely follow this to some end, here on this site. I'll have the metals verified, measurements, photos...

maybe there's a different section this should be moved to ???

 

Thanks

W

[SteveM]

You might find this thread interesting

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/19926-seiryuken-eiju-sold-for-1132000-yen-%E2%82%AC10-34648-on-yahoojp/

 

And another tsuba very similar to your own, also by Eiju (Seiryuken)

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/tsuba-dragon-seiryuken-eiju-19978085

[vajo]

This Tsuba reminds me on yours. 

 

https://archive.org/details/mma_sword_guard_tsuba_35645

[Justwalt]

Peace, I didn't disappear, new photos being taken Monday

[ROKUJURO]

Justwait,

please sign all posts at least with your first name plus an initial, so we may address you politely. It is easily installed in your profile.

[Jean]

Done for, Walter.