Kamakura Bori Of Muromachi Vs. Shoami Of Edo

[svarsh]

That's what we have:

1) A tsuba listed at Japanese Sword Fittings from the R. B. Caldwell Collection. Sale LN4188 "HIGO". Sotheby's, 30th March 1994, №15. "Kamakura-bori tsuba. Nambokucho period, late 14th century. 85 mm."

 

2) My recent acquisition, listed as Shoami (Edo period) in NBTHK

This is tsuba: diameter 85.9 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3.6 mm; weight: 79 g

 

This is paper

 

Now, this is not all. My tsuba seems to be signed. At least I see 止

But I see dead people as well.

 

What do you think?

Sergei

 

[vajo]

Nice one Sergei. I think you are right.

[Gakusee]

I like the tsuba. To me it looks like the character “Masa”.

[Ray Singer]

Ditto for Masa 正

[C0D]

Masa...or "sho" since Shoami is written 正阿弥

[Curran]

Masa...or "sho" since Shoami is written 正阿弥

 

+1 agree.

[MauroP]

Actually the paper reports:
銘 正阿弥 (以下木明)
so the tsuba is signed indeed. But I'm unable to understand the statement in brakets.
Mauro

[Guido]

以下不明 - ika fumei - below not readable / unclear

[John A Stuart]

It is 以下不明 ika humei; the rest is unknown. John

[John A Stuart]

Guido,

You posted while I was doing my figuring. John

[svarsh]

That's the word of the High Authority:

"I am not sure if the Kamakura attribution by Sotheby is correct. I can understand their approach as such shallow linear carvings can be seen on Kamakura-bori works. But the two symmetrical hitsu-ana are quite atypical for this group as is such a large sukashi design. I too see the Masa character on your tsuba but I think that in this contect, the SHŌ reading applies for Shōami (正阿弥). Maybe it was once signed "Shōami saku". The interpretation would match for Shōami." - Markus Sesko.

 

So, the Sotheby's guys (Specialist in Charge Neil Davey) was probably wrong with his attribution of Kamakura-bori. However, the piece fetched 1,840 GBP in 1994. I will not tell you how much I paid, but it a laughable amount of money.