Large 4Th Gen Akasaka Tsuba W/ Gold Plug $600

[Curran]

This is the last item I expect to list for a while.

I've been dragging my feet on it, as this is my favorite and only remaining 'sub $1000' tsuba.

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I believe it is 4th Gen Akasaka.

I own a smaller papered 2nd gen of the exact same design.

 

Construction is VERY clearly 3 piece Akasaka construction. See sukashi photo.

Patina and general condition of the tsuba are superb. Patina is exceptional. Gold anna plug is done in moss pattern, and a work of subtle art in itself.

 

Why the low price then?

   - See the top layer just past_12noon has a surface kizu (see the sukashi photo) that does not appear in the mid layer or on the other side of the tsuba. On the reverse side of the tsuba, there is a similar looking canal area opposite- at the before_12 noon spot. They are on opposite sides of dead center- ie. don't match up on the tsuba, and I can only propose it was some sort of fault in the outer skin if the 1st and 3rd layer were put on in a sandwich of the finer iron over the baser middle iron. That is interesting to me on the basis of construction, but it could be some other reason entirely.

     Otherwise, it is absolutely beautiful large tsuba. The kizu keeps it from being perfect, hence putting what I view a bargain price on it. /Your mileage may vary./

 

Size:   8.1cm x 8.1cm x 6mm

 

PRICE:     SOLD      + shipping ($10 in USA, or $33 international)

[Stephen]

Wonderful Tsuba  nice bones, very reasonable price.

[vajo]

Curran was showing me the tsuba some times before and i like it very much. A big Katana tsuba. The price is very good.

[Curran]

Thanks guys. Slow Tuesday and I just paid the shinsa bill,

coming up about $586.15 short of what I'd saved for it from selling down a bit.

 

I personally like this one a lot,

but decided to put it up at what I thought a good price to quickly cover things.

NMB sales can be weird at times. You never know whether they will be fast or a little slow.

[Jean]

Curran,

Even with « stolen » prices, NMB members are seldom in a buying mood/mode but for books, and if price is above 1000$ there is nobody left or almost. I don’t know why.

 

I can tell you that your price is unbeatable.

[Vermithrax16]

Wish this was my type of tsuba, would buy quality at this level in a second at this price. 

[Curran]

Thanks guys.

[Curran]

ON HOLD.

[Curran]

SOLD.

[sabi]

Nice piece Curran and congrats on the sale.  I've owned one with a sizable ware stemming from a bad weld, but have never seen such a severe delamination before - very neat one to study, thanks for posting.  

[lonely panet]

heres a Nishigaki sukashi with simular kizu, 

 

not pushing a sale or the seller just a neat comparison not the sales over 

https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumeiunsignednishigaki

[Curran]

To me, the one on Aoi Arts looks like it has been partially in a fire.

I am surprised it papered, but I am aware of other ones with minimal fire damage that have papered. Usually they had been more important signed ones.

 

Given the various way the Ko-Akasaka tsuba and some Akasaka were made, I've seen all sorts of things with them. I've seen an S folded early one, where the seam is a visible overflap at one of the 4 corners.

This Rice theme 4th gen one is an extremely nice Akasaka where I think there was some minor fault in the outer layer near the seppa dai.

The outer layer did not 100% correctly jacket the core layer. It lifted a little bit from the core layer, and some sort of impact might have cracked it. That is my guesswork.

 

Like I said, it is only on the outer layer on one side. Very odd, and very interesting to study. The Akasaka '3 layer' construction is extremely visible in this tsuba.

[Vermithrax16]

Glad some one bought this one, saves me the decision.