Can Anyone Decipher This Signature?

[lotus]

See attached, seller was not able to see it clearly enough to tell me. I adjusted the clarity a bit, hope it helps. Can anyone make it out?

[Bazza]

Hey Patrick, how about a full size front and back shot too.  May help in the deliberations.

 

BaZZa.

[k morita]

Maybe Owari tsuba.

Mei says 戸田彦左衛門(Toda Hikozaemon)

[lotus]

Attached are images of the front and back. If that helps at all...

[ROKUJURO]

Fine AMIDA YASURI is typical for TODA, the decoration may be a later addition.

[lotus]

Jean -

 

Yeah, I noticed the peculiar lines radiating from the center and wondered what the heck they were? Thanks for providing the term so I could look it up. Also, that is an interesting thought that the decoration might be a later addition. That makes it rather unique and gives it a bit of a story.

 

If this were the case, wouldn't the quality of iron show more age and character?

 

Pat

[ROKUJURO]

Patrick,

have a look here on the board at 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/25446-owari-toda-hikozaemon-iron-tsuba/

TSUBA have sometimes been altered, but collectors prefer the original items with the traits of the maker.

[lotus]

Jean -

 

Yeah, I can understand that. What drew me to this Tsuba was the carving and scenery, the other features just provide a bit more interest to the piece, IMO (the Toda Hikozaemon Mei and the Amida Yasuri).

 

The Tsuba you linked to is really nice one for sure, I am sure the buyer was very happy to get it.

[Bazza]

What catches my attention immediately is to ask why is the back of the tsuba the more pictorially decorative than the front where the signature is???  "Back" being defined by the kozuka hitsuana.

 

BaZZa.

[lotus]

BaZZa -

 

I totally missed that...

[uwe]

Maybe Owari tsuba.

Mei says 戸田彦左衛門(Toda Hikozaemon)

Morita San,

 

can you please explain, how you read this mei?! I just noticed 5 kanji and got stuck after "Toda"....

[lotus]

Uwe -

 

I see what you mean though I can make out the 1st 4 symbols then it is iffy. The 5th symbol might be the 門 ?

 

If you read the thread Jean linked, Steve posted this :

 

 

The tsuba is signed with the unmistakably idiosyncratic calligraphy of Toda Hikozaemon, a lightly-incised loose "scrawling" that is much appreciated by many for its verve and unique character. 

 

Interestingly, the signature of my Tsuba seems similar to the one from that thread. Also, I found a signed Tsuba on another site with that missing symbol. Maybe that was just how he shorthanded it? 

 

If anyone else knows where we can get a clear example image of this signature on a Tsuba, it might helkp!

[MauroP]

That's the way Toda Hikozaemon signed his work. See Markus Sesko "Signatures of Japanese Sword Fittings Artists" p. 48.

[lotus]

Thanks Mauro for sharing that. Attached is my Tsuba's signature placed next to the ones from the book.

[uwe]

Ah, I see. Thanks guys!

[lotus]

I now have this Tsuba in hand and I noticed what appears to be a cross on the front side of the roof of the building (temple?)

 

Could that be a Christian cross?

[Brian]

Nope.

[lotus]

Brian -

 

Thanks, because that would not make to much sense to me.

[lotus]

I noticed another thing on this Tsuba which is related to a previous responder to this thread :

 

 

What catches my attention immediately is to ask why is the back of the tsuba the more pictorially decorative than the front where the signature is???  "Back" being defined by the kozuka hitsuana.

 

BaZZa.

 

I see evidence of Amida Yasuri on both sides. But most of it appears to have been removed (filed or maybe worn) away. Perhaps this Tsuba was originally just a fairly plain Amida Yasuri themed Tsuba (signed Toda Hikozaemon) but when the fancy new carving occurred later, it was done on the wrong side?

 

May be a stretch here, just trying to make sense of it. Pic attached showing the remnants of Amida Yasuri on the signed side...