Looked Good Until Closer Inspection?

[lotus]

Attached is a well handsome and well designed Tsuba. However, upon looking closer at the images in detail, do I see signs of it being a cast? I enhanced the shadows and circled the suspicious areas...

 

And if it is a cast, would it be a modern one? Or one of those casts made way back when?

 

Or perhaps not cast at all?

[Peter Bleed]

Good careful, examination, Patrick. But I think it is okay. Nice looking guard that needs to have some sukashi cleaning...???

Peter

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Patrick

 

I would have to agree with you in saying that this does look to be a cast copy. Really good detective work too 

 

There are some who will argue ( ill-advisedly  ) that iron tsuba were cast in pre-modern Japan. I would suggest, though, that that notion is not supported by any evidence at all.

 

This present piece seems actually to be a pretty fine cast replica which in itself indicates a relatively recent date.

[lotus]

Hi Ford -

 

Yeah, a fine cast indeed. It even has the look of age to it though, I guess it is pretty easy to allow corrosion to do its thing. Or even help it along if you want to.

[JohnTo]

I seem to have a penchant for buying cast iron tsuba via commisison bids at small auctions where the photos are not very good.  Here is my latest.  I would challenge Ford's supposition that these are modern, based upon the context in which I bought these.  I think that all three came from mixed lots that contained authentic pieces, some from quite large groups of lots which I assumed were from deceased estates.  So I think that they were acquired many years ago when tsuba were cheap and there was no demand fo modern fakes.  Here is the description from my inventory.

This sukashi tsuba appeared to be an Akasaka (or possibly Nishigaki or Higo) tsuba from the poor photograph on the auction website.  However, upon receipt it was obvious that this is a cast iron copy of an Akasaka design, probably made in Japan in the 19thC as a cheap sword fitting for an impoverished owner.  The tell tale signs of casting are the glossy patina, flaking of the surface around the rim and fine ridge line near the centre of the piercings for joins in the mould.  There are also two circular marks either side of the top of the seppa dai, which look like welding spots.  I would surmise that these had been done at a later date, possibly to affix the tsuba to something as decoration.  See ##019 and ##024 for other examples of cast iron tsuba.

Provenance:  Canterbury Auctions, Wednesday 10^th April 2018, Lot 594

Height:   7.0 cm

Width:   6.6 cm

Thickness:  0.65 cm rim

 

Some bids are diamonds, some bids are dust/rust.  Its good to admit ones failures on NMB, quite cathartic.

 

All the best, John

[Pete Klein]

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/f296459475

 

Not new...

 

Not cast...

 

and 'definitely' not very good.  Looks like it was either through a fire or just rusted to s..t with a poor attempt at a clean up.  IMHO