Guest nickn Posted September 1, 2008 Report Posted September 1, 2008 CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION ON THIS TSUBA ITS IRON AND SEEMS WELL FORGED ITS 3"X2 7/8" AND 3/16THS THICK AT THE EDGE Quote
Ludolf Richter Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 Hi!A nice Tsuba!The Mei reads Sakushu ju Inoue Masakuni Masakuni was a shinshinto swordsmith (Hawley MAS 387) who also made Tsuba.He was from Awaji and worked in the pre-meiji era.Other than swordsmiths who also made Tsuba he used the same Go for his sword and tsuba mei.Ludolf Quote
Hermes Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 Very nice, can anyone tell me what the two small holes are for? Quote
docliss Posted September 2, 2008 Report Posted September 2, 2008 Dear James The two small holes in your tsuba are called udenuki-ana. Usually with one smaller than the other, these were present on older guards for the passage of a cord to prevent the sword from slipping from the owner's hand. In later tsuba, such as your's, these are present simply as a design feature and were surely not used for this purpose. Regards, John L. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Dear James The two small holes in your tsuba are called udenuki-ana. Usually with one smaller than the other, these were present on older guards for the passage of a cord to prevent the sword from slipping from the owner's hand. In later tsuba, such as your's, these are present simply as a design feature and were surely not used for this purpose. Regards, John L. John, do you know of any illustrations showing how this worked in practice? Quote
docliss Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 I am sorry, Piers, but I do not personally know of any such illustrations. It is quite possible that some other member may do so, however. The principle was similar to that of the European sword knot, of course. John. Quote
Guido Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 John, do you know of any illustrations showing how this worked in practice? http://www.webdiva4hire.com/kenshinkan/suitability.html Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Guido, that is excellent, and has cleared up a long question mark I had hanging over me. So, the loop would be fitted over, using the left hand, before withdrawal, or it would hang loosely until the sword was drawn and the wielder could slip his right hand through it. There is a twist in the illustration, so maybe it needed a special flick of the wrist... The udenuki holes would invariably be on the 'top' of the tsuba, then, I wonder? Quote
docliss Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Piers raises an interesting question; of the udenuki-ana that I have seen, old or modern, all have been, without exception, on the bottom of the tsuba. John. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Piers raises an interesting question; of the udenuki-ana that I have seen, old or modern, all have been, without exception, on the bottom of the tsuba. John. I put 'top' in inverted commas as they would be on the 'bottom' for display purposes. Quote
John A Stuart Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Yes, but on the top by the wrist when the sword is held edge down as in most kamae. John Quote
docliss Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 Of course - how stupid of me. I do apologise for that. John L. Quote
Guest nickn Posted September 3, 2008 Report Posted September 3, 2008 thanks ludolf the tsuba came on a shin shinto katana made by kashu ju darani kunimitsu who i believe was working in the 1830`s Quote
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