ko Umetada

[kissakai]

While I'm posting I thought I'd this this query before my computer dies, yes it's terminal

 

I have a papered (earlier this year) ko Umetada tsuba

According to Curran this is a rare attribution so I wondered if anyone else has or knows of a papered ko Umetada

 

 

Grev

[Curran]

Bumping this to the top, as I'm curious if Mauro or any of the other guys with extensive picture files have anything on NBTHK papered Ko-Umetada iron tsuba.

 

It isn't an attribution I have seen very often.

[johnnyi]

Hi Grev, 

 

I don't have a papered example, but as no one has yet responded I'll post my tsuba which Robert Haynes has attributed to Ko Umetada. It is iron, convex, with remants of red lacquer overall (not visible in photo) and has a tiny remnant of gold on the face. I think it is remarkable how we often forget that these early tsuba were often lacquered, as they must have been stunning, not onlike the Grecian marbles which we have learned were often painted as well. Good luck finding a papered example. You are prompting me to send mine in for paper.

 

Kind regards,  John

 

p.s. I apologize for the horrible photo which does not illustrate the silkiness of the surface

[kissakai]

I like the 'ghosted' flower

Go on get it papered as it's only money!

[MauroP]

I have in my records just one tsuba papered as ko-Umetada.

03401.pdf

[Curran]

Buon giorno Mauro.

Grazie mille per questo. Che bella NBTHK database di cosi. "Honto ni" bella!

 

The few NBTHK papered Ko-Umetada I have all been this sort of Momoyama kinko tsuba blurring the lines between Umetada dimensions and Kaga zogan before there really was Kaga zogan. They haven't been iron works.

 

Torigoye-san (sama? sensei? is there a post mortem honorific for him) wrote of ko-Umetada as iron works with Kyoto aesthetics of the pre-momoyama but sukashi that doesn't fall into ko-Shoami or old Kyo sukashi works. To me, Grev's papered example the papers are as rare as Ko-Myochin and a few other unicorn 'Ko' papers I have seen over the years.

       My focus has been about 55% Higo schools and 35% Owari schools, so this is a bit outside what I feel I know. I'm very open to learning more if anyone has another Ko-Umetada example or two.

 

[John mentioned the lacquer.  Grev's has a good bit of very nice old lacquer on it that isn't easily visible to my eye without magnification. ]

[Bazza]

Your photo may not show the silky surface, but I swear as I look at Johnny Vi's photo I can see remnant kanji.  Is it so Johnny???  And has anyone "had a go" at figuring it out???

 

BaZZa.

[johnnyi]

Bazza, the photos I had sent to Robert were poor, and it may be that these "scratches" were not visible or at least as obvious to him or there was no need to mention. At first I wrote them off as some attempt to perhaps anchor a floating seppa, but since  abandoned that thought. They only exist on one side.  I have attempted to study them myself, but they are very weak, with mostly the vertical lines visible and the horizontal etc. almost invisible. I too believe it is Kanji and it is relatively complex. Unfortunately my own photos do not show the quality of the plate which is the finest I have. I will attempt in the next few days to take some better photos using cross lighting which might bring out the pattern at least, with which to compare to Myoju or another maker. Thanks for noticing this.  While we are asking for examples, is it possible that you, or anyone else might have access to decent photos of Myoju's kanji on an actual tsuba?   Thanks

[johnnyi]

Addition (poor) photo of what appears to be Kanji on face, compared to photo of blank verso

 

regards,  John

[christianmalterre]

and where is a Ko-Umetada?????

 

Sorry Gentlemen

 

 

Non

 

maybe i do need Glasses...????

 

Christian

 

( Cheers John! ...long ago....) LOL!

[johnnyi]

Ha, cheers back Christian. I don't want to highjack the thread with my submission (substitute until a iron "real ko" appears), but if you have some ideas please do message me. 

 

Regards,  John

[Curran]

I have a papered (earlier this year) ko Umetada tsuba

 

Grev

 

Christian, Christian, Christian...   Grev has an NBTHK Hozon papered iron Ko Umetada.

 

He has not posted a picture. You just prove my point that it is a rare NBTHK paper, like Ko Myochin paper or Kozenji paper.

[DirkO]

it is a rare NBTHK paper, like Ko Myochin paper or Kozenji paper.

 

... and ko-Kagamishi or ko-Hagi or ko-Kinai

[kissakai]

Maybe a little sidetracked?

All I was after was some other papered ko Umetada examples so I could compare mine to other examples

Comments welcome