Please can I get some thoughts on this Sukashi Tsuba

[Steves87]

Hello all,

I very recently bought this Tsuba as it was able to hold my interest for a bit longer than usual, was cheap and filled a temporary 'Sukashi' hole in my collection.

The seller advertised it as Edo period which for all I know, it could be (ultimately does not matter in this case). In hand I still quite like it, I just get the feeling it is newer than Edo period, I was hoping to get some opinions on this. More a test to how I'm coming along in my own learning of the field.

 

Thank you

Stephen

 

Also, apologies if the photo leaves more to be desired, I am currently trying something different.

[lonely panet]

It looks/feels unbalanced

 

Could it be a modern piece

[Geraint]

Dear Stephen.

 

I like the way that the wing of the bird,(or top of the kanji?) blends into the kogai hitsu.

 

All the best.

[Steves87]

That's what I am also wondering Hamfish, I understand where you are coming from, there seems too much Kanji for mountain/temple.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that Geraint, it was one of the points I got focussed on initially, it plagued me in a dream. Also one other focal point for me was the bottom Kanji only fixing to the mimi and separated from the seppadai...there other points of pleasure and frustration for me... like the facial cuts in the mountain valleys.

I perhaps should not be devoting so much thought to this Tsuba, but it has me drawn

[Ford Hallam]

In my opinion this is modern hobby work.

 

One big 'giveaway' is the seki-gane. Neatly fitted and then shaped out right to the edge of the steel nakago-ana...thereby defeating the actual point of the sekigane.

[Steves87]

Thank you Ford, something I had noticed but not thought through, I don't think I would ever have come to that thought myself