Monkey tsuba

[kissakai]

Hi

I think I posted this a few years ago but I can't find the original post

I wondered what the kanji with the monkey meant

All I remember is that Hideyoshi looked like he had a monkey face

This is information for the museum exhibition

 

[Kurikata]

Hi Grev,

I found these explanations on the web: https://picclick.com/Japanese-sword-tsuba-round-sukashi-iron-design-of-192726855812.html

[kissakai]

Hi Bruno

This is exactly what I was looking for

I spent some time looking on the internet but no success. Sometime I wonder how you guys find what is hidden to me and among other Dale is a great digger

 

 

This is what the link says

Iron sukashi tsuba, round shape with slightly rounded rim. Size is 77.5 x 76.5 x 0.5 cm.  Looks mumei.  Tsuba has 2 hitsu ana and sekigane top and bottom of nakago ana.  Probably mid-Edo period.  The interesting sukashi design has 2 parts: (1) a monkey squatting on a bamboo branch, nicely carved with engraved detail of hair and clever face done with copper inset.  (2) main sukashi feature is the 2 stroke kanji  乃  “no”  (this means something like “indeed”, “fact” or “that is”).    Good condition overall.   Comes in quality kiri wood box.

 

There is some hidden meaning in this design, and possibly a reference to the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi  秀吉.   Of interest, in the kanji “hide” 秀  the lower part is “no”.  Also, an early nickname for young Hideyoshi was “Kozaru” which means little monkey, which is in the design.  There are several versions of this design from different schools.  This one is possibly Ko-shoami school. 

 

My tsuba

Although mine is mumei it has papers to state it is Kishu Sadanaga (Hoan?)

82 x 82 x 4.9mm Circa 1700

 

Funnily enough I'd just done a NMB donation for exactly this type of info along with my tsuba sales

 

 

I wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year

Grev

[Spartancrest]

Hi Grev

Don't you know Aussies are also called 'Diggers'? Found this guard on http://www.shibuiswords.com/tsuba.htm

it hasn't got the monkey [though I have seen others that do] The kanji apparently reads as "For you" a presentation tsuba in other words. 

Shibuiswords has it for sale 

--

KO-SHOAMI $900.00
"Iron square mokko shape (iri-sumi kaku) of sukashi design of a kanji meaning 'for you'. This was a gift tsuba. Remnants of gold and silver inlay, gold representing the sun and silver representing the moon. A fair amount of the inlay is missing but cherry blossom flowers can be seen. Dates to Momoyama period, ca. 1700." (Long)

 

7.90cm x 8.15cm x 0.45cm

One on aoijapan as well - https://www.aoijapan.net/tsuba-mumeiowari-the-kanji/  

again no monkey and Maru in shape.

Tsuba: mumei(Owari) the Kanji

Tsuba: (NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho Paper)
Mei (signature) : mumei(Unsigned)(Owari)

Length : 7.98cm x 7.90cm (3.14 inches x 3.11 inches)
Thickness of rim: 0.52cm ( 0.20 inches)
Jidai(era) :Edo period
Weight: 116 grams

Special feature: Round shape iron Tsuba, the Kanji is engraved with open work.
AOI estimation paper
In Kiri box.

Price : JPY 65,000-

 

I will keep 'digging'  

 

[kissakai]

Well done 'Digger'

 

[SteveM]

It seems to be a common theme, but I have yet to see a satisfactory explanation. 

 

https://tokka.biz/fittings/TS533.html
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/onikuma1210/e/1bb5c6b54d87a3b4ef971727bd596849
http://tsubaryuken.com/mo_15.html
https://aucview.aucfan.com/yahoo/b166820306/

[mecox]

15 hours ago, kissakai said:

Hi Bruno

This is exactly what I was looking for

I spent some time looking on the internet but no success. Sometime I wonder how you guys find what is hidden to me and among other Dale is a great digger

 

 

This is what the link says

Iron sukashi tsuba, round shape with slightly rounded rim. Size is 77.5 x 76.5 x 0.5 cm.  Looks mumei.  Tsuba has 2 hitsu ana and sekigane top and bottom of nakago ana.  Probably mid-Edo period.  The interesting sukashi design has 2 parts: (1) a monkey squatting on a bamboo branch, nicely carved with engraved detail of hair and clever face done with copper inset.  (2) main sukashi feature is the 2 stroke kanji  乃  “no”  (this means something like “indeed”, “fact” or “that is”).    Good condition overall.   Comes in quality kiri wood box.

 

There is some hidden meaning in this design, and possibly a reference to the shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi  秀吉.   Of interest, in the kanji “hide” 秀  the lower part is “no”.  Also, an early nickname for young Hideyoshi was “Kozaru” which means little monkey, which is in the design.  There are several versions of this design from different schools.  This one is possibly Ko-shoami school. 

 

My tsuba

Although mine is mumei it has papers to state it is Kishu Sadanaga (Hoan?)

82 x 82 x 4.9mm Circa 1700

 

Funnily enough I'd just done a NMB donation for exactly this type of info along with my tsuba sales

 

 

I wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year

Grev

Great to see......it was mine and I sold it 2 years ago.   What an excellent description !!

[kissakai]

Nice additional info

These were the purchase details

Bought on 14/08/15 so five years ago from eBay matsu-kaze.

Mal did your have papers?

If it did that would be coincidental