Tsuba mei help, Tanaka? Mito? Collab/Both?

[terminus]

Could someone help me translate the mei on this tsuba? It seems like there is 2 mei (one from the Tanaka school?) on this tsuba but I'm not sure:

[ROKUJURO]

TSUNENOBU (?) on one side? Is this a cast TSUBA? The surface of the SEPPA-DAI looks odd and the chisel strokes of the MEI as well.

[b.hennick]

On first sight it seemed to be cast to me as well.

[terminus]

I totally understand where you guys are getting that view. I think the mei looks like a cast or imprint too. However it does have NBTHK Hozon papers (attributing to a Yasumitsu? But I believe there is 2 signatures on this tsuba and a collab work). Here's the full tsuba omote: 

[ROKUJURO]

Tony,

there are many different techniques for surface treatment, so we may be fooled just by the looks.

I think I can see remains of YASU on the left side of the NAKAGO-ANA, but I don't see MITSU.

[uwe]

I guess you have it already Tony. If not, here my first try...
 

Right side: “㳒眼常信之図“ (first two possibly 法眼 = Hōgen)

Left side: “水市住安光” ?

 

But have still my doubts!

[SteveM]

法眼常信之国

水府之住安光

 

according to the shop that is selling it. 

[terminus]

1 hour ago, uwe said:

I guess you have it already Tony. If not, here my first try...
 

Right side: “㳒眼常信之図“ (first two possibly 法眼 = Hōgen)

Left side: “水市住安光” ?

 

But have still my doubts!

Thank you! I was wondering if this was truly a collaboration work between 2 smiths. I know one for sure is a Smith Yasumitsu from the Mito school, but the other one TSUNENOBU from Tanaka school? 

[SteveM]

No, just the work of Yasumitsu. I don't quite understand why the other name says Nobutsune no kuni. If I hadn't see the dealer's site, I might have also said the last kanji on the right side is 図 (zu - illustration) like Uwe. In any case, my guess it that it points to an inspiration - an original work from Nobumitsu that Yasumitsu is copying, or some effect Yasumitsu is trying to replicate. 

[uwe]

Hmm, two wrong...  
 

Anyway, “水府” (suifu) is pointing to Mito (thanks Steve!!!) and “法眼常信” (Hōgen Tsunenobu)....couldn’t find him. 

 

[uwe]

30 minutes ago, SteveM said:

No, just the work of Yasumitsu. I don't quite understand why the other name says Nobutsune no kuni. If I hadn't see the dealer's site, I might have also said the last kanji on the right side is 図 (zu - illustration) like Uwe. In any case, my guess it that it points to an inspiration - an original work from Nobumitsu that Yasumitsu is copying, or some effect Yasumitsu is trying to replicate. 

Steve, can we interpret “之図” as “圖”? “no kuni” makes no sense, I think!?

 

[SteveM]

No, its supposed to be 国 (or any of the other million variations). 

 

However, according to this site I just found today, it is a name (Yukikuni), and the work in question is indeed a gassaku.  Wakayama doesn't list this the name Yukikuni 

(之国) under any of the four possible "Tsunenobu" entries, but according to this dealer it is supposed to be a name of Fujiwara Tsunenobu, a late Edo artist along with Yasumitsu. I guess this is validated by the authentication paper, but it seems slightly unusual to not find the mei in Wakayama. 

 

http://aoyamafudo.co.jp/product/1630/

[terminus]

Thank you so much Steve, yea you hit the nail on the head. The Yasumitsu attribution is fine, the Tsunenobu attribution is stranger.

[Nobody]

I think that the inscription on the right is “法眼常信之圖 (Hogen Tunenobu no zu)” as Uwe says. That means its theme was inspired by Hogen Tunenobu’s painting.

 

Ref. Tunenobu; Kanō Tsunenobu - Wikipedia

 

I suspect that the shop’s description which Steve refers is a misunderstanding.

 

There is a similar pattern of Yasumitsu’s mei on a tsuba inspired by Hogen Buncho no zu.

法眼文晁之圖, 水府住安光作

日本刀 猿猴捉月図鍔　法眼文晁之図　水府之住安光作　武龍斉｜日本刀 刀剣販売 e-sword【イー・ソード】 (e-sword.jp)

[terminus]

2 hours ago, Nobody said:

I think that the inscription on the right is “法眼常信之圖 (Hogen Tunenobu no zu)” as Uwe says. That means its theme was inspired by Hogen Tunenobu’s painting.

 

Ref. Tunenobu; Kanō Tsunenobu - Wikipedia

 

I suspect that the shop’s description which Steve refers is a misunderstanding.

 

There is a similar pattern of Yasumitsu’s mei on a tsuba inspired by Hogen Buncho no zu.

法眼文晁之圖, 水府住安光作

日本刀 猿猴捉月図鍔　法眼文晁之図　水府之住安光作　武龍斉｜日本刀 刀剣販売 e-sword【イー・ソード】 (e-sword.jp)

Wow, you just blew my mind. That  would make soo much sense! Kano Tsunenobu was an extremely famous painter early Edo period and that attribution just fits.