Shakudo Tsuba with Moon - How many are out there?

Infinite_Wisdumb · March 30, 2021

Hi Everyone

I was trying to decipher the mei on this one (listing says Hideyuki) and I asked @Jussi Ekholm for an assist. He pointed me towards this thread from @Mantis dude:

here is the link to the Tsuba at the point of discussion:

https://www.catawiki.com/l/39045283-tsuba-shakudo-Japan-late-edo-period

Now low and behold, the same tsuba shows up at Jauce, 6 months later:

https://www.jauce.com/auction/f465369734

Same Tsuba? Fakery? Mass produced junk? What say the collective?

Spartancrest · March 30, 2021

It is the identical tsuba, Catawiki publish the sales of various auction houses so the same piece will appear there, as on the original auction site - don't worry it is not mass produced, though the pattern may be duplicated.

Looks like it was sold from Australia, some good information supplied with it on Catawiki :

Edo period signed shakudo tsuba with mantis under the moon design.
The design is carved and inlay with silver and shibuichi.
18th/19th century.
Signature: Hide Yuki (英雪)
Good condition, few lights scratches.
Low reserve price.

Size: 70mmx 65mmx4mm
material: shakudo

Infinite_Wisdumb · March 30, 2021

thanks Dale!

Whoever bought it must have just turned around and sold it again. Interesting

PietroParis · March 30, 2021

2 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

It is the identical tsuba, Catawiki publish the sales of various auction houses so the same piece will appear there, as on the original auction site - don't worry it is not mass produced, though the pattern may be duplicated.

In fact Catawiki does not "publish the sales of various auction houses". It is an online auction platform not unlike eBay. The main differences are that 1) the items on sale are supposedly vetted by "experts" who provide (usually too high) estimates; 2) most items on sale have reserve prices; 3) the deadline is moved when there are bids in the last minute (i.e., no sniping). What happened in this case might be that somebody bought the item on Catawiki and then put it on sale again. Or maybe the sale failed for some reason and the original seller is trying again on a different platform.

Cheers, Pietro

PietroParis · March 30, 2021

2 hours ago, PietroParis said:

The main differences [w.r.t. eBay] are that 1) the items on sale are supposedly vetted by "experts" who provide (usually too high) estimates; 2) most items on sale have reserve prices; 3) the deadline is moved when there are bids in the last minute.

I forgot a quite important difference: 4) the buyer pays a 9% fee!