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Unusual iron tsuba


Matsunoki

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Hello from the UK

Can I please ask for your help in identifying this iron tsuba? I’ve never seen similar before. The patina is very dark and looks genuine and it appears to have quite some age. I am wondering if it is a storage/sake jar? Although quite small It is mounted on a very good large wakizashi with lovely koshirae. It has the remains of an old collection ?? label adjacent to nakago ana. Anything you can tell me will be gratefully received. Many thanks. Colin

H 6.9cm

w 4.8cm

Thickness 0.5cm

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looks good to me :thumbsup:

Here's one with what looks like the same motif, which was described as "chatsubo".

Chatsubo 茶壷 in Japanese is the name of the clay pots used to keep matcha tea leaves before they get ground

image.png.2b7bbc79cd0fa70d6e3f63d3b677c337.png

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Glen, Jean

that was quick! I had seen the thread regarding “modified tsuba” but didn’t occur  to me that this might be one. Makes perfect sense.

Any  ideas re age/ school?

very kind of you, many thanks 

Colin

 

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I agree with Grev. I can't see that your guard has been cut down and there are many guards that even though odd shaped, were designed that way to start with. You have a rare form that is a worthy collection piece. [I love the odd ones!]  Did you acquire the piece in Europe? It might have been in a European collection from the 19th/20th century, owners often stuck paper labels on their pieces.

image.thumb.png.342fcedfdbe9fdcc4f32f87f9a7a8273.png

 

image.thumb.png.260957928499b5fef1376963ffd1c2e7.png

 

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3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Did you acquire the piece in Europe?

Hello Dale

grateful thanks for your time and very helpful comments. With my very modest tsuba knowledge I would tend to agree that it was made this way, I can see no signs of reworking although of course the artisan would have been more than capable  of concealing them. It just feels “right”. I acquired it mounted on a very nice large and heavy wakizashi. The rest of the koshirae is lovely quality and not recently  “mucked around with” so I’m guessing it’s been on that sword for a while.  As far as I know the sword has been in a European collection for some time. I will post the whole sword on the forum in due course once I’ve translated the Mei (or more likely asked for help in so doing!) 

All the best. Colin.

 

 

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Colin,

 

my impression is that it might be an old reworked TSUBA as the patina is nice and even around its circumference. As you write correctly '....I can see no signs of reworking although of course the artisan would have been more than capable  of concealing them....', so this was probably done a whila ago and by a trained TSUBASHI.

I don't think that a TSUBA could not have been made in this form, but it seems quite unlikely, at least in my experience. I have seen the theme too often. 

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25 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

I don't think that a TSUBA could not have been made in this form, but it seems quite unlikely, at least in my experience.

Thanks again Jean

……And that is both the “pain and the ecstasy” of swords and tsuba……most often, we can never be really sure can we? If nothing else it teaches me to accept uncertainty …..which is good ……because usually I really like certainty!

I feel “possibly” or “probably” are appropriate here. Anyway, nice as it is, the tsuba does not really suit the sword so I am now looking for something that “goes”…..preferably mixed metal with mice. Needle in a haystack? Will probably sell this one in due course.

………..great fun though. All the best. Colin

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3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:
3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:
3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

have one like this, not sure if this one is still for sale?

Hello Dale. Thanks again for all the detective work……very interesting……but still we can’t be sure can we🙂🙂?

Of the 4 you have sent links to, the third one (shakudo Nanako with rats and scroll) is probably close enough to work but it’s in Japan and I’m not buying in Japan right now. There is no EMS from Japan to UK, only sea freight…..and I’m not keen on wondering if/when something might arrive.

You  mentioned one that you had…..any chance of seeing it - if available?

PM me if you prefer.

all the best. Colin.

 

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