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Tsuba no naka no tsuba


SalaMarcos

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Dear colleagues, today I want to show you one of the latest pieces that I have added to my collection, with a curious story.
It is the work "tsuba no naka no tsuba" performed by the tsubakō Ōkawa Chikō, 18th generation of the Būshū Edo Itō school under the name of Itō Masanori, and which also has the gō of Masami Tōhōsai.
In November 2019, we invited Mr. Ōkawa to Spain for tsuba exhibitions, lectures and gin zōgan and nanako tagane demonstration workshops, in one of the few such visits to Europe and the first time in Spain. During this trip, I took Mr. Ōkawa to the Prado Museum, and there, looking at the painting "Las Hilanderas" by Velázquez, we talked about the concept of the work within the work (as Velázquez depicted in this painting the paint "Europe's kidnapped" by Rubens) In this sense, I told Mr. Ōkawa that I had seen tsuba with many decorations, including nakago decorating, and nihontō-shaped menuki, as well nihontō in suemon zōgan in tsuba and fuchi-kashira, but I had never seen a tsuba inside a tsuba, and I told him that it would be a piece very interesting for me as an art historian. So, he accepted the commission, and after the years of the pandemic, I have been able to travel to Japan and collect this wonder in his own atelier. It is a tetsu tsuba where he has applied sukashi to recreate not one, but two tsuba within the same tsuba. The recreated tsubas add up to four because they represent the omote and ura sides. The tsuba chosen to represent belong to the first generations of the Akasaka school, the other being from the Owari tradition, although with a design also seen in Kyō-sukashi. I hope you like this piece as much as I do, and, of course, if you know of another tsuba that has a tsuba inside it, it would be very interesting to see it.
Best regards,
Marcos.IMG_20220712_112238.thumb.jpg.2296c6ce5db3f65482c8ff9c9f5cd1db.jpg

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1 hour ago, Spartancrest said:

Marcos, there are a number of tsuba on tsuba already known - but Mr. Ōkawa has not wasted his time, his is a beautiful piece of workmanship.

 

 

There was a thread earlier in the year on NMB on this very subject - 

 

tsuba on tsuba collection.jpg

Dear Dale,

Thank you very much for your post and pics! Certainly I saw it on menuki, fuchi-kashira...but never in tsuba. All the examples you showed are very interesting, specially the first one. 

Maybe Ōkawa's work is first one in sukashi? Didn't know, but I'm very happy with my piece as well see all other you posted.

Thanks again!

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Marcos I have seen two guards with four tsuba depicted on them [one was a modern fake or copy] unfortunately I can't lay my hands on the images. Both were certainly not as detailed as your superb sukashi - you should be justifiably proud to own it.

Also I have seen some examples of tsuba on kozuka so it looks like almost all types of fittings have been decorated in this way - with one certainty - they are still pretty rare!

kozuka tsuba.jpg

menuki tsuba jauce 17-6-2022.jpg

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Marcos. This modern copy has just reappeared (mentioned July 12 above) - the design is similar to your fantastic piece, but obviously simpler and crude. [where do they find the designs to start with?]  https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1059093133  [At least I will know where to look for the images now - here!]

i-img479x500-1659145925vra8nj205376.jpg

                                81 mm × 81.5 mm × 4.5mm  Wt.85

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I came across this one while browsing eBay tonight. I like how, when mounted, the relief tsuba would peek out from underneath the seppa/habaki. Also the relief appears to be a smaller version of the tsuba on which it sits. 
 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275391340868?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=BC2wevW5Qx-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=teIJusuOQ82&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

F2B12D12-7385-4C87-BAD7-094EE834E0D0.thumb.jpeg.634e1d3fc9ca6a7920a0f36ac8522f20.jpeg

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This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

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