A Tsuba by Masafusa...

[Soshin]

I have a iron tsuba simply signed Masfusa. The over condition of the gold and silver inlays are not great but the quality of the iron of this tsuba is much better then other iron tsuba in my collection. I did some research and found out that there were two schools of tsubako in the Edo period that had members that used that name the Bushu Ito and the Shoami Schools. From a stylistic analysis of the tsuba I would say it is likely Shoami school and not Bushu Ito but I know from this forum that stylistic analysis should be the last thing to consider when preforming a kanei on a Tsuba. I have posted a scan of the omote (面) side of the tsuba for reference. If anyone can provide additional information that would be a big help.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David (Shoshin)

[Soshin]

I'm replaying to this post I made to add some additional information I was able to uncover in a book that I own. In Lethal Elegance "The Art of Samurai Sword Fittings" by Joe Earle on page 74 I uncovered some information about the Ito or Bushu school of tsuba makers. "The Museum owns nearly one hundred Bushu tsuba. While all of them are (at least) competently manufactured, many are essentially mass-produced goods of low-quality iron and of little aesthetic interest today, either to Japaneses or Western connoisseurs." I had a few people look at my tsuba at the local Nihonto club and they said it likely belongs to Bushu-Ito school as Masafusa is a common name in that school. I would say that my tsuba likely falls in to the generalization talked about by Mr. Earle in regards to the Bushu-ito school. Just providing additional information I was able to come up with.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David S. (Soshin)