Help on Tsuba paper translation

[zanilu]

Dear All

 

I am struggling with the translation of this line on a truba NBTHK paper.

 

鋤残土手金泥塗耳

 

The last four kanji should be read

金泥塗耳
Kin Doro Nuri Mimi
Gold Painted Edge

 

Dote (土手) is clear the first two (鋤残) are a difficult. 

 

Can you help me out?

Can you also give me the exact pronunciation of the whole sentence? Google translator gives me something of the kind "Suki zan dote-kin doromami mimi".

 

This is the tsuba paper:

 

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

Regards

Luca

[SteveM]

鋤残土手金泥塗耳

 

Sukinokoshi, dote kindei-nuri mimi

 

Kindei is a kind of adhesive with gold powder in it. 

I think a lot of people say "kin-doro-nuri", especially online, but I think "kindei" is correct.  

 

I will have to defer to the experts to clarify the technique of sukinokoshi. I think sukinokoshi is where the metal is scraped (carved) away from a design (or, in this case, the edge) leaving the design in a raised relief. In your tsuba it would be a dote mimi that becomes even more exaggerated/pronounced by removing metal up to the rim.  

[zanilu]

Thank you Steve much appreciated! 

 

Regards 

Luca