Jesta Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 I bought this tsuba a while ago, just on impulse because I am a sucker for wave patterns. I am increasingly convinced that it is not an Edo period piece, although I should be clear that I don't think that the shop was in any way dishonest. I should have spent more time looking at it, but that's life. I like the waves, and I am not going to get rid of it. I will keep it around as a reminder to be more careful, and as a reference to look back on. This is an attempt to illustrate some probable issues with it as a way for other people (like me) to learn from, so please feel free to add your comments on things that I have missed. The front of the tsuba. The reverse. These images show what I have noticed about it that indicate that it is not really a good piece. The sekigane looks like it is not actually another piece of metal, just a shape in the metal. These patterns look like they are artefacts from either a casting or stamping process, but I am not entirely sure. The concave shape (see below) makes me think that it was stamped. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesta Posted April 18 Author Report Share Posted April 18 PART 2 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartancrest Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 The colour of the alloys is pretty 'off' as well. The rounded top end of the nakago-ana is not a good sign either. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissakai Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 Some good points made and shows how to make an initial assessment 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matsunoki Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 Also, the way the fish scales have been engraved/carved is extremely crude. Usually Japanese artists will take the time to carve them properly, and not by using a hasty cross-cross pattern that in this case also extends beyond the intended boundaries. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROKUJURO Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 Justyn, the concave shape of the TSUBA plate is not necessary a sign of stamping. There are many hand-made TSUBA which show that feature. Stamping could easily be done in any shape desired, be that flat, convex, or concave. But I agree that the TSUBA above is not authentic in the sense of a traditionally made Japanese swordguard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesta Posted April 18 Author Report Share Posted April 18 35 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said: Justyn, the concave shape of the TSUBA plate is not necessary a sign of stamping. There are many hand-made TSUBA which show that feature. Stamping could easily be done in any shape desired, be that flat, convex, or concave. But I agree that the TSUBA above is not authentic in the sense of a traditionally made Japanese swordguard. Thanks for the info. I haven't seen many concave tsuba, so it's good to know that they are out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Evans Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 Katakiri carving with a chisel usually results in a sharp cut, meaning that the cross section of the cut will look like a "V". Cast copies won't have that feature, the cross sections will look like a "U". Dirt or other coatings may disguise the sharp cut. This is difficult to tell from a photo sometimes so may need to enlarge or use a magnifying glass. Another tell on these reproductions is the extensive use of silver. Silver was usually used to pick out small details. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissakai Posted April 19 Report Share Posted April 19 Tim has said about the shape of the kanji and it is one of the first things I look for 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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