Leather Tsuba

[ottou812]

I would like some opinions from Tosugu experts on this leather tsuba.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0475674784

 

I haven't seen too much talk about "leather" tsubas. How far back do these types go as far as history of using leather in tsubas? Or may be I'm mistaken that leather is not really what was intended in that auction?

 

Anyways, that particular tsuba looks interesting and seems to me nicely made.

[sanjuro]

I'm no tosogu expert, and no doubt others here will know more of this subject than I do, but Neri Gawa (leather) tsuba go back quite a way. Some very early tachi of the mid to late Heian period have this style of tsuba, and it was commonly used on the kurourushi style of tachi during the Kamakura period. The tsuba is made of several layers (Usually three to five) of flat Imatagawa leather which was also used for armour. The layers are lacquered together and then lacquered over to provide a hard waterproof finish. Early examples tend to have a fukurin of metal to further seal the edges. These early examples are usually marugata shape and quite plain being mostly supported on the sword by the O seppa.

During the Edo period, there were gawa tsuba produced with carved surfaces, like the one on ebay, more I think as a result of antiquarian tastes than for any other reason, since the Aoi gata shape was more common to metal tsuba of the Momoyama period.

[IanB]

James, Many years ago I saw a tachi mounted completely in leather. The saya and tsuka were covered in gilded 'Dutch leather' and all of the fittings were of gilded nerigawa, including the tsuba and the ashi. The only parts of the koshirae made of metal were the seppa and a pair of menuki glued in place on the tsuka. I cannot recall anything about the blade but I don't think it can have been anything remarkable. I have no idea why such a koshirae would be made, except possibly to carry in the daimyo gyoretsu because of its light weight. I also once owned a naginata with a perfectly normal unsigned blade, mounted in a shaft of honoki. That had mounts made of gilded paper, except for the ishizuki which was iron. It looked quite good since the top of the shaft was lacquered in textured green lacquer that contrasted nicely with the gilt fittings. Again I would guess made deliberately light weight for carrying on marches.

Ian Bottomley

[Pete Klein]

This is an excellent article on Nerikawa Tsuba:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/nerikawa.htm