What school is this tsuba?

[Iaido dude]

Here is a tsuba I saw online. I think it would be instructive to get a consensus on its attribution including “school” or specific smith, period of production, and motifs. 

 

It has a square rim and what appear to be globular tekkotsu on the mimi.

Dimensions: 82 mm x 80 mm, 5.7 mm (mimi), 4.9 mm (seppa-dai). 

 

 

[Scogg]

My brain says: OWARI

My heart says: AKASAKA

My gut says: I am just guessing 

Whatever it may be, I like it.  
-Sam

[kissakai]

I like what Sam says and I'd like to throw Kanayama into the selection

Nice tsuba

 

[Iaido dude]

I think that the features are consistent with Owari or Kanayama, but stay tuned. The rim is square. Nearly all Akasaka have rounded rims. It is dished, whereas Akasaka guards are thicker at the seppa-dai and thin towards the mimi. And tekkotsu are generally not found on Akasaka. I also find this tsuba very compelling. It has a fluidness and vitality that I associate with Kanayama and Wabi Tea Culture. However, the karigane appear to be more recent than Momoyama and Early Edo in their styling and execution (hence the Akasaka feeling). 

[Spartancrest]

Two cents worth - Kanayama with yakite shitate 焼手仕立 - I love the slightly melted look. 

[Iaido dude]

It really does appear to be. The size is a bit bigger than most Owari, but there are always exceptions. 

[Curran]

Is this not a modern (20th & 21st Century) tsuba by Issei Naruki?

 

I believe he has passed and his tsuba are now earning NBTHK Hozon.

That one tekkotsu throws me a bit. Otherwise, this looks like his workmanship.

 

[edit 10 minutes later:  ah, now I understand. Found image source]

[Iaido dude]

Bravo, although I wonder what specific features tipped you off. Noriki is a master contemporary smith who was born in the first half of the 20th century. He creates exquisite utsushi of Owari province guards of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. I didn’t include a pic of the ura with his mei on purpose for this exercise because I want to make a point about the significant flaw of attribution on the basis of the color and surface treatment of iron sukashi tsuba as propagated by Sasano sensei and his students. The smiths who created Owari province tsuba were highly skilled at forging iron plates with surface treatments to express many different styles and artistic sensibilities (e.g. wabi, sabi, mono no aware, yugen). The Noritsuke school and contemporary smiths like Noriki can likewise create these effects including tekkotsu and yakite shitate. The last photo below shows a tsuba (encircled) of the identical composition in Noriki’s workshop. Just look at the array of styles and composition and features on display among his creations. He creates homage pieces with his mei. We were all “fooled,” which attests to Noriki’s artistry and immense skill. 

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1177516137

 

 

 

 

 

[Curran]

For many years, I owned one of his Nobuiye utsushi before trading it to Prof. Arnold Frenzel for a different tsuba.

The high sheen yet matted 'almost yakite' patina really stuck with me.

 

For a while, a lot of his tsuba came to market.

That has since dried up and price on them going up a bit.

I've often debated owning another one. I wasn't that crazy about my former Nobuiye utsushi, but some of his utsushi are very pleasing.

 

[Curran]

I also suspect that I saw this tsuba before.

   There is also something about the Issei Naruiki seppa dai that seems consistently his work to me.

[Iaido dude]

There are several forged tsuba of this “model,” it seems so you may have seen this composition before if not this specific one. He’s quite good, but the price tag on this is actually quite a bit higher than several Kanayama Suba that I own. I was just fortunate enough to recognize what I was buying for bargain prices in the past. Still, I find his work to be very good. I might be in the market for a very convincing Nobuiye utsushi. 

[Curran]

a long time ago...

[Iaido dude]

Gifu prefecture appears to be a very active swordsmithing region. My new custom iaito is en route from there after months of waiting.

[Bugyotsuji]

I read that late Akasaka tends towards thinner tsuba plates, but the three early generations made tsuba thicker at the mimi.

 

Found this recently…

 

Mimi seems quite thick. No immediately discernible tekkotsu.

[Kanenaga]

One more by Naruki Issei.

 

[Curran]

1 hour ago, Kanenaga said:

One more by Naruki Issei.

 

 

If that one were not signed, I don't think I could have placed it as Issei Naruki.

I owned a very good Kamiyoshi of this design for about 3 years. Yet the design goes much further back in the Higo Schools.

 

You coming to Chicago? 

If so, I might be so bold to ask you to bring a specific tsuba.

This last year I've spent a lot of time getting to know a specific artist, and I believe you have a great example of his work.

 

[Iaido dude]

On 4/17/2025 at 11:48 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

I read that late Akasaka tends towards thinner tsuba plates, but the three early generations made tsuba thicker at the mimi.

 

Found this recently…

 

Mimi seems quite thick. No immediately discernible tekkotsu.

 

Yes, that is my understanding as well. Thicker Akasaka more consistent with the first three Akasaka masters. I have never seen an Akasaka with convincing tekkotsu.

[Bugyotsuji]

Steve, a tsuba collector friend today said he sees the Akasaka possibility, but he gets a stronger sense of early Edo Kyoto, i.e. Kyo sukashi. The sukashi walls are not straight vertical cuts, but rather at an angle, which is for him a strong indicator for Kyoto. Also the mimi are not as rounded as you might expect for Akasaka. 

[Iaido dude]

I would tend to agree. It has more Kyo features than Akasaka including that elegance from the thin walled sukashi style. 

[GRC]

@Iaido dude Kazunari Nariki made several variants of each specific tsuba style he was recreating. He would then pick the one he liked the most and submit it for the modern tsuba makers competition in Japan (I forget the name, sorry).

He also traveled to collect the correct sand iron form the specific region each tsuba type was from, so he could get the same surface colour and features after he smelted the sand iron in a tatara.

I have three of his pieces and got outbid on a couple others. I really admire what he was able to achieve, and his dedication to the craft, and to tsuba appreciation in general.

[Iaido dude]

Here is another work of his currently on Jauce. Starting bid ¥135,000. His skill and artistry are unquestionable. 

 

[Spartancrest]

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d1184059419

[Curran]

I like that one.

Normally, I'd consider buying it.

For those of us in the USA, I think this is blunted by whatever the tariff would be.

Among Issei Naruki examples, I would have recommended that one to foreign buyers.

 

_____________________________________

-----aaannnnd. I see I am late.

Looks like it sold?

 

[Iaido dude]

Tariff is 10% for value >$800. de minimus tax exemption still applies except for China. 

[Iaido dude]

8 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d1184059419

 

These command very competitive pricing among his fans. 

[Curran]

49 minutes ago, Iaido dude said:

Tariff is 10% for value >$800. de minimus tax exemption still applies except for China. 

 

Is it 10% on the amount OVER $800,           (say, a $1000 item which is $200 over will have a $20 tariff)

or a flat 10% triggered at the $800 level?    (say a $1000 item would have a flat tariff of $100)

 

There is an item in Japan that I thought to recommend to a friend, but I think he'd be find with a $20 tariff on it vs  $100 tariff.

[Iaido dude]

It’s 10% for item above $800. No tariff up to $800, I believe.