Silver ring in tsubas

[kaze ryu]

Hi!

I have that tsuba with a silver ring in mimi.

I think the ring its added for an old owner for additional protection. What do you think about that?

 

[MauroP]

Hi, welcome at NMB. 
The "ring" is called fukurin (覆輪) and it's quite a common feature in many tsuba (tsuba doesn't take the plural tsubas). I'm quite doubtful about the additional protection  a silver fukurin could eventually offer...
The subject of the design is usually referred as Yodo suisha, usually seen in Daigorō or Kyō-sukashi pieces, but in your tsuba the thickness of the cut-outs looks too coarse for those schools.

[kaze ryu]

Grazie mille Mauro! 

 

I'm attaching another front photo.
 You're right, the details are rough.
Any other thoughts on it? I'm always happy to read and learn more.

[ROKUJURO]

Mike,

nothing rough or coarse in this nice TSUBA! It is just the style! What are the dimensions?

[kaze ryu]

Hi Rokujuro. Thanks!

82 x 84 x 4mm  in in a home measurement.

[Jake6500]

Nice tsuba Mike,

 

I'm usually not the biggest fan of open works and personally gravitate toward the solid stuff but this one has a nice design.

 

Bridges were a major feature in mid to late Edo period art such as in Hokusai's famous ukiyo-e collection of bridges across Japan.

 

The added fukurin is indicative not of additional structural protection or support, but of an additional aesthetic quality added to the piece. Think of it as the frame or border around an iron painting.

[Dan tsuba]

Off topic but-

I don’t know.

Does anybody else see a possible cast iron tsuba here?

Or I may need new glasses (which is a major possibility)!

[kaze ryu]

Thanks so much, Jake!
Very interesting. I was just looking at Hokusai's ukiyoe of bridges online.
Before your comment, I didn't see it as a decorative frame.
I'm happy to build bridges with tosogu enthusiasts.

[kaze ryu]

Hi Dan, and thank you so much for your review!
I'm no expert (yet), but if I search on Lens or Google, I can't find one exactly like it.

I found the Yodo Suisha design Mauro mentioned earlier, but it's not the same.

I'm becoming a bit wary of iron tsubas and always check online before purchasing one. 

I don't know many more methods to differentiate this.

[Spartancrest]

Hi Gran, welcome.

    https://world-seiyudo.com/product/tu-040525/   https://www.seiyudo.com/tu-040525.htm  a Daigoro here as Mauro has said - it is much thinner work and perhaps more effeminate

[No offence to the Samurai spirit ]  

 

 

  From a Bonhams auction eight years ago - the site is no longer active.

 

 

 This one also has a silver fukurin - Sorry but these images are very small. 

 

  https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/230a24e205e0cc960a170e796b26dc8f   a Kyo-sukashi version 

 

 

    https://nipponto-ken.fr/Chap8 Typologie Detaillee9.html   Lets add a little gold.

 

https://www.tessier-sarrou.com/en/lot/22961/5002947-japon-debut-epoque-edo-1603-1868-maru-gata-en-fer-a-decor?search=& 

supper fine gold work

 

 

   currently for sale https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-tsuba-for-samurai-sword-t-623/

 

 

I tend to like your's more than all these! 

[FlorianB]

Sorry to say, but this Tsuba has a very peculiar look, especially in comparison with the examples by Dale.
Maybe not finalized…?

[kaze ryu]

Thanks, Spartan, for the examples. Those are the defined forms I found online. I fell in love with the examples with gold.

and thanks Florian. Maybe? That would be fascinating.

[lonely panet]

The akasaka isnt

 

AKASAKA. 

 

[Spartancrest]

2 hours ago, lonely panet said:

The akasaka isnt

 

AKASAKA. 

Tell the French company that is selling it. 

[davel]

7 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

From a Bonhams auction eight years ago - the site is no longer active.

Here you go  > https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24151/lot/95/an-iron-kyo-sukashi-tsuba-early-edo-period-1615-1868-early-17th-century-3/

[Lilleskit]

Hello all! I'm a tsuba knowledge newbe and often wonder why I see so many relatively identical antique tsuba. Were they made from molds and fine detailed afterwards? Were they copies made by students? Were the slight variations in details done at the request of the buyer? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Thanks

[lonely panet]

3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Tell the French company that is selling it. 

well if they dont know,  maybe there best avoided

[Spartancrest]

3 hours ago, Lilleskit said:

Were they copies made by students? Were the slight variations in details done at the request of the buyer?

In Japanese art there is a tradition of "utsushi" which translates as homage or emulation at its basic level. Popular designs were done over and over again but generally not as direct copies but as the new artists interpretation of the original design - at least in the best case senario. Copies have been made, some as "practice" by students/apprentices others as outright forgeries aimed at deceit. Yes there are also cast copies made in large numbers but these would not be called utsushi as they do not celebrate the art and are more about making fast money. From what I have seen almost every school of tsuba artist has had followers who make utsushi of their school or other schools master works. I would not be surprised if on some rare occasions some buyers might put in a request for some change or enhancement, there are rare signatures where the maker has included "made to the order of ... "

 

Some schools were almost production lines producing the same pattern over and over again just to keep up with demand Kinai school was well known for it. 

 

 

[Lilleskit]

Extremely interesting,  Thank you!🙏🏽

[Spartancrest]

   From an old Japanese book  https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1188787484    

 

Tsuba Oshigata Horii Nagaoka Akasaka Tsuba 5 volumes Approximately 800 drawings

[Spartancrest]

https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1139849568

[kaze ryu]

Hey its now!

[Curran]

On 6/14/2025 at 9:30 AM, Spartancrest said:

   From an old Japanese book  https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1188787484    

 

Tsuba Oshigata Horii Nagaoka Akasaka Tsuba 5 volumes Approximately 800 drawings

 

Might be an Akasaka book, but the rubbing and the text next to it do not give it to Akasaka.

I won't mention their attribution, as I don't agree with it.    

 

@lonely panet  Hamish is right---   it is not Akasaka. 

While I owned an Akasaka of similar waterwheel design, I don't think I have ever seen an Akasaka of this specific waterwheel and bridge design.

I've seen A LOT of Akasaka.

Too many.

 

This design gets pegged as Kyo-Sukashi about 75% of the time.

The other 25% depends on various things. I have seen it in a very Owari execution at a few times.

 

[Spartancrest]

I agree with you Curran, . . I was just the messenger. Just supplying more examples for  kaze ryu/Gran mike.

 

This papered piece is attributed to Daigorō - does anyone know the differences between Daigorō and Kyo-Sukashi?

 

  https://world-seiyudo.com/product/tu-040525/

[lonely panet]

Diagoro i think is pre kyo sukashi school 

[FlorianB]

The other way round - Daigoro is the successor of Kyo Sukashi in middle/late Edo period 

Daigoro is well known for an elaborate lattice-like design like these:

 

 

Sometimes the waterwheel-bridge-motif in question is assigned to Daigoro but I think because of a lack of refinement it is earlier, thus Kyo-sukashi.

[kaze ryu]

Uau! Thanks a lot for the info. I´m very happy to discover a group of discussion at tsuba. Thanks a lot , i very heppyness. The seller says the tsuba tells a story about a large waterwheel used to carry water to Yodo Castle.
He says it could be either Kyo Sukashi from early Edo or Daigoro from late Edo. 

[Bugyotsuji]

The paperwork says ‘Daigoro-utsushi’, which does suggest late Edo. The Yodo River ran through Arashiyama (south Kyoto) and Osaka but changed names at least three times according to which section, the ‘Yodogawa’ at its lower end. (The Yodo waterwheel and sometimes riverbank stakes often symbolized Osaka.)

[Curran]

2 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

The paperwork says ‘Daigoro-utsushi’, which does suggest late Edo. The Yodo River ran through Arashiyama (south Kyoto) and Osaka but changed names at least three times according to which section, the ‘Yodogawa’ at its lower end. (The Yodo waterwheel and sometimes riverbank stakes often symbolized Osaka.)

 

Thanks. I learned something new today.