Translation Assistance Tsuba mei wanted.

[Kantaro]

Anyone can translate this Tsuba Mei?

 

Kind regards.

[Bugyotsuji]

江州住信之 but that last kanji (?)造(?)

[Kantaro]

Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa

 

Thanks Piers!

 

Good Job!

 

Here is the link I found:

 

Tsuba : Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa | Japanese Sword Online Museum

 

 

[Kantaro]

5 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

江州住信之 but that last kanji (?)造(?)

 

So what was that last Kanji?

 

[uwe]

Maybe “tsukuru”, like Piers suggested…

[Kantaro]

No idea Uwe, but I do know the link I found with "Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa" has exactly the same Mei as my Tsuba.

 

Is that Link not correct or was it translated badly by google?

 

Tsuba : Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa | Japanese Sword Online Museum

 

 

"江州住信之造" seems to be (Kōshū-jū Nobuyuki zō) and Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa (甲州住信久)??

 

Are they possebly the same person?

 

Sorry for my ignorance.

 

 

[Kantaro]

This is what AI tells me and I see now your "tsukuru" Uwe.

 

1. 江州住信之造

Romaji: Gōshū jū Nobuyuki tsukuru (or Shin no tsukuru, depending on the reading of 信之)

Translation:

• 江州 (Gōshū): An old provincial name referring to Ōmi Province, which is present-day Shiga Prefecture.

• 住 (jū): "Residing in" or "resident of"

• 信之 (Nobuyuki or Shin no): A personal name. The most likely reading is Nobuyuki, a common given name.

• 造 (tsukuru): "Made" or "crafted by"

✅ Full translation:
"Made by Nobuyuki, resident of Gōshū (Ōmi Province)"

---

2.甲州住信久

Romaji (Romanized): Kōshū jū Nobuhisa

🔍 Breakdown:

• 甲州 (Kōshū):

  • The old provincial name for Kai Province, which is modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture.

• 住 (jū):

  • "Residing in" or "resident of"

• 信久 (Nobuhisa):

  • A male given name

    • 信 (Nobu): "faith" or "trust"

    • 久 (Hisa): "long-lasting" or "eternal"

---

✅ Full Translation:

"Nobuhisa, resident of Kōshū (Kai Province)"

This kind of inscription is typical of swordsmiths, tsuba makers, or metal artisans marking their province of residence and personal name.

If this appears on a tsuba, blade, or other fitting, it is a classic mei (銘 = maker’s signature). Let me know if you’d like it contextualized in swordsmith or fittings records.

[ROKUJURO]

To my eyes, the chisel grooves in the MEI are shallow and show a rough surface. This can be indicative of a cast TSUBA (not from EDO JIDAI! ). The SEPPA DAI was heavily ground, so I would like to see the complete TSUBA to get an idea of what it might be.

[Kantaro]

9 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

To my eyes, the chisel grooves in the MEI are shallow and show a rough surface. This can be indicative of a cast TSUBA (not from EDO JIDAI! ). The SEPPA DAI was heavily ground, so I would like to see the complete TSUBA to get an idea of what it might be.

 

[ROKUJURO]

Representing an Abalone sea-snail. 

I am not sure without seeing it in hand. It might also be a regular TSUBA that was heavily corroded at one time, and in an attempt to "clean" it, it got badly mistreated!

[Kantaro]

1 minute ago, ROKUJURO said:

Representing an Abalone sea-snail. 

I am not sure without seeing it in hand. It might also be a regular TSUBA that was heavily corroded and, in an attempt to "clean" it, it got badly mistreated!

 

Yes indeed Jean, I had the same idea, it was badly "cleaned" by the former owner but I do like the carving.

 

[ROKUJURO]

D'ailleurs, Paris n'est pas en Belgique, c'est en France! 

[Kantaro]

4 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

D'ailleurs, Paris n'est pas en Belgique, c'est en France! 

 

That could change soon...

[Kantaro]

4 hours ago, Kantaro said:

No idea Uwe, but I do know the link I found with "Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa" has exactly the same Mei as my Tsuba.

 

Is that Link not correct or was it translated badly by google?

 

Tsuba : Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa | Japanese Sword Online Museum

 

 

"江州住信之造" seems to be (Kōshū-jū Nobuyuki zō) and Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa (甲州住信久)??

 

Are they possebly the same person?

 

Sorry for my ignorance.

 

 

 

Back to the mei question, maybe someone has a Tsuba with a similar mei and knows the maker?

 

This is the only Nobuyuki I find:

[Tohagi]

...sorry, have the same impression of cast tsuba because of the line inside the kosuka ana and uniform patina...

And by the way: la Belgique sera française bien avant que Paris ne devienne Belge !

 

Just kidding betwen neighbourgs...

Cheers

Eric 

[Bugyotsuji]

久 vs 之

Well it could be read Nobuhisa (?) but the Mei is so corrupted. It gives me a stronger vibe of Nobuyuki 信之.

[ROKUJURO]

3 hours ago, Kantaro said:

.....This is the only Nobuyuki I find:   

Paris,

I believe that NOBUYUKI is a sword-smith.

[Kantaro]

8 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

久 vs 之

Well it could be read Nobuhisa (?) but the Mei is so corrupted. It gives me a stronger vibe of Nobuyuki 信之.

 

Well I suppose that the link of the "Japanese Sword Online Museum" with similar Tsuba as mine could be correct and it could be Nobuhisa but I am not sure, wonder if any member has a Tsuba of him?

 

Tsuba : Koshu Jyu Nobuhisa | Japanese Sword Online Museum

 

(The mei seems not much clearer here...)

[Geraint]

Dear All.

 

We are pussy footing around this, aren't we?

 

This is clearly a late cast copy, (as is the one linked on Aoi, note the shape of the nakago ana.).

The Nihonto Club database is specifically for swordsmiths, not tsuba artists.

The reference on Nihonto Club uses a different kanji so certainly not the same person.

 

Not sure what the keyboard equivalent of ink is but we are wasting a lot of it here.  Paris this is a good example for you to train your eye for future reference, points to ponder are the blurred mei, the marks on the seppa dai, the shape of the nakago ana, the surface of the tsuba and the detail of the 'carving'.  Compare with the Aoi example and check these features out.

 

All the best.

[Spartancrest]

https://www.messer-spezial.de/tsuba.html   Tsuba 76   signed (Nobuhiro), abalone shell motif

 

 

https://www.ricecracker.com/inventory/834_tanto_ebi/834_tanto_ebi.html    "The tsuba is a version of the Kinai motif of an abalone and clam carved out of the plate. Signed “Nobuhiro saku."

Edited June 20 by Spartancrest
MORE LINKS

[Kantaro]

Japan - Iron Plate Tsuba by Nobufusa saku | Lakesidetrader

 

 

Cast?

[ROKUJURO]

I don't see a NOBUFUSA MEI on this TSUBA, but that may well be my old eyes.

[Geraint]

Dear Paris.

 

Yes, this one is cast as well.  If you look at the seppa dai on the lower picture you will see little squiggly raised lines, once you have picked them out you can see them all over the surface.   And the classic shape for the nakago ana.

 

All the best. 

[Kantaro]

6 hours ago, Geraint said:

Dear Paris.

 

Yes, this one is cast as well.  If you look at the seppa dai on the lower picture you will see little squiggly raised lines, once you have picked them out you can see them all over the surface.   And the classic shape for the nakago ana.

 

All the best. 

Thanks Geraint, that one I spotted too...

 

I was a bit hesitating on the fact my tsuba was cast or not.

I will show you some detailed pictures of my Tsuba.

Hope you will understand my hesitation but I am learning...

I do wonder how old it could be?

 

[Kantaro]

On 6/20/2025 at 10:49 AM, Geraint said:

 

 

"This is clearly a late cast copy"

 

Wait Geraint, you mean a cast copy from late EDO?

[Geraint]

Absolutely not! 

 

I think that we fail to comprehend the extent and speed of the revolution in Japan post Meiji restoration.  I have been looking for the source and have so far failed to find it but at least one English collector of note first encountered tsuba when walking along a quay in London and a barrel slipped from the crane sling that was unloading it, crashed and burst spilling piles of tsuba.  In other words tsuba were literally being sold out of Japan by the bucketful.  The early European collections were formed from this vast array of tsuba, those who were discriminating enough trawled the sea of objects and selected, whether in Japan, like Mosle, or in European cities.  The famous myth of Japanese prints igniting the European art world having been discovered as packing material in shipping boxes is analogous.  The significance of people such as Bing with his gallery and extensive holdings gives us some idea of the fervour with which all sorts of Japanese art was being sought after. (Don't get me started on the relationship between Japanese art and Art Nouveau!)

 

When the supply began to dry up the Japanese started to crank out cast copies to supply the demand, desperate not to lose the market and to support a struggling economy in transition.  The quality of these is low and they should be fairly easy to spot compared with the rather more sophisticated copies that we are seeing now.  

 

Well Paris, your tongue in cheek remark gave me the opportunity to vent some of this, I do realise that it is not what you were after but perhaps some of it might be of interest to someone.

 

To conclude, there are quite a few of this class of tsuba going the rounds.  I am quite happy to date these as Meiji or later, certainly post Haitorei, nothing Edo about them.

 

Now dismounting from my high horse and bidding you a good evening.

 

All the best. 

[Kantaro]

Thanks for your "ink" Geraint, much appreciated!