Tsuba origins, and ana cutting through the design

[Jesta]

I recently bought what I shall call the “NMB Tsuba”. If anyone has any thoughts on the origins of it I would appreciate them. It is a weighty thing, with autumn leaves, and seems to have been flecked with gold at some point (there are minute traces on one side). 

 

What I am really interested in is why one of the ana cuts right through the design. My current theory is that it was made without the ana, they were then cut into it, and then later one of them was plugged. If this is the case, then it seems to have been used for a long time with the owner’s needs (fashion?) changing, but the tsuba itself soldiering on. 

 

Any thoughts as to why this might have been the case?

 

Any similar examples?

 

 

[Spartancrest]

   I think it is difficult to tell if the design was first there and cut through later, or was carved up to the existing hole.

In your example we can't see how far the carving has gone down the hitsu wall because it is filled. 

[Alex A]

One reason that comes to mind.

 

And if im picky about ana in tsuba, then maybe others were in the past.

 

I have a koshirae where the saya has no slots for either kozuka or kogai, so why would i want a tsuba with ana ? (which is on there now)

 

Its like it makes it obvious the tsuba wasnt made for the koshirae and just cobbled together.

 

Plan to swap the tsuba for a tsuba with no ana or filled ana in the not too distant future.

 

Also, not so long ago needed a tsuba for a wak with kozuka. Why would i want one with both ana?

 

Call me pedantic,

 

Ps, think your design was added later, just too much of a coincidence they are in the place where the ana are, though just a guess.

[Jesta]

8 hours ago, Alex A said:

 

Ps, think your design was added later, just too much of a coincidence they are in the place where the ana are, though just a guess.

I would be more likely to agree with you on the connection between the ana and the design if the design took the ana into account or flowed around it. But one of the leaves is almost entirely swallowed by the ana. If it was added after the ana then I can’t see a reason to do it like that. The ana pretty much have to be where they are, but the design can be anywhere. 

 

(I should nore that I recognise that “I can’t think of a reason” is not a good argument against something, so you could well be right, I am just currently still unconvinced without more examples to show that this was a thing…)

[Spartancrest]

This one I believe was carved AFTER the hitsu was cut into the plate. So the design attempts to avoid the hitsu as much as possible, but a section intersects it. If it was filled with a plug now, there would be a slight lip I think.