Help a Beginner and Their Buyers Remorse

Tamagucci · September 22

Hi everyone,

I'm an absolute beginner in collecting tsubas. I recently won a piece off an auction on eBay and I went a little over the budget of my first piece. I'm pretty certain (as certain as a novice can be) that it's genuine edo forged iron but I guess my concern is whether I paid more than I should have. Asking for my learning, I don't necessarily regret the purchase either way, I enjoy budhist iconography which is mainly why I chose the piece. My initial impression is mid 18th century to early 19th century shaomi school? I admit I could be very wrong.

Cheers!

ROKUJURO · September 22

Hi Kai,

welcome to the forum!

I think this was an attractive little TSUBA (no "S" added for the plural) before someone stripped the patina off. I do not believe it to be SHOAMI (not Shaomi). Is is probably a late (= 19th century) TSUBA. The good thing is that it is an authentic TSUBA in my opinion and not a recent imitation.

A seasoned collector would have probably hesitated to buy it because of the condition issues. It is difficult to fix a market value on this one, but in a private sale I believe USD 100.-- or around that would be realistic.

The photos are not well focused, so I don't see many details (may well be my old eyes). For better ones, please use a dark background for good contrast.

Tamagucci · September 22

Hi Jean,

Thank you for responding! I did notice that the sheen was a little silvery compared to the TSUBA that I have been looking at. I spend 133 USD for it so I suppose not the worse mistake but a little sting nonetheless. I'm a huge Vajrayana budhist buff so the wish granting gen on the top and other embellishments was a big draw for me. Correct me if I'm wrong and hopefully u can see it but am I correct in saying it has nunome patterning? I've attached pictures that are hopefully better, these are just from the listing.

Also p.s. I'll respond to your message soon.

Kurikata · Monday at 11:04 AM

Hi Kai,

A warm welcome to the forum. As Jean mentionned it, this is a real tsuba which has been overcleaned and lost its patina.

I would consider this tsuba having a strong Hizen influence (numone zogan, dragon etc...)

You paid the average price for it....

Steves87 · Monday at 12:22 PM

Yes, it looks like there is nunome zogan hatching all over the plate... including the seppa-dai. I don't think the patina has been stripped, but we are actually seeing the remnant silver. The photos are not great, but I'd be quite confident that this is the case. Can you get us some better pictures to confirm it is silver nunome zogan and not stripped patina?

Spartancrest · Monday at 12:38 PM

Steve I tend to agree - Wow there is a lot of nunome hatching on that guard, I wonder if it may have been a presentation piece to start with? Double sekigane at the bottom of the nakago-ana suggests to me it has some age, as it was mounted at least twice. The outline shape I like a lot, Kawari-gata? Also looks like the shape of either a Sake pot or lidded jar. Better first buy than mine! :thumbsup:

image.jpeg.5052c073af1d2329842b7470c4b6e81b.jpeg

ROKUJURO · Monday at 12:47 PM

Kai,

better images should be well focused and taken on a dark background for good contrast.

Tamagucci · Monday at 02:02 PM

Yes i'll be sure to remember that, unfortunately I have yet to receive my purchase so when I do eventually get it i'll be sure to post an update with new pictures! As a side note I didn't think there were so many australians on here, well 2 is not a lot, but it is nice to know there are others. haha

Shugyosha · Monday at 02:23 PM

Welcome to the forum Kai. Unfortunately, you don't get much buyer's remorse for $130 these days. :glee:

Dan tsuba · Monday at 02:38 PM

Hey Kai,

Welcome to this great forum!

I like your tsuba even though it appears to have been overcleaned.

I agree with Spartancrest that your tsuba was mounted at least twice.

Also, another nice thing about your tsuba is that the kogai hitsu ana (one of the holes in the tsuba) has been filled.

Which to me shows a kind of customization of the tsuba.

I usually don't pay over $150 for a tsuba.

I think you paid a fair price for yours.

Hokke · Monday at 02:38 PM

Spending $130 on something you like is more than reasonable these days. You admittedly didnt buy this as some sort of investment but more for the buddhist significance, thats all that really matters. A good rule of thumb in ANY hobby is never to spend more than you're willing to lose. At the end of the day these are just "things" and are ultimately only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. Swords, tsuba, trading cards, guns, knives, paintings......at the end of the day all these things are made from relative cheap materials, so the "values" are artificial since they are largely based on emotion and rarity.

Curran · Monday at 02:52 PM

Good responses.

It looks like an interesting design. Very interesting design, above that you will see on most Hizen tsuba.

and Yes, it looks overcleaned too.

Still, $130 on something like is far better than stumbling on a f'ugly repro or such. This one can teach you a fair bit as a newbie.

You bought some knowledge, being able to study the layout of the Hizen design and nunome. Not that bad a first step.

My first one was worse.

Jake6500 · Monday at 03:03 PM

This is a piece I probably wouldn't go for but $130 for an authentic Edo Period tsuba is an acceptable price and I concur with everybody else in the thread.

The tsuba is mixed metal and has clearly been mounted once or twice. Not bad for one of your first purchases.

You'll be hooked on the hobby, overspending and getting crushed by import taxes in no time Kai.

(In a good way? Lol)

Spartancrest · Tuesday at 12:05 AM

Jake is right - you can never just stop at one! [I guess if you did, you wouldn't actually be a collector, would you :laughing: ]

Oh I love those import taxes on secondhand goods - NOT!

Jake6500 · Thursday at 05:40 AM

On 9/23/2025 at 10:05 AM, Spartancrest said:

Jake is right - you can never just stop at one! [I guess if you did, you wouldn't actually be a collector, would you ]

Oh I love those import taxes on secondhand goods - NOT!

I just picked up some signed Hamano Noriyuki (not certified but *probably* authentic) menuki for 140,000 or so yen so I am preparing to take yet another import tax hit!!

These will be my first menuki

Tcat · Thursday at 07:44 PM

For $130 I don’t think you did badly at all. I believe the tsuba is Jakushi school. The tsuba shape is unusual and noteworthy in itself. Enjoy the tsuba, you can learn 10x more from things in-hand than photos alone!

Edited Thursday at 07:48 PM by Tcat

Tamagucci · Friday at 03:37 AM

I'm having trouble distinguishing between hizen as a province where multiple schools were active in, and Hizen as a school itself that I have seen a number of posters reference. It is my understanding that Jakushi was also school active in Hizen.

I'm inclined to think it is Jakushi as well given the heavy Chinese "Nanban" type influences and motifs (mythical beasts & swirling clouds), as well as the use of heavy nunome zogan, and flat etched type carvings.

But saying that I also found this tsuba on Bonhams label as Hizen school which I think also seems very similar to what I have given the motifs of auspicious items on the back of the tsuba + the mythical beasts on the front with the sacred jewel on top.

If someone can confirm/correct my understanding, that would be very helpful!

Edited Friday at 04:14 AM by Tamagucci

MauroP · Friday at 10:52 AM

Nanban and Hizen attributions overlap for a certain extent (though some tsuba are clearly Hizen and not Nanban). Jakushi could also be be a legit call, but usually Jakushi tsuba are signed and the vast majority of them represent dragons or Chinese landscapes.

A non-toban shape of seppa-dai makes me lean towards a Nanban attribution (but don't take any attribution too seriously...).