NEW Blog: Tsuba are beautiful - Kantei Series #01: “The Black Shakudo Tsuba - Ko-Kinko, Kyo Shoami or Soten?“

[Kunehito]

PREFACE

 

This new series „Tsuba are beautiful - Kantei Series“ is dedicated to collectors, friends, and enthusiasts who appreciate genuine Japanese art as much as I do. I share my knowledge from today’s perspective, offering insights that may help when, perhaps in a hidden corner of your favorite antique shop—or even online—you come across a precious Tsuba that captivates you, though you may not yet know much about it. By following this series, you’ll learn to work methodically toward identifying unsigned Tsuba on your own. I hope it will be helpful for your future collecting journey and maybe even ignite the spark for new collectors to begin theirs.

Please enjoy—and feel free to ask questions or share your opinions. Let’s discuss kindly and respectfully, whether you agree or disagree. Remember, collecting is a shared journey; respect for others’ views keeps our community strong.

You will find the link here: Tsuba are beautiful - Kantei Series #01: “The Black Shakudo Tsuba - Ko-Kinko, Kyo Shoami or Soten?“

Enjoy reading!

 

Best wishes,

Tobi

 

www.nihonto.art

www.tsuba-no-kake.com

 

[Curran]

Tobais:     VERY NICELY DONE!

 

I like your STEP 7: DIVE in the scenery most.

So many tsuba have a lot more story to them than we appreciate. 

 

These days, finding the story often means the most to me.

[MauroP]

Brilliant analytical writing, very well done! (... but personally, I would lean toward the Hikone/Sōten attribution).

 

[zanilu]

I would side with Pietro on this.

 

Look a lot like a Soten piece or to be more precise (or more generic,  you choose ) it looks like one of the Soten like pieces made by various artisans that took advantage of the Soten school popularity. 

From the reduced number and larger size of the human figures I would also say a later one.

 

As always I could be wrong...

 

Regards 

Luca

[Exclus1ve]

Hello!
I've also done some research on my Soten tsuba set. I'm inclined to believe that your tsuba was made by a follower of Soten with their own unique style.
There are noticeable differences in the way the pine tree is drawn, with its more elongated needles(with an Italian accent)) joke), which is not as common in the Soten school.

Additionally, the tops of the waves have a concave point, whereas Soten often uses a round point, and the overall style of the waves is different.

 

A similar plot, I suppose)

 

The precise depictions of the clans are also not typical of Soten, and I really appreciate this detail on your tsuba!

 

I also found a potential pair that is slightly smaller in size, both in appearance and in terms of the additional seki gane insert.

Best regards 

Viktor

 

 

Edited November 5, 2025 by Exclus1ve

[Exclus1ve]

Although, considering that this is a ko-kinko, you must be right!

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/22248/lot/1207/a-ko-kinko-tsuba-edo-period-18th-century/

In any case, it was interesting to compare!

Edited November 6, 2025 by Exclus1ve

[Exclus1ve]

And Soten School with same theme

 

[Iekatsu]

Not Ko-kinko at all sorry. It would never paper as such.

[Kunehito]

Thank you very much for all your valuable comments and different perspectives. Here and per pm.

I truly appreciate the discussion — this is exactly what makes studying tsuba so fascinating.

 

I completely understand the points about Sōten or Hikone-style attributions. The dynamic composition, warrior theme, and three-dimensional carving certainly share similarities with that group, and I can also see how Hiiragiya could come into consideration based on some stylistic parallels.

 

My first thought leaned toward Ko-Kinkō mainly because of the deep black shakudō with a high gold content, the refined surface work, and the overall balance between carving and inlay — qualities that, in my eyes, felt slightly earlier than most of the Hikone or late Sōten pieces I’ve handled.

 

I’ll definitely review more comparative examples from these schools.

The exchange of knowledge and opinions here is incredibly valuable — thank you all for taking the time to share your expertise.

 

Kind regards,

Tobi

[Exclus1ve]

9 hours ago, Kunehito said:

My first thought leaned toward Ko-Kinkō mainly because of the deep black shakudō with a high gold content

The question of the high content of gold in this alloy is still open.
A similar "black" color can be achieved with a gold content of only 0.5% in the alloy (the effect is provided by arsenic). Usually, there is a little more gold in a dark, rich black-blue color.

Edited November 13, 2025 by Exclus1ve

[Iekatsu]

It also needs to be said that there is no particular variety of pre-Edo Shakudo, it varies considerably in all periods, as does the colour.