Hitsu-ana and mei don't make sense.

[Hector]

Hi, I would appreciate some more advice if that's okay?

 

I have very simple tsuba where either the (unknown) mei is on the ura side rather than the omote or the hitsu-ana are the wrong way round.

 

With the mei facing upward, the kogai hitsu-ana is on the left and the kozuka hitsu-ana is on the right - a mirror position to the norm, I believe? 

 

So, could the mei have been positioned underneath on some occasions?

 

Thanks.

 

Hector C

[Spartancrest]

Ever rule has an example where someone has broken it.

 

 

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/98651298-masterwork-tsuba-signed-with-nbthk-hozon-certificate-copper-gold-silver-iron-Japan-edo-period-1600-1868

 

[Hector]

17 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

Ever rule has an example where someone has broken it.

 

 

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/98651298-masterwork-tsuba-signed-with-nbthk-hozon-certificate-copper-gold-silver-iron-Japan-edo-period-1600-1868

 

Thank you Dale!

 

Do you have any idea how these tsuba should be mounted? (At a guess, I'd think the hitsu-ana positions are probably more important than the signature. Although, in the case of my tsuba, the side with the mei is also definitely more decorated and therefore more likely to be considered the omote.)

[Spartancrest]

Usually it is the most decorated side faces the tsuka and thus is on display the most. Your guard has hitsu that are only slightly different in shape so I don't think it is a big issue - there are a lot of guards with identically shaped hitsu either side and I often wonder how you can tell which way to mount them especially if the guard is fairly plain? I guess if you can find any tagane-ato punch marks around the nakago-ana that may help a lot.

 

[SteveM]

Mei is 包矩 (Kanenori). Presumably Shōami Kanenori. 

 

Other examples

 

https://www.touken-world.jp/search-sword-guard/art0002612/

https://www.yamasiroya.com/tsuba/post_21.html　　(same tsuba as above, I think)

https://www.aoijapan.jp/鍔正阿弥　包矩/

 

 

[Spartancrest]

Kanenori was a busy little bee!

 

 

 

[Tim Evans]

Consider that the mei is a brand, so the thinking is that signed on the front means a tsuba made as shop stock for sale to the public. Signed on the back is thought to mean this was a custom order, and would be presumptuous or tacky to obviously stick the brand on the front. There are also tsuba by known masters that are unsigned, which can mean the tsuba smith was a retainer to a Daimyo and produced tsuba or other fittings only for the Daimyo family, and were not ever for sale, so no need to brand them. This situation does not apply to the thousands of unsigned low end tsuba.