Stunning Tsuba at auction

[Francis Wick]

If there are any members who collect Tsuba there are some really beautiful ones coming up at gallerie Zacke . Also some high end armour pieces 

 

https://www.zacke.at

 

 

[Curran]

caveat emptor

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/caveat_emptor

 

[Rivkin]

Very late carving, the small details like completely flat toes and foot indicating... nothing good. Don't want to speculate if its cast and finished, but its just late.

[Francis Wick]

10 hours ago, Rivkin said:

Very late carving, the small details like completely flat toes and foot indicating... nothing good. Don't want to speculate if its cast and finished, but its just late.

Thank you Rivkin as Curran points out , caveat emptor ! There are quite a lot of other nice things at this auction though. I might try get one of the Menpo. 

[Francis Wick]

16 hours ago, Curran said:

caveat emptor

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/caveat_emptor

 

It might be a hand finished casting ?

[Francis Wick]

20 hours ago, Curran said:

caveat emptor

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/caveat_emptor

 

I had a more careful look at some of the items and a lot of them are pretty suspect actually. Quite a few of the Tsuba appear to have a base metal that has been painted over or had something applied that can be rubbed off. Shakudo remains shakudo It does not look like silver or copper underneath when you rub the surface. 😳 good eye Curran 

[Matsunoki]

34 minutes ago, Francis Wick said:

Shakudo remains shakudo It does not look like silver or copper underneath when you rub the surface.

When overcleaned shakudo does look very much like copper. The blue/black patina is purely an oxide on the surface.

[Curran]

1 hour ago, Francis Wick said:

I had a more careful look at some of the items and a lot of them are pretty suspect actually. Quite a few of the Tsuba appear to have a base metal that has been painted over or had something applied that can be rubbed off. Shakudo remains shakudo It does not look like silver or copper underneath when you rub the surface. 😳 good eye Curran 

 

I hadn't really looked deeply at the offerings. 

Someone I trust said there was a lot of "lipsticked pigs"

(from the phrase, "To put lipstick on a pig."). A quick look seemed to confirm that.

 

Decent things do come up in Auction Houses now and then.

I did pick up a good Hayashi Shigemitsu at an auction house last year.

 

[Matsunoki]

There are a couple of dodgy tsuba in this sale but most of the flashy stuff  looks correct for Bakumatsu or Meiji.

A few are outstanding examples of metalwork. These tsuba obviously appeal to a totally different customer base and they represent a different time in Japan. Many were made as artworks and never intended for mounting. The customer base were wealthy gaijin, merchants and the few image conscious Samurai that could afford such things. Some subjects are avidly collected now….anything Yokai, Bakemono, Oni, Monkey, Snake etc plus of course anything of the highest quality zogan. I think we will see some crazy prices. 
They are not likely to appeal to the purist iron tsuba collector base🙂

[Curran]

3 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

There are a couple of dodgy tsuba in this sale but most of the flashy stuff  looks correct for Bakumatsu or Meiji.

A few are outstanding examples of metalwork. These tsuba obviously appeal to a totally different customer base and they represent a different time in Japan. Many were made as artworks and never intended for mounting. The customer base were wealthy gaijin, merchants and the few image conscious Samurai that could afford such things. Some subjects are avidly collected now….anything Yokai, Bakemono, Oni, Monkey, Snake etc plus of course anything of the highest quality zogan. I think we will see some crazy prices. 
They are not likely to appeal to the purist iron tsuba collector base🙂

 Very well said by Colin.

Though not something that gets me to put down my beer, the flashy post Edo stuff has found an appreciation base the last few years.

Several of us had noticed the recently over the 100 year mark  had been gaining a fanbase at the auction houses.

 

Maybe tech-bros and crypto-kings be searching for bling?

[Bob M.]

With a starting price of 3000 euros plus buyers fees plus shipping & insurance, customs clearance, import duty, even if there were no other bidders and the auction house would let you have the piece at the opening bid price, then approx. $5,000 cost.

 

A lot of these fittings are actually owned by the auctioneers and so there is little chance of getting any sort of bargain on them. The auction house is well aware of the return that they are expecting ( unlike the situation with standard consigned lots ).

 

Personally I have made it a rule that if I am contemplating bidding on any lot over £500 then I want to see it in hand - no matter how good or revealing the published pictures seem to be. It is far too easy for a photo to be manipulated these days.

 

So - I would expect to see that the piece ( at least ) matches or exceeds its image in real life.

[Francis Wick]

2 hours ago, Bob M. said:

With a starting price of 3000 euros plus buyers fees plus shipping & insurance, customs clearance, import duty, even if there were no other bidders and the auction house would let you have the piece at the opening bid price, then approx. $5,000 cost.

 

A lot of these fittings are actually owned by the auctioneers and so there is little chance of getting any sort of bargain on them. The auction house is well aware of the return that they are expecting ( unlike the situation with standard consigned lots ).

 

Personally I have made it a rule that if I am contemplating bidding on any lot over £500 then I want to see it in hand - no matter how good or revealing the published pictures seem to be. It is far too easy for a photo to be manipulated these days.

 

So - I would expect to see that the piece ( at least ) matches or exceeds its image in real life.

Sage advice 🙏🏽👍🏻