Large dot on mimi...

[Yves55]

• Wishing you a healthy, happy, and successful New Year!
• Just bought this small iron tsuba (6,31 x 5,96 x 0,38 cm  -  77 grams).
• 

 

There is one little dot on the mimi. See following topic

Any comment on this tsuba is more than welcome.

[Yves55]

Here is the little dot:

 

  

 

Can  this be a kind of mei or mark or... ?

[Yves55]

And a close-up:

 

 

Who is that bearded man? 

[ROKUJURO]

Yves,

this is called TEKKOTSU  (= "iron bones"). It is a special feature of some TSUBA makers or schools. There is some discussion about what it is and how it is done. Unfortunately, most writers have no metallurgic background and try to approach the subject from the aesthetic side which does not lead far. 

Your TSUBA would be classified as HEIANJO style, in this case an earlier one with HIRA ZOGAN technique (flat inlay), most of which is still present. There are information that some TSUBASHI working in that style did not make the TSUBA plate themselves but bought them from more specialized smiths to decorate them afterwards. This may be the case here.

Attached is an image of a HEIANJO TSUBA with another decoration style. 
 

[eternal_newbie]

5 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

this is called TEKKOTSU  (= "iron bones"). It is a special feature of some TSUBA makers or schools. There is some discussion about what it is and how it is done.

The Kashima sisters have some thoughts about tekkotsu on their website:

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/tekkotsu.html

http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/makingtekkotsu.html

[ROKUJURO]

Yes, that is one of the crude theories, but it is ridiculously unlikely when you think about it.

I am working scientifically on this TEKKOTSU subject and hope to be able to present results in the near future.

[Yves55]

Thank you all for these interesting replies!

 

[eternal_newbie]

1 hour ago, ROKUJURO said:

I am working scientifically on this TEKKOTSU subject and hope to be able to present results in the near future.

 

Looking forward to it!

[Jesta]

I have one that is very similar, but there is no tekkotsu on mine. 

 

[Yves55]

8 minutes ago, Jesta said:

I have one that is very similar, but there is no tekkotsu on mine. 

 

 

Nice 

[ROKUJURO]

From the workshop in the neighbourhood of the first one?