Would you say Tanaka ?

[Kurikata]

Hi NMB experts,

 

This mumei tsuba get some tanaka school features from my point of vew. 

 

Do you agree with me or do you see other influences ?

 

Thank you

[Exclus1ve]

Hello!
I would assume Mito school

The shape, the non-standard holes of the hitsu-ana, and, of course, one of the favorite themes of the Mito school - dragons and tigers.

Edited January 17 by Exclus1ve

[Curran]

I agree with Victor.

The Mito umbrella is huge, with a lot of spin off Mito influenced schools.

 

This feels more in that direction. For me, the plant leaves on the Tiger side point that way. 

This is probably Mito+(School#2) work, so probably a Mito spinoff school.

It looks like it will clean up nicely with a little TLC.   Maybe some "in a museum drawer" neglect, since the rust is older and yet more prominent on one side.

 

 

 

[kissakai]

Tanaka is one of my favourites but out of my price range

Look at some examples to see the extreme skill used in making them

 

[Spartancrest]

Tanaka also seem to have a predominance of Kuchi-beni (口紅) [though not all]

[Kurikata]

Thank you very much for all your answers and your good advices.  Mito school it is, as a conclusion!

[kissakai]

Some Tanaka tsuba

 

My papered example but the colour is way off. Very late so nowhere near the craftmanship of the earlier examples:

 

Museum pictures from my book and there more shown with both sides of the tsuba:

 

Edited January 18 by kissakai
An added line

[Kurikata]

@Curran: following your kind advice. After a Light cleansing....