Kent Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 I bought my first Tsuba and am looking for someone knowledgeable to give me an idea of its authenticity. This was bought off of an expat collector in Japan who has a business sourcing and refitting Japanese swords. There was no information on it he was able to provide and it does not have a signature. I do not know the material, although the places where the patina has worn away shows a copper color. I know nothing about tsubas and it felt like a bit of an impulse buy. Really, I would be happy with the purchase just knowing if it is authentic, and if a craftsmen some long time ago put their labor into it. Thank you for your help Quote
Geraint Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 Dear Kent. Welcome to NMB! My first reaction to your tsuba was that it waas a modern reproduction and, sad to say I then found this, https://auctionet.com/en/4546742-a-metal-tsuba-mokko-street-unsigned-second-half-of-the-20th-century Auction houses are oftennot the most accurate with their descriptions of tsuba but I fear that in this case they are broadly correct. Please do wait for others to chime in on this one and don't rely on my assessment but if this is a reproduction then it raises questions about the expertise of your source. Please don't let this put you off persuing this fascinating field of art. To help you get your eye in do have a browse through the third thread in this section, 'A series of fittings'. All the best. 2 Quote
Brian Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 I agree, unfortunately this has a very "made yesterday" feel to it, especially those surgically precision punched marks around the nakago ana. If it's non magnetic, I would guess a modern cast display piece. You always want at least some signs of use on something like this, but it looks like it was made yesterday and it lacks fine detail. 1 Quote
Jake6500 Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 (edited) Not that my input matters so much given that it comes after Geraint and Brian here, but it is definitely a modern reproduction. the punch marks around the nakago (hole in the middle) are too perfectly circular and you can see how the carving and the seppa sort of blend into one another in the lower left which I think might be an error in casting... The general lack of detail in the carving of the people also suggests a quick reproduction as opposed to a hand carved/forged piece. I strongly encourage you to use this forum as a place of learning. The more examples you look at on here, the better your eye for quality and authenticity will develop. Edited April 11 by Jake6500 2 Quote
Spartancrest Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 (edited) There is another one over on Etsy [actually two in a lot of 9 fakes ]- soft metal without the tagane-ato https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/4341039673/used-Japanese-sword-tsuba-set-9 There are worse looking fakes - I do hope you didn't pay much and as some of the other members have said - just use it as a learning experience. [most of us have bought things we later regretted ] The design is based on a scene from the "Tale of Genji" A love story set in the Heian period around 11th century. Edited April 11 by Spartancrest 2 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted April 11 Report Posted April 11 I have such a TSUBA, made in the same mold. I bought it in 1977 for YEN 500 as souvenir in a hardware shop in KYOTO who were selling knives, scissors, decoration swords, and such. 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted April 12 Report Posted April 12 MOST IMPORTANT - DON'T LET THIS COPY, PUT YOU OFF A GREAT HOBBY! You are welcome to ask any questions here on NMB and there are lots of experienced collectors to help. [We have already made the mistakes - so you don't have to! ] 2 Quote
Kent Posted April 13 Author Report Posted April 13 Thank you all for the help - I think some lessons are learned the hard way. The condition of it should have been an indicator that it was not an authentic production. I really regret not choosing another tsuba as certainly there were some much older tsuba that were being sold at a similar price, and it should have been a red flag that the seller could offer any information on a lot of the tsuba. This was the first tsuba I handled and I think there was something very satisfying about the weight, that I let sway me. I almost certainly overpaid for it and it stings a bit - but I will use it as a learning experience to shop for another tsuba. If I were to start visiting antique sword shops around Tokyo what is a safe criteria to have when making a purchase - after a little research it seems like a traceable signature and Hozon Tosogu certificate would be a much safer bet. Thank you again -Kent 4 Quote
Jesta Posted April 13 Report Posted April 13 If you want some reasonable certainty, then the NBTHK certs are a good way to ensure that you are getting a decent piece. Once you have a few pieces in hand you will learn to spot the more obvious issues to avoid when choosing in the future. There are threads on this board that will show examples of modern tsuba. SpartanCrest posts regularly on things he finds on various sites, so you can look there. This was my first mistake: 1 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted Monday at 01:49 AM Report Posted Monday at 01:49 AM (edited) A shiny one over on ebay - asking far too much. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/389909629724 AU $296.23 but the detailing looks "crisper" [Factory fresh?] This same piece is much much cheaper over on Mercari - https://jp.mercari.com/item/m39082170296 AU $70.13 When you find something you like it is often good to check other sites. Edited Monday at 01:56 AM by Spartancrest 1 Quote
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