What are the qualities of an "Ebitsu" tsuba?

[GreyVR]

Recently browsing these forums I found the webpage of one of Ford Hallam's students, Marcus Chambers,   who won an award for a very impressive Tsuba featuring a red Sea Bream. I'd never seen a Tsuba like it. When one by Ito Masanori came up on Nihonto watch, I imagined I was seeing the inspiration for the work. Except when I returned to the former page, I found he was attributing the inspiration to another artist. He states it is an utsushi of a work by Murakami Jochiku. 

Now, worried that it might be an error of etiquette to post an image of a work by a living artist who I know posts on these forums, I won't post that picture (and also file size limits) and will instead link to his page.) https://www.marcuschambersmetalarts.com/murakamijochikuutsushi2015

These Tsuba strongly stand out to me as impressive work because of how the natural colors of the metals create strong contrast against each other, and so I'm curious to learn more about them. Were they especially uncommon? 


https://www.samurai-nippon.net/SHOP/VT-050.html


I also recently saw a tsuba on yahoo, (with all the gimei implications thereof) which states it once had old papers, but the old papers were lost.... but the item in the images is quite striking, if a little busy. Does this count as a Ebitsu Tsuba? It shares a large red fish in the lower right quadrant but the rest of the Tsuba is covered in other sea creatures. I'm actually rather tempted to risk a bid, but I think by the time you read this it will have grown to a higher price then I'd be prepared to gamble. 

Note that I'm at my file size limit, and will try to put the other side in a reply to this topic. The other side has many small sea creatures on it, including an octopus that stretches around the side. This Tsuba is claimed to be a work by several well known (and chatgpt tells me, faked...) artisans. Curious about the opinion of the forum. 
https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/auction/g1232665903?lang=en&rc=yaucc
https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g1232665903

[GreyVR]

Below in a quote box I put the text of the seller, edited for length. 



 

Quote

◆◇【Aoi】Top-of-the-line Props Special⑥A miraculous collaboration between master and apprentice! "Awabi Masayoshi, Takohira Kanri/Iwamoto Konkan (signature)" Red copper tsuba (sword guard) with a design of fish roe, fish, shrimp, and octopus◇◆
 

Product Details   Top-of-the-line Sword Accessories Feature ⑥ A Miraculous Collaboration Between Master and Disciple! A tsuba (sword guard) with a design of fish, shrimp, and octopus on a shakudo (copper alloy) nanako (fish roe) ground, by Masayoshi Awabi and Kanri Iwamoto (signature) . Kanri Iwamoto... A highly skilled sword fittings metalworker from the mid-to-late Edo period. Born in Enkyo 1 (1744). He studied under the first generation Ryokan Iwamoto and succeeded to (snip) ...originally came with a certificate of special issued value by the Japan Art Sword Preservation Society, but it is currently lost.

 

[Exclus1ve]

Designs were often copied from artist to artist, from school to school.

I've seen this job, and the quality of the work is really excellent. I even want to believe the seller about the documents…

[Bugyotsuji]

Puzzled by the word 'Ebitsu' above.

 

Daikoku and Ebisu are two gods, their presence indicated by the articles normally associated with them. Ebisu is often shown with a sea bream, for example, so a depiction of a freshly caught sea bream will suggest him.
A sack likewise as in your link, will be ‘rusu moyo’ for Daikoku (actually for Hotei).

[Spartancrest]

 No doubt about the subject matter in this instance!    Though the description of "Carp" might be questioned? [that is an ugly fish IMHO]

OTSUKI MITSUOKI: A SUPERB INLAID IRON TSUBA WITH EBISU AND CARP, DATED 1803

Sold for €4,160

The image taken from a Japanese book I have - unfortunately not in colour and the shape of the guard is different. The design is not uncommon.

 

  From Google translate [very poor]. Ebisu is implied by his absence on the guard.

Edited June 9 by Spartancrest
More history

[GreyVR]

1 hour ago, Spartancrest said:

Ebisu is implied by his absence on the guard.

Implied by his absence? I'll just leave that alone.... 

The eye of the fish in that one is apparently made out of mother of pearl inlayed into the metal, with the pupil in black bronze, if one of the sources was accurate. 

Edited June 9 by GreyVR

[Spartancrest]

30 minutes ago, GreyVR said:

Implied by his absence? I'll just leave that alone.... 

There are several examples where the opposite of what is actually shown implies something else. Mice amongst rice bails - implies wealth, only people with excess food have mice. Poor people don't leave scraps- so no food for rodents. 

 

[Spartancrest]

Another example pretty close to the original image.

 

[NotANinja]

Id like to hijack this thread slightly if possible and ask if anyone knows how they got the differentially patinated finishes? Did they use a resist on some of the parts? If so what is the resist? Seems unlikely theyd do a bit, patinate it, do another bit and patinate that etc etc as that poses great risk to the previous patina.

[Matsunoki]

The different colours are achieved via a boiling  process in a carefully formulated patinating fluid (once they have been meticulously cleaned and prepared) The different alloys assume their respective oxide colours all at the same time due to their differing alloy compositions. Shakudo….bluey black, copper….reddish brown, shibuichi……greyish tones.

Gold and silver do not react and retain their original colour.

Thats a very brief outline of a very skilled and complex procedure.

[Bugyotsuji]

Line two says that it depicts/suggests an absent Ebisu (rusu-moyo) by means of a fishing line and a sea bream, and on the reverse waves crashing on the rocks.

[CSM101]

Token Bijutsu 423 and 462 = Jochiku

 

 

Edited June 9 by CSM101

[ROKUJURO]

On 6/8/2026 at 2:28 PM, GreyVR said:

......These Tsuba strongly stand out to me as impressive work because of how the natural colors of the metals create strong contrast against each other.....

These are certainly not the 'natural colours' but the results of patination.

[GreyVR]

16 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

These are certainly not the 'natural colours' but the results of patination.

 

 

7 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

The different alloys assume their respective oxide colours all at the same time due to their differing alloy compositions.

Shakudo….bluey black, copper….reddish brown, shibuichi……greyish tones.

Gold and silver do not react and retain their original colour.

 

 

Edited June 9 by GreyVR

[marcus]

On 6/8/2026 at 8:28 AM, GreyVR said:

Recently browsing these forums I found the webpage of one of Ford Hallam's students, Marcus Chambers,   who won an award for a very impressive Tsuba featuring a red Sea Bream. I'd never seen a Tsuba like it. When one by Ito Masanori came up on Nihonto watch, I imagined I was seeing the inspiration for the work. Except when I returned to the former page, I found he was attributing the inspiration to another artist. He states it is an utsushi of a work by Murakami Jochiku. 

Now, worried that it might be an error of etiquette to post an image of a work by a living artist who I know posts on these forums, I won't post that picture (and also file size limits) and will instead link to his page... 

Hi George,

I appreciate kind words regarding and restraint in not posting my work. I will add the the pics of the tsuba in question myself for you all 

 

 

On 6/8/2026 at 9:39 PM, GreyVR said:

implied by his absence? I'll just leave that alone.... 

The eye of the fish in that one is apparently made out of mother of pearl inlayed into the metal, with the pupil in black bronze, if one of the sources was accurate. 

One of the most beautiful things inherent in Japanese art is the act of allusion and the culturally shared stories told in this manner. 

As for the eye, it is indeed inlaid with mother of pearl, but the iris is not black bronze. The method I was taught, have seen on antique pieces,  and repeated myself in this case , was different. I carved thin the iris area on the back of the polished MOP to make it more transparent , and then blacken it with sumi 墨 before setting it into place.

 

Please let me know if you have any other question as I would be happy to oblige.

I hope this info is helpful!!

 

Best regards,

Marcus

 

[GreyVR]

1 hour ago, marcus said:

One of the most beautiful things inherent in Japanese art is the act of allusion and the culturally shared stories told in this manner. 

Oh I do understand allusions and I agree they are a form of communication that I like. I confess my objection to the phrasing 'implied by absence' is that it's a bit of a way of explaining allusion that bothers me just a little. I think I should prefer "alluded to IN his absence by" perhaps going on to discuss associated symbols of his office. 

To imply BY absence" is a twist of language that stands out as there's no limit to the Gods and symbols and other things not included in a composition.... It would suggest that a composition is about anything not in it. 

That said, I must be quick to point out in fairness to both the original author and to Dale @Spartancrestthat the credit for that phrasing goes to google translate! 

There is a woman on youtube who runs popular music several times though google translate and then sings the results. A song translated through a number of languages and then returned to English has little resemblance to it's origin. Her channel is as follows if anyone would like to look her up. 

Twisted Translations

@twistedtranslations

Thank you!