Old tsuba?

[historian2]

Just wondering what you'r thoughts are on this tsuba. it's a soft medal copper maybe?

It came off a ww2 Japanese army officers sword...Erich

[historian2]

more

[Tsugio Kawakami]

Shibuchi, maybe?

 

Nanako seems crude, but I like the waves.

[historian2]

should i polish the tsuba to it original copper lustre or just leave it

as is with the dark patina?..Erich

[Tsugio Kawakami]

Leave it. Patina on the kodogu is like patina on a nakago.

[Grey Doffin]

The patina of a tsuba was chosen by its maker; the metal was treated to give it a desired feel and color and also to protect it from corrosion. NEVER polish a tsuba or other piece of kodogu to its original luster; that luster wasn't original.

Grey

[bridgeofdreams]

The color on the first two photos looks off, but from the 3rd picture I would guess copper or yamagane (impure copper.) It's impossible to tell without having the guard in hand, but this could be fairly old, early Edo or perhaps a bit older, or at least in the style of tsuba of that time.

 

There is very little that a non-professional (i.e. 99% of us!) can do in what is commonly thought of as "restoration" or "improvement" that will not lower or destroy the value of these objects.

 

You have a tsuba that has come to you unscathed through possibly a couple of hundred years of time and circumstance. Treasure it, learn from it.

 

If you came upon a Paul Revere silver bowl would you polish it? If you found a Revolutionary War flag or uniform, would you throw it in the washing machine to clean it up?

 

Too many artworks have been destroyed by unthinking American efforts to "improve" "clean up" "sharpen" or - God-forbid - chrome plate things that ought to be preserved as is.

 

Craig

[historian2]

The patina of a tsuba was chosen by its maker; the metal was treated to give it a desired feel and color and also to protect it from corrosion. NEVER polish a tsuba or other piece of kodogu to its original luster; that luster wasn't original.

Grey

So you are saying the black patina is original to the tsuba and did not

appear over time.

[Grey Doffin]

Yes, that is what I'm saying. Of course, I can't be certain since I wasn't there when the tsuba was made, but I've never seen a bright brass or copper tsuba that wasn't improperly polished. If the original condition was bright, users/collectors of past centuries would have kept them that way and the tsuba wouldn't have come down to us in more muted colors.

Also, as a general rule, never mess with anything old and or valuable unless you're absolutely sure you know what you're doing. Amateurs who try to restore old pieces of art would save considerable time and achieve similar results if they left the art alone and instead set their money on fire.

Grey

[Ford Hallam]

I think this is a copper tsuba.

[historian2]

I think this could be ko-kinko.

[BMarkhasin]

In my opinion, this tsuba likely dates to the early Edo, and is made of yamagane (or possibly copper) that has been patinated and by the look of it, black lacquered. The waves are typical kinko work, as well as the crude nanako. It appears like fairly common work of kinko artisans of the early to mid 17th c. I think its younger than the late Momoyama largely due to the rim and general feel of the piece, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility. The patina has been damaged where you see the more coppery colour coming through. DON'T mess with the remaining patina, you will only make it worse as Craig has already mentioned. Appreciate it as it is.

 

Best Regards,

Boris

[historian2]

Thanks for the info, I will just leave this tsuba as is.