Kiko Posted July 20 Report Posted July 20 Gentlemen, I would like to submit this iron guard (77 x 74 x 6.4 mm – 96 g) to your expert judgment. 1. What could be the purpose or significance of this vertical groove, visible on only one side of the nakago-ana but on both omote and ura ? 2. What motifs are depicted? 3. From which school do you think it originates: Ōno, Myōchin, Higo? Or another? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted July 21 Report Posted July 21 Motifs are Myoga leaves [ginger] and "Fundo" - weight measures. Daki Myoga (抱き茗荷) translates to "embracing Japanese ginger" and is one of the most prominent kamon (traditional family crests) used in Japan. It belongs to the Judaimon, the ten most widely recognized family crest groups in Japanese history. "Ichinoseki" Myoga may be the more exact type of family crest - someone more versed in family kamon might know for sure? 5 Quote
FlorianB Posted July 21 Report Posted July 21 (edited) The myoga design was highly popular among the warrior class and symbolizes the desire for protection by Shinto and Buddhist deities, as the word myoga – when written with the kanji 冥加 – signifies "divine protection." The meaning of fundo is "wealth" and "good fortune." School may be Akasaka. Any signs of layers on the rim or the inner sides? Edited July 21 by FlorianB 5 Quote
Kiko Posted July 21 Author Report Posted July 21 Gentlemen, you are truly “noble in reason, infinite in faculty.” Thanks to you, I now understand every aspect of these motifs! @Florian : No, even under high magnification, I can't make out any trace of a layered structure. I admit I didn't expect Akasaka to come up here—what put you on that track? Quote
Kiko Posted July 21 Author Report Posted July 21 (edited) I just put the question regarding the grooves to a friend, who offered a rather interesting suggestion that I’d like to share with you: Could these grooves have served as anchor points for a clamp-like component designed to replace the need for a sekigane? I realize this would create extra thickness, requiring a notch to be cut into the seppa, but at this stage... Edited July 21 by Kiko Quote
Scogg Posted July 21 Report Posted July 21 Hi Nicolas, nice piece. I have a similar tsuba depicting myoga from the Akasaka school. Akasaka was also the first thing that came to mind when I saw your piece. It’s good to see others are leaning that direction also. Mine also has those grooves; although mine are smaller/shorter. It was my understanding that the punch marks and grooves surrounding the nakago-ana are artifacts from fitting the tsuba to a blade. Manipulating the metal so it fits “just right”. I’m no expert, so I’d be curious if my thoughts here are in-line with the more knowledgable tosogu guys. All the best, -Sam 1 Quote
Kiko Posted July 21 Author Report Posted July 21 Thanks, Sam! I have to say, my initial reaction is that the fact my piece has a kan-mimi rather than the maru-mimi seen on yours, makes me skeptical about an Akasaka attribution. Am I the only one bothered by this detail? As for the grooves, I don't think they should be equated with tagane-ato; they seem far too distant from the nakago-ana—not to mention the fact that there is only one per side. But again, I defer to all your expertise to help further my understanding! 1 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted July 21 Report Posted July 21 I see elements of SADO TSUBA like this one: Image borrowed from John: Sado Island Kazariya Katsukage 2024 3 Quote
kissakai Posted July 21 Report Posted July 21 It always looked Myochin to me As an example but not papered 3 Quote
Kiko Posted July 21 Author Report Posted July 21 Thanks Jean—I don't know who John is, but I really love the dynamic feel of his tsuba! I'll see what I can find from the Sado region. Grev, I actually saw your tsuba in another thread, and I have to admit that its airy quality—with that floating seppadai—is also very appealing to me. Quote
FlorianB Posted July 22 Report Posted July 22 21 hours ago, Kiko said: I admit I didn't expect Akasaka to come up here—what put you on that track? Well, the full-rounded rim is frequently seen on Akasaka pieces, the myoga motif, too. Here's coincidentally an other Akasaka from a fellow collector, note the tagane have been punched more or less to the outer side of the seppa-dai. 1 Quote
Kiko Posted July 22 Author Report Posted July 22 Thanks for clarifying your thoughts, Florian! So, to revisit what I said earlier—but trying to be more precise this time—the rim of my tsuba has an "O" shaped cross-section (kan-mimi), whereas your example—like most Akasaka guards I’ve seen—has a rim with a "D" shaped cross-section (maru-mimi). But perhaps I misunderstood your message; is maru-mimi what you call "full-rounded"? That said, the grooves visible on your example certainly do resemble the ones I was wondering about, and I could see how they might serve the same purpose there as tagane-ato. However, I remain a bit skeptical about the idea that the iron in my piece was ductile enough for a single groove in that location to actually tighten the nakago-ana. Quote
ROKUJURO Posted July 22 Report Posted July 22 Nicolas, if the grooves measured only about one millimeter each in width, that would make the NAKAGO-ANA a lot narrower, considering that adjustments usually need much less! Quote
Kiko Posted July 22 Author Report Posted July 22 Good guess, Jean, since my grooves are indeed a good millimeter wide. That said—call me a Doubting Thomas—I’m going to need a session of experimental archaeology to be fully convinced Especially since the grooves right in front of me give much more the impression that material was removed rather than the metal being pressed in. But I could be wrong about that last point. Quote
ROKUJURO Posted July 22 Report Posted July 22 'Thomas', come to meet me in my forge and try your hands at it! Making the experience will erase all doubt! 1 Quote
Kiko Posted July 22 Author Report Posted July 22 Thanks a lot for the invitation, Jean! I hadn't planned on visiting Rhineland-Palatinate next, but if I were to go to Germany, I’d certainly keep it in mind! Quote
FlorianB Posted July 24 Report Posted July 24 On 7/22/2026 at 9:38 AM, Kiko said: But perhaps I misunderstood your message You do, I'm sorry for this. On one hand I spoke of the "full rounded rim" which is the same as the ""O" shaped cross-section (kan-mimi)" You mentioned. If You research Akasaka You'll come across those rims easily. Her's one I shot at a meeting, (alas I don't know to whom it belongs so I hope I get not in trouble by posting it!) The picture I've posted before has nothing to do with this but was chosen because of the tagane. 4 Quote
Kiko Posted July 24 Author Report Posted July 24 Thanks for the reply and the correction, Florian! I have to admit I was mistaken here; my mental image of Akasaka was very "Sasano-oriented," but a quick check of the Tsuba Shuusei confirms you are absolutely right: out of 111 illustrated guards, five do indeed feature a kan-mimi comparable to the one on my piece. That’ll teach me for being too lazy to pull out the grimoires! 1 Quote
Geraint Posted July 25 Report Posted July 25 Dear Nicholas. The linear tagane ato are, I think, in this case more to do with correcting the outline of the seppa dai than with altering the nakago ana. All the best. 1 Quote
Kiko Posted July 25 Author Report Posted July 25 Thanks a lot for that idea, Geraint! I gladly add it to the list of hypotheses to which I have now decided to automatically add that of the mischievous craftsman, just in case you know 1 Quote
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