Tsuba with Ni-o design identification help

[Ruslan T.]

Hi all,

 

I am a beginner in world of kodugo and nihonto.

 

From my personal (and already quite painful experience) I can say: first research – than buy. This time I have broke the rule. Again.

 

Short time ago I have bought a tsuba. I was (am ) so fascinated by design…

 

 

One good thing about the tsuba I can say already. It is definitely not a gimei

The tsuba is 7.777cm or 3.062inches × 7.69cm or 3.03 inches.

It is 0.54 cm or 0.21 inch thick.

 

The front of the tsuba presents Ni-o. More about Ni-o you can find here http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/nio.shtml

 

The backside of the tsuba presents the fence of the shrine.

I personally believe, that separating the Ni-o figures and the fence on different sides of the tsuba makes an interesting and powerful artistic impression.

The design looks quite archaic to me. Also a dealer told me, that the tsuba should be produced in early Edo. From the other side, the plate is quite thick. One of collectors, I was showing the tsuba to, told me that from the weight it should be shin-shinto.

 

Could someone help in identification of the school (please do not tell me this is Soami ) and the time period of the tsuba?

I read that early (at least until the end of the Muromachi period) tsubas were quite thin (about 3mm). Is this correct? From the other side this one supposed to be from early Edo…

Can/should one make a conclusion about the age of a tsuba based on its thickness?

 

Thank you very much in advance.

 

Regards,

 

Ruslan

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ruslan, Just off the cuff it looks like a Jingo school tsuba, early Edo. I like the theme also, like Kamimon. John

[Ruslan T.]

Dear John,

 

Thank you for your opinion. Sorry for taking so long to write this . I hoped, that someone else will also write something to the topic.

It looks like, that everybody agrees with you.

The main point for the attribution to late Edo from my fellow collector was quite thick tsuba plate.

What is your opinion about that? Is it usual for Jingo school to use “so thick†plates?

 

Thank you again.

Best regards,

 

Ruslan

[Martin]

Hi Ruslan,

 

maybe this thread could be of interest to you:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nihontomessa ... .php?t=857

It says, that sometimes Edo Jidai (Shinto/Shin Shinto) Katana would require a larger and often heavier (thicker) tsuba to balance a longer and heavier sword.

 

cheers,

Martin

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ruslan, There were a couple of reasons some shin-shinto tsuba could be heavier in the very late Edo and early Meiji eras, as far as I know. The rules on the length of swords seemed to be relaxed around this time and longer katana and tachi sized swords were beind produced during a Koto renaissance and the metal used by some smiths to fabricate tsuba was a denser type steel. Some tsuba were being produced that were never meant to be mounted but were made for their artistic merit alone. The Koto period of sword making on the whole had large dimensions until the Muromachi period. I do not think weight can be used as a definitive indication of age although it must not be ignored. I have some older tsuba that were made for tachi that are quite heavy. Note also that I have tsuba that seem so fragile made in the shin shinto period. No fast rule here. John

[Ruslan T.]

Hi John,

 

Thank you again!

Would you say that a kozuka-ana on the tsuba is a later addition?

 

Thank you in advance.

Best Regards,

 

Ruslan

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ruslan, That is a good question. When you look at the left arm of the oni/kami figure on the left where the ana is you can see a line cut to maybe guide the cut for the ana. As well the mon/gate on the other side seems to be carved away. Gives the feeling that it may have been altered. I can not decide. John

[Ruslan T.]

Hi John,

 

Thank you very much.

You are a great help as always!

 

Very best regards,

 

Ruslan