Hawley's 'Tsubas in Southern California'

[Justin]

Does anyone have a copy of Willis Hawley's 'Tsubas in Sourthern California' (Japanese Sword Club of Southern California, 1973). I am looking for a scan of a tsuba by Seiryuken Tomohide of the Mito Tamagawa school. The tsuba features two Chinese characters looking at Mt. Fuji and I believe it might be no. 417 in this publication.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Thierry BERNARD]

here is the tsuba

[Justin]

Thanks very much Thierry :D

 

Is there any description of this tsuba?

[Thierry BERNARD]

none!

[Justin]

Merci beaucoup Thierry.

[smicha6551]

I know this is an older thread, but I didn't want to start a new one just to ask - is this book a worthwhile purchase? I've found a copy at $125...

[b.hennick]

The good thing is that you know that all the tsuba were in the USA. Pictures are so so. There are no descriptions if I remember correctly. The book is hardly seen. I'm not sure about the price. I paid $100 years ago.

[smicha6551]

Appreciate. The only pictures of the inside of the book I've been able to find are tiny - they appear to have five tsuba per page in black and white. Since there isn't any identifying information such as school, only the technique of make or description of decoration to separate them, I'm not sure how useful it would be to someone like me who's still trying to learn the basics. I think I'll pass but if anyone else is interested here's the link: http://www.simpsonltd.com/product_info. ... s_id=37095

[Rich S]

IMHO, it is not worth buying. I got a copy years ago and have looked through it at the pictures a few times over the years. No description, no text, nothing but B&W pics.

Rich

[Brian]

..Aside from the fact that tsuba is already plural and there is no such thing as "tsubas"

 

Brian

[seattle1]

Hello:

To be a little kinder to "Tsubas in Southern California" it is worth pointing out that organized sword and tosogu collecting in the US began in California in the 1950's and while the tsuba illustrated there are without much information, they do list the owners' names and thus through objects and names one gets a feeling for the history of early collecting. The range of material is from "you can't beat it" to the pedestrian, and the names of long gone Hollywood actors to a few folks who still quite active. The selection criteria was basically who would supply Mr. Hawley with what the owners wanted to put in.

Is the price too high? - well how many have you seen?

Arnold F.

[Justin]

I agree with Arnold. This is a rare and interesting book. Lots of nice tsuba in there. Who are the hollywood actors who collected sword fittings?

[seattle1]

Hello:

I knew someone would ask, but recall and finding the book in my rather disorganized library are two different things. Hans Conried was one, and I believe Adolphe Menjou is in there as well, they being actors of the past. Bob Haynes has some in there, and of course today he is about as authoritative a person on tosogu as is to be found.

Season's Greetings to All,

Arnold F.

[smicha6551]

Appreciate all of the feed back - despite any limitations I'd probably pick up a copy if I didn't have about $750 of other books on order already...

[PietroParis]

Last week I bought this book on eBay for 11 EUR including shipping, I received it today. Based on the quality of the pictures and on the amount of information it contains, I'd say the price was about right...

 

[P.S. besides, this book must have been stored in a damp basement for decades, it smells really bad]

[Bazza]

Pietro wrote:

> [P.S. besides, this book must have been stored in a damp basement for decades, it smells really bad]

 

Without wanting to start a course in paper conservation, can anybody link a good website that discusses this problem and what the "home hobbyist" and Nihontophile might be able to do to ameliorate bad paper smells etc etc???

 

BaZZa.

[vajo]

Put it in a seald Box and fill it with roasted coffee beans. Bad smell comes from smoke, wet enviroment and or cellar mushrooms.

Roasted coffebeans kills all this. I have often done this with old books and had never a problem.