Another Choshu tsuba?

[cspage]

Tsuba picked up last weekend. From what reading I've done, this might be Choshu? Really dark patina, vegetation theme, 3-dimensional leaves, etc. Any response appreciated.

 

width 69mm

height 71mm

thick 5mm

 

Thank you.

Colin

[John A Stuart]

I'm with you on that. John

[docliss]

I, too, agree that Colin’s (upside down) tsuba is a typical example of Chōshū work. The openwork design, in positive silhouette and enclosed within a solid mimi; the kebori detail on the leaves; the black colouration and granular texture of the iron; the vegetation subject; and the gold nunome decoration, all support this attribution.

 

I confess to finding the design a little disappointing. This is an impression caused, I suspect, by the fact that all of the interesting detail of the leaves has been concentrated onto the omote surface, with the ura having only bland images of their reverse sides. A more balanced design would have shared these images, 2:1, between the two surfaces.

 

Early C19 Chōshū work, probably.

 

Regards, John L.

[Ted Tenold]

Hmm, I could go to Echizen Kinai work on this. I've seen that nunome work on Kinai pieces before, and there's less detail and depth of carving than I'd expect of Choshu.

 

Just my thoughts...

[cspage]

Wow! Look at that! The tsuba must have been flipped upside down by it's transmission from the northern hemisphere to the southern. Go figure.

 

Anyway, thank you for your comments. They are very helpful (I will rub anti-flipping oil on the next tsuba I post).

 

Colin

[Michael 101]

I would think this tsuba is far more likely to be Bushu school work.

 

I have owned a couple of very similar examples signed by workers of this school. May be Choshu as very similar in late edo period but sticking to Bushu.

 

Kinai I cannot see in this peice.

 

Kind regards

Michael