Henry Wilson

Don't want to be a party pooper, and with all due respect to the tsuba and especially the members of this discussion... but I don't think the quality of the tsuba is that good. It is a good honest tsuba but the metal, the theme the workmanship, all to me suggest a mediocre Edo piece. Here are my opinions: The metal seems of a good colour but it lacks any "activity". It is basically boring. Maybe it is easy to carve as there are no hard lumpy bits that gives the plate depth. It took me a while to find the critters face and to me it doesn't look scary, it looks stoned.... The bottom of the seppa dai back and front are badly cut. The rim looks unfinished and I doubt a rim cover was fitted as the tsuba is too thick and the rim would have problems adhesing to the carving around the edge. The mei is nicely cut I suppose and the only eye catching detail of the tsuba is the way that "puff the magic dragon" is worked into the hitsu ana. Good quality stands out. It can be hard to detect at the beginning but when you see and remember lots of tsuba and then start seeing the same sort of thing again, the brain starts to naturally and intuitive notice quality and you realise the piece has a little something extra AKA quality. Just my thoughts. Peace, love, respect and by all means

There was something somewhere written about leather tsuba that I think was related to this item: http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/BM_Ner ... 0Tsuba.htm I can't find the thread though. Also "Tsuba: An Aesthetic study" has some good info and from what I remember, basically the old ones (Muromachi and before) are a link between ceremonial tsuba and uchigatana tsuba. There were a lot made in the Edo period as a sort of revival tsuba as well. Jim Gilbert has a good article as well. http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/nerikawa.htm I have a feeling that yours is an Edo period one in bad condition, however they are rare regardless of era so worth keeping and preserving for further study IMHO.

Have a go yourself. http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sw ... se_sword_4 It is designated 古金エ

As for a lot of things if in doubt I tend towards Occam's Razor, that being the simplest theory. If the holes are not for sanmai construction, what else could they be for? Light switch plates, Victorian tables are all possibilities but ... Concerning my Kagamishi tsuba, the two holes are not drilled in line which to me suggest that they were done by someone not especially skilled and / or they were drilled with the intention of not being seen. Considering the position on the tsuba, ie. the seppadai were the seppa are placed, I still believe that the holes were used to hold seppa in place. As noted, the metal removed from the holes is slightly polished suggesting they were covered by a seppa. The tsuba is very thin especially around the nakago ana so for the tsuba to fit to a narrower sword there is not much metal present to able someone to use a chisel and make the hole narrower. It is possible that a seppa was fitted to the seppadai using the holes and rivets to compensate for the condition of the nakago ana. This to me is quite simple and applying Occam's Razor is the theory I find easiest to accept. That is all for now. I am off to Sensoji. http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... 92&bih=886

For reference here is the Kagamishi tsuba with holes that Lorenzo mentions. I think they were drilled to hold seppa to the tsuba but that is just my opinion. BTW this tsuba will be in the 2011 KTK catlog which will be available from October this year :D

There is a very different feeling in hand when you compare a Kanbun period sword and a Kamakura period sword. To me the Kanbun feels like an iron fire poker as it feels unwieldly, where the Kamakura sword feels like a bamboo cane... or a fishing rod or something else that is light but strong and not cumbersome. Just my opinions.

I am not senile yet but the exhibition does not start until tomorrow which explains the fact it was closed today. That is what happens when you don't check details properly. I don't know whetehr to laugh or cry

I went today but it was closed.

For all you in Tokyo. There is a good chance that some work by Ford Hallam and Lorenzo Amati will displayed. I am going to try to get there tomorrow and take some pictures. See you there. http://www.shukokan.org/exhibition/index.html#link01

You're welcome

I am not sure what you mean by panels, but the the top engravings look like MARU BORI. The overall effect of this (deep round carving) is commonly found in soft metal work, I think. The motif is plum blossoms, bamboo and pine or "Three Friends of the Cold" 歲寒三友 possibly viewed from a rustic tea room. If the tsuba is iron, it seems to have a very nice purple colour suggesting Owari metal but the carving suggests Kyoto to me. Just some thoughts. Agree / disagree / ignore / disregard at will . Also if I am way off don't be shy....

Edo Tosho

The tombo was just a thought, so don't worry about it :D I fail to see how you fail to see, too....

No probs Check this. I fancy getting an Onin sometime. http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/BM%20O ... 0Tsuba.htm

The sukashi design of tombo (dragon flies) and the long hitsuana hint at an early guard. The roundness of the mimi hints at something later. Could it be an Edo Tosho?

Thanks Guido. I agree with you The overall shape of the koshirae looks Higo too IMHO. See number 12 at this link: http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/m-kenji/koshirae/uchigatana-goshirae.html

What traits do you see that make it Higo?

The koshirae is Aikuchi and looks like a style found often in the Edo period. The quality and condition look good. It seems to have traits in common with the second down at this link: http://www.nihonto.ca/tanto-koshirae/

could you pm me too Ford.

Hey Piers No problem in fleshing out the discussion. Good question I think.

I thought I knew the answer but Ford has enlightened me. That is great news actually. Many thanks Ford.

Hi all I think I know the answer to this one but will ask anyway. Is there away to recolour the lead plugs found filing the hitsu ana on tsuba? The reason I ask is because I recently got a tsuba that is / was covered in a thin layer of what is technically called crud. The previous own and I have been boning away but the soft lead plugs and the lovely patina have slight deteriorated in the process. Any ideas would be welcome.

The technology, like metal cutting machines might not have been available until Meiji, but I don't think this would have stop mass production. There were plenty of capable and willing metal workers who could have quite easily mass produced something if they were told to do so. I think that popular styles and themes were created during the first few generations of a new school and then imitated by others, be it outside schools or workers of that school. The initial originality was diluted by these other artists which saw the demise of the school as the orginality became lost. Goto (after the 4th generation I think?) and Yamakichibei (after the second I think?) immediately come to mind. I think the Akasaka group was one of the only schools to regenerate itself after the fourth master I think.

Could you post a close picture of the tsuba only and turn it through 180 degrees so that he signature can be read. I can't see the signature clearly in the pictures.

Not an expert too, but they look Kinko.