Ford Hallam

Hello John, I can't offer anything regarding the apparent maker, however, the design and treatmet is classic Murakami Jochiku, by which I mean the subject matter, treated in this manner ,and the crepe-like texture on the ground. I'm not suggesting this is by the master, but it seems odd to me that such an obvious candidate for the Jochiku school would bear the mei that it does. I'm further concerned by the lack of patina on the tenjo gane, ie, the area where the signature is. just my thoughts, Ford

Hi John, you raise a very pertinent point. The price of antique Japanese metalwork is very cheap when we factor in time and skill based on today's ( first world ) costs. We are in an enviable situation being able to cherry pick from a vast back catalogue, so to speak. The original cost of producing many of these items has become irrelevant. As with all things, price is affected by demand. I dare say that if there was a sudden and serious ( ie, collectors willing to pay top dollar ) demand for my tsuba, I'd put my prices up! :D ( I can dream :D ) The very best stuff of course, will always command the best prices from connoisseurs. Anyone know any Medici? Ford

Hi KM, Expensive! it's hard to give general price, but as an indication, tsuba range from $4000 to $7000, even $10 000. There are so many variables, not least of which is the design itself. Oh! and more than 25 years training and study. . Still, compared to shinsakuto I'm really cheap. I will have some older pieces of mine on my site, they will be cheaper. cheers, Ford oops!, sorry mods if this got a bit commercial.

Hi Stephen, thanks for your kind comments. I will in fact be launching my own web-site in the next few weeks. I will have a fairly lengthy account posted there, about how I have travelled to this point in my rather improbable career. Plus lots more photos. thanks for the support , cheers, Ford

Thank you Gentlemen, for your very kind comments. Mr Natsuo is probably my biggest single study, Mitsuoki Otsuki is also a firm favorite. John, Although I've made more than 30 tsuba in the last 25 years this one probably represents a significant transition for me. Milt, you've got the gist of my Go, Mr Nobady got attari though! Actually my teacher gave me this Kanji based mei when I first went to study with him, Kata-kana just looks inelegant on a tsuba . thanks again for the reception, Ford

Hello all, Here are some images of a tsuba I completed last year.It's carved steel with silver, gold and yamagane inlay. The patina is actually a lot more wet in appearance, not quite happy with the old digital camera yet. I'll let you decide what my influences were. regards, Ford sorry about posting the ura first, don't know how to re-arrange them now.

Hi Brian, I'll put some images up on the tosogu section. I'll let the membership tell me what/who my influences are. Glad to be home.

Hi Milt, I was planning to "come out" in a couple of weeks when my web-site is launched but as I responded to your initial post, I could'nt help myself. I qualified as a master goldsmith in 1986 and since 1990 have been travelling regularly to Japan to study Japanese technique with my teacher, Izumi Koshiro. I have recently returned to South Africa, where it all started for me, but for the past 13 or so years I specialised in restoration work in London. I've entered a few NBTHK shinsaku competitions and am reasonably happy with the way my encroachment has been accepted. I work solely from within the tradition and belive I am the first (and only )non-Japanese to have been adopted into this particular branch of Japanese metalwork I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures, there are very few of us left. regards, Ford p.s. the clue was in my tag.

Hi Milt, yes, you're spot on. It is a beautiful book, illustrating a very attractive collection of tsuba. As the title states, these are Bakamatsu and Meiji works, the emphasis is very much on "pretty", some really stunning examples and technically very sophisticated. The photography is very good and there are enlargements of most of the tsuba. The collection is actually that of the Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum ( bijitsukan ) in Kyoto. It's very close to the famous Kiyomizu temple ( Dera ). I happen to be very familiar with this collection, and museum as well. One of their most recent acquisitions ( a tsuba ) was made by yours truly . The e-bay price seems a little high to me, it sells for 2800 Yen usually, that's a little less than $24. I remember seeing it offered on one of the Japan based sword / book sellers sites, sorry I can't remember which one though, a quick search may save $10! cheers, Ford

Thanks for that excellent explanation, Richard. I must admit I had a complete blind spot regarding Tosa Myochin looking like this, I had a mental picture of more "plumpness" assosiated with them. back to the drawing board. :? thanks again, Ford

Hi Richard, just had a look at the Akasaka tsuba you've listed. Are you sure it's not Tosa Myochin? :D :D Ford

on reflection I think I ought to qualify my comments regarding the design placement above. In general you'll find many exceptions to this principle when examining sukashi guards, many of these of course are symmetrical. The "rule" so to speak, applies fairly consistently though, to almost all other types. No doubt many exceptions will be found but I think the principle applies, particularly when considering the tsuba mounted on a sword and actually worn. Ford

I was just browsing though older threads and noticed these two tsuba. They certainly do appear to have been made by the same hand. But what caught my eye is the fact that both have the weight of the design in the lower LEFT corner. The conventional position is, of course, the lower right. This becomes obvious when the motif is viewed from the front, on a sword actually being worn. Perhaps these are the work of an amateur, someone unfamiliar with many of the things that classically trained craftsmen would instinctively know. Always something new to ponder, isn't there? Ford

Hi Richard, I can't take the suspense any longer so I'm going to throw in a wild guess. As you've eliminated the obvious and I assume this is not the work of deliberate copyist. I will tentatively suggest Bushu.? do tell, Ford

Hi Marius, based on the shape of the hitsu-ana and the relief carved design which is then accented with gold and silver nunome I'd plonk for Higo. Probably 19th century. This particular "tsuchi mei" I've seen before too. Anyway that's just my view. cheers, Ford

as Mr Chan has pointed out, Matsuda is a very likely candidate for mukansa, and is NOT yet one, as I mistakenly said earlier. Perhaps I can still afford one of his swords after all Ford

Hi Richard, The comment I made regarding nyusen apply only there, with the actual prize winning entries, if 2 or more are deemed to be of a certain level of quality then they are regarded as equal. I'm not absolutely certain if there are hard and fast rules for elevation to mukanse but generally you'd need to achieve a fairly consistent first position. I'm not sure if there is a minimum requirement or if 2nd and 3rd prizes would also count towards promotion. Knowing a little of how these things work I'd suspect that the overall accumulated results would in fact count. Just hanging in there for the long haul also counts for a lot. The doryoku-sho award is literally; "for effort" As far as I know, a mukansa is for life... not just christmas glad to have been of help, Ford

Hi Richard, I would like to add to what Jean has said regarding the Nyusen appellation. Jean is quite correct when he says that it is not an award in the sense of a prize as such. However the suggestion, that as a consequence, the piece in question is somehow sub-standard is perhaps a little misleading. The NBTHK shinsaku competition establishes, and maintains a very tight hierarchy, consequently it is extremely difficult to progress up the ranks so to speak, without someone at the top being elevated to mukansa. The other thing to consider is that ranking is often very much affected by the tastes of the judges. A few years ago ko-Bizen was flavour of the month. It may be veering to Soshu-den now... Nyusen rated entries are also ranked according to where, on the general "quality" line, they have been judged. The order of the names of nyusen ranked entries is exactly that. So when you see the occasional tsuba offered as being made by a nyusen ranked maker you'd want to know where he ranked. Anywhere from 1st to 30th or more. With tsuba the drop off in quality can be dramatic. Given this situation it might be possible to "discover" a rising star yourself thus save yourself a few pennies, and enjoy the satisfaction of being able to say " I knew him when..." All the above probably only serves to complicate matters for you. However, I remember being shown a blade some years ago in Tokyo for kantei. I was visiting with Mishina Kenji at the time. The blade in question was absolutely gorgeous, and a magnificent ( but far too new, the tang was in the tsuka ) seeming, ko-bizen sword. I was'nt suckered however and called it right despite utsuri ( at the time the holy grail )and all the other pointers being spot on. The maker was an up and coming fellow called Matsuda Tsugiyasu. Now, he's mukansa. Now I really can't afford his swords. regards and good luck, Ford

Hi Richard, thanks for the reference to that article, I'll get hold of a copy of the book you cited. The tsuba you posted strikes me as fairly classic ( and very nice ) ko-Owari but who knows what the actual development really was. What I was trying to show with the examples I posted was how the Akasaka in particular, seem to have quite a distinct abstract design approach and how this can often make the subject of any given tsuba seem a little obscure. On the tsuba that started this thread, the left hand side with the goose etc is still clear and can be seen to be very much within the established canon, so to speak. The other side is far more abstracted but when we look at the Akasaka mantis we can see that there isn't enough to make a connection. When we consider the various reed designs here though, it becomes a little more clear as where that design developed from. I hope that helps to clarify my ramblings. and very best seasonal wishes to all, may your stockings be filled with bits of rusty iron and/or sharp, shiny pointy things. :D

and here are two more tsuba with that evidently very common reeds theme. Interestingly, the one without any geese is Owari ( according to Sasano ) The Akasaka one is by the 7th master, Tadaoki. I've always felt there was a sleight Ko-Owari influence in some of the Akasaka works. I think that the various examples illustrated in this thread well demonstrate the design evolution that sometimes takes place. For instance , notice how the Akasaka artist has "improved" the Owari design by blending the elements into the rim at the bottom of the guard. He has also begun a process of very subtly refining the lines of the design to create more rhythm. This is a regular feature of Akasaka tsuba. Akasaka work also often exhibits those semi-circular cut-outs, this often adds a sense of repeat patterning ( a very valuable and attractive addition ) and further abstacts the design. This particular design feature, in my opinion, also owes something to Ko-Owari work. Well, thats my little contribution. Regards, Ford

Greetings all, I've been lurking for a little while now and am very pleased to have found a specialist forum dealing with fittings. This present discussion has been particularly interesting. So much so I'd like to add some more images to the pot. Here's an Akasaka Tadamasa ( first master ) tsuba showing a classic Akasaka rendition of a mantis.