Steve Waszak

Yagyu. Late-17th century. Theme likely having to do with luck/protection from harm. Iris + mugwort (yomogi+shobu).

I'm a fan of what Steve proposes regarding an Ohno Consensus Working Group, (and, perhaps, not only for Ohno). In particular, the inductive approach Steve describes is one I have highly endorsed and subscribed to for years (as many will know). This much more systematic and objectively analytical method isn't sufficiently present in tosogu scholarship, in my experience. Instead, there is too much reliance on uncritically accepting "what Sensei said," both in Japan and in the West. Clearly, there can be value in "Sensei's" teachings, even a lot of value; the trick is to discern what is valid and valuable, on the one hand, and what, on the other hand, is based on "traditional understandings" which had as their basis questionable "knowledge" followed by a steady and stubborn subscribing to an Emperor's-New-Clothes narrative. Navigating these murky waters is tricky, of course. But that's why what Steve proposes here is so inviting: anchoring an approach to tsuba scholarship in the material details of what can be seen in the objects themselves, and then, when a sort of "critical mass" of generalization can be realized, moving relatively organically to a more deductive approach by which theories and understandings can be tested. In the end, we still may not arrive at any absolutely hard and fast conclusions, but given the current instability present in assigning "Ohno membership" to a variety of disparate tsuba, it seems to me Steve's proposal has merit and certainly worth pursuing.

Excellent thread, everyone. And excellent Ohno tsuba, Steve. Congrats on the acquisition. Very powerful oniguruma (not oniKuruma ) design. For me, if a distinction between Kanayama and Ohno work resides in any one feature, it would be the massivenes of the form of Ohno works. Kanayama tsuba can be just as powerful in their own way, but are often a bit more elegant and evocative in their Tea sensibilities. Really enjoying the discussion here...

I'm barely over the shock of losing Darcy, and now this... Too stunned to say much just now. Terrible news. RIP Ford.

Love the story here, Steve. And an impressive(!) collection of Owari/Kanayama tsuba. Love your arranging of the seven guards the way you have, too. Excellent! I will quibble with your valuing of your horidashi treasure, though: I should think it would be closer to twice as much as the dollar range you mention... It is a really good piece.

Here is a link to the sort of tsuba I describe above. Note the "shop mark" to the right of the ura seppa-dai (just about 3:00). It is a beautiful tsuba, extremely well made, but not Hoan, in my opinion only, of course. https://www.tosoguya...oan_rinpo_tsuba.html

Kawaguchi Saburoemon Noriyasu (Noriyasu can also be read "Hoan") was the Shodai of the Hoan group. He died in 1614, as Jean notes. He worked therefore in the Momoyama Period, not the Muromachi. It is believed he was originally of the Buke, but due to political misfortune (the assassination of Oda Nobunaga in 1582), his status shifted, and he became an armorer, and then, a tsubako. It is, of course, difficult to know the truth of this narrative, but this is what is generally accepted about this smith. Shodai Hoan tsuba are rarely encountered. HIs best works are masterpieces in iron, combining a powerful yakite-kusarashi effect on the surface of the plate, a beautiful "rippling" of the metal in the forging process known as "uwabamigane" (I believe this translates to something like "python skin"), and sensitively-rendered sukidashi-bori to express motif elements. His sword guards often carry that peculiar Momoyama vitality that infuses so many of the arts of that specific time. I believe the reason the NBTHK assigned a "Hoan" ascription to your tsuba, Lex, is that on the lower left quadrant of the omote, something akin to an uwabamigane effect may be seen. In cases where a mumei guard presents with this detail, especially in combination with well-done sukidashi-bori and the yakite-kusarashi surface treatment (sort of a "melty" effect), the NBTHK will often default to a "Hoan" ascription. Personally, I am not convinced, however. I believe that there was another group of tsubako, likely working in Kyoto, that worked in this style (perhaps along with other styles), where acids were applied to the sukidashi-bori elements to achieve the appearance of a slightly melted surface. Such tsuba are predictable in their details: in addition to the above-mentioned use of acids, sukidashi-bori, and sometimes a "rippled iron" (uwabamigane) presentation in the metal, they always have a round sugata, the same or similar sort of "hourglass" tegane around the nakago-ana, and the same shape to the hitsu-ana we see in your tsuba here. They will also often (if not always?) have a very small mark on the right side of the seppa-dai, sometimes on the omote, sometimes on the ura -- not a mei, but a sort of "shop mark" or some such -- that is very easy to miss, owing to its being rather tiny and subtle. These tsuba are never signed, in my experience. I think I may see such a shop mark on the upper right seppa-dai of the omote of your tsuba, Lex. I do not believe these are Hoan tsuba. Hoan had become a pretty big name by the late-Momoyama and into the early-Edo Periods. Signing one's works had become a tradition of sorts for many tsuba-making groups by the early-Edo years, and this is certainly true of the Hoan group. While not circulating in abundance, post-Shodai Hoan guards are found with enough frequency to confirm that they are signed as a matter of course. But the tsuba I describe above -- with their specific and predictable characteristics, and which I am confident your tsuba is one of -- are not signed. Because of this anonymity, and because they bear a superficial resemblance to key features found in Shodai Hoan tsuba (they also are missing important details), the NBTHK default to a "Hoan" reading on these. This is not to disparage this group's work or your tsuba, though, Lex. These are really well-made pieces with a great deal of aesthetic merit, in my opinion. Their combination of acid-etching and sukidashi-bori achieves a beautiful effect. But the peculiar personality of Shodai Hoan is not present in these pieces. If you'd like to see a good example of one of these sword guards, let me know, and I can provide a link.

Thanks for posting this, Dirk. Mono no aware was actually a very important value informing the Tea aesthetics so dominant in late-16th and early-17th-century Buke culture. We see it pouring forth from such wares as Setoguro chawan, Bizen mizusashi, and Iga hanaire, but it found its way to the finest iron tsuba of the time as well. One interpretation of the effect of yakite treatment in works by (in particular) Hoan, Yamakichibei, Nobuiye, and the Kanayama "school" is that it echoes the dilapidation (impact of the passage of time) of what was once a pristine surface. In the expression of mono no aware thus realized, such tsuba also may be said to possess degrees of sabi. Interesting note: the term wabi-sabi is likely a relatively recent construct (i.e. 20th-century). While the aesthetic values wabi and sabi are known much further back (several centuries, at least), the joined term wabi-sabi does not seem to appear in any documents from the Momoyama or Edo Periods. It does not appear in the various Tea diaries and records of those years, though the terms do appear separately. We may thus wish to pause in describing Tea objects from those times (ceramics and iron tsuba known to have been tightly associated with Tea) as having or expressing "wabi-sabi." Here is a Shodai (hanare-mei) Nobuiye tsuba expressing the Yodo no Mizuguruma theme. It is thought that Nobuiye had close associations with Oda Nobunaga, and may have worked for the Oda family in the Momoyama Period.

Looks terrific, Steve. Well done. I totally echo Tim's thoughts here, too. The koshirae is where tsuba "live," after all. For those who haven't obtained a copy of Uchigatana no Koshirae, it really is a must-have for superb examples of early (pre-Edo) koshirae.

Yes, this is the smith classically identified as the "Yondai," or "fourth generation." In my view, this smith worked many decades after the original Yamakichibei smiths of the Momoyama years, and probably is not directly related to those early men. However, an association between this "Yondai" artist and the smith referred to as "Sakura Yamakichibei" (erroneously labeled the "Sandai") is fairly likely. Both worked in the late-17th century, I believe.

Certainly appears to have the features associated with Kanayama work: prominent tekkotsu, smaller dimensions, a yakite finish to the surface (though the condition of the guard, perhaps due to rust damage, makes it harder to be sure about the finish), symmetry in design, motif, and rim structure. As you note, Steve, the tsuba's condition is less-than-ideal. Not sure what, if anything, might be done to improve this. Some gentle ivorying may have a positive effect. Nice tsuba in many ways, though.

PM sent.

Interesting perspective. From my point of view, this tsuba at Choshuya (no-doubter Shodai Hoan) is significantly underpriced. I don't know that I'd call it a crazy undershot, but this tsuba could/should be more in the $10,000 - $12,000 range. I doubt this will last into February. I'd grab it immediately if I could.

Hi Hannes, Yes, you may very well be correct. This guard certainly is reminiscent of Nakane's work.

The second of the tsuba is a somewhat smaller, but more robust work in terms of its thickness, measuring 7.65cm x 7.6cm x 5mm. The sukashi openwork features a scalloped design, and so is rather less severe and spartan in its expression than the first example. This piece, too, would suit a Higo koshirae admirably. $550, plus shipping.

On offer here are two iron sukashi sword guards. They are clearly works out of the Higo tradition, and may be more immediately tied to the Hirata workshop. These are both deceptively simply pieces, featuring well-worked iron and rather classically Higo expression. I will present photos and dimensions for each tsuba in separate posts. The first piece here measures 8.4cm x 7.95cm x 3mm. It is a relatively large guard, and would be an excellent fit for a Higo koshirae. Ito Mitsuru's fantastic series of books on the four main Higo tsuba traditions -- Hirata, Shimizu, Nishigake, and Hayashi (and Kamiyoshi) -- includes an image of a piece he attributes to Hirata which could be twin of the present work. If a large, spartan, Higo expression is to your liking, this sword guard would fit the bill. $550 plus shipping.

Weekend price drop to $875, plus shipping.

Offered here is an iron mokko sword guard signed "Nobuie." I do not believe this is the work of either of the two early Nobuie masters. The mei features details that appear to combine characteristics of the signatures of the Shodai and Nidai Nobuie, and the work is clearly expressing the aesthetic sensibilities we associate with the Shodai and Nidai. I believe this dates to the early Edo Period, and could, perhaps, be the product of a Nobuie workshop that had some association with the early smiths. This guard presents with a strong kikko (tortoise-shell) motif done as a pattern over a plate finished in expressive tsuchime. The rim is of uchikaeshi form, as is usual with Nobuie mokko sword guards, and is in excellent condition. Interestingly, there is a very similar work included in the Nobuiye Tsuba Shu, the collection of rubbings of Nobuiye tsuba by Nakamura Kakudaiyu published in the 19th century (see photo of the present tsuba alongside the piece from the Tsuba Shu). The work included by Nakamura is mumei, so no direct mei comparison is possible, but it is clear enough that the aesthetics involved are closely related. Dimensions are 7.9cm x 7.5cm x 5mm at the mimi. $950 plus shipping.

Excellent find, Peter. Just downloaded the article for reference. Many thanks.

Bump, with a final price drop on Tsuba #1, now $425, and Tsuba #2, now $775 (plus shipping). These are really good prices on tsuba of this quality coming out of the Higo tradition.

Offered here is a fine iron kuruma-sukashi tsuba, likely dating to the Bakumatsu years of the late-Edo Period. I attribute this sword guard to this time because in the 19th-century, the Bakumatsu era witnessed a strong revivalist sentiment in the area of swords and sword fittings, with several notable smiths working to produce evocative utsushi works echoing the aesthetics of the classic sword guards made in the Momoyama Period by masters in Owari Province (Nobuiye, Yamakichibei, and Hoan). This particular piece is mumei, but absolutely aims to capture the powerful expression of the masterpieces made by those Owari greats in the late 16th and early-17th centuries. This tsuba, too, features a sort of "worm-eaten" texture over the surface of the plate, likely a nod to the Tea Culture sensibilities that dominated the aesthetics of the Momoyama years, where principles such as Sabi, Yugen, Mono no Aware, Wabi, Shubusa, and others were not infrequently manifest in upper-level Buke fittings. I think another, but less likely, possibility is that this tsuba IS of the Momoyama years. The more conservative call here is for a Bakumatsu-Era piece. The condition, color, and patina on the tsuba are excellent. Dimensions are 8cm x 7.5cm x 3mm. $375, plus shipping.

Sorry, just seeing this now. This tsuba has been SOLD. Thanks for the kinds words once again, Marius!

This is a really fine early Umetada iron sword guard. It presents with a floral motif (species of flower unidentified), with a single hitsu-ana for the kozuka. While at first glance a relatively unassuming tsuba, the color, patina, very subtle and deft hammerwork, together with its condition make it an excellent piece. I am moving this only because it doesn't fit in my collecting focus (Owari Province works), as the above features warrant its being a keeper. The color is a deep blue-black, which is not commonly encountered in iron tsuba, where more of a rust-colored iron is the norm. I have included a photo here of the tsuba next to an entry from Sasano's "Early Japanese Sword Guards: Sukashi Tsuba," where he identifies a very similar work (including the nakadaka shape, where the seppa-dai is thicker than the rim), as "Ko-Umetada," and locates that tsuba in the mid-Muromachi Period. I think his dating here is a bit ambitious, but have no problem putting the present piece in the Momoyama Period. This is an elegant, graceful swordguard that I am sorely tempted to keep, despite its not fitting in my collecting focus. Measurements are 7.8cm x 7.7 cm x 6mm at the seppadai, 4.5mm at the rim. $475.

No problem. I actually have seen papered Yamakichibei (real ones) being auctioned on Yahoo, and have even won a few of these auctions myself. But I have seen some pretty eyebrow-raising NBTHK attributions, so from my experience, papers do not guarantee an accurate call on some of these pieces. I have also seen genuine early Yamakichibei guards without papers in these auctions, along with many, many gimei pieces, needless to say. Unfortunately, it doesn't work to rely on papers to provide 100% accurate attributions on sword guards. I've seen the same tsuba papered to two different makers/schools when it was submitted several years apart. This isn't to cast aspersions at the NBTHK; it's simply to recognize that they are fallible, and so, we have to do our own homework on these things.

Gimei, low-quality copy, I'm afraid. Not even close to genuine. Just goes to show the value of these green papers.