Steve Waszak

Planning on it for sure.

Historical and cultural importance play large roles here. Matashichi was a top-level smith who made tsuba for Hosokawa Sansai. That alone is HUGE. It is said that the Shodai Nobuiye, as well as Yamasaka Kichibei, worked for Oda Nobunaga. These kinds of associations carry enormous cachet. It gives a level of relevance to the importance of the smith historically and culturally that 19th-century smiths can't really match. Then there is the matter of aesthetic sensibilities. For many Westerners, aesthetic principles such as yuugen, shibusa, sabi, mono no aware, wabi, etc... are elusive and cannot be (fully) appreciated. Such aesthetic values are often seen by Japanese connoisseurs as much more effectively embodied in and expressed by "simple iron" tsuba than in and by the flashy, bling-y, soft-metal Edo-kinko that appeals to the great majority of Westerners. A fairly direct analogy may be seen in ceramics, where a 19th-century Imari-ware piece will "obviously" be "superior" to a "simple," misshapen, distorted, incompletely-glazed 16th-century tea bowl, yet the Imari-ware work might sell for $2,000, while the "amateurish" Momoyama tea bowl sells for $100,000. The combination of these values -- historical and cultural importance along with aesthetic sensibilities and taste -- may be linked with provenance to best explain the very high prices realized by what are seen as top-level pieces. As often as not, it is the "simple" works, whether in iron tsuba or in Tea ceramics, that command the loftiest figures of all.

The question, really, is whether this particular tsuba is Shodai Hikozo or Nidai Hikozo. I have my doubts that this is Shodai work, as the plate comes across as a bit too "tame" or lacking in the vitality that usually infuses Shodai workmanship. The plate here is relatively quiet. This doesn't mean it can't be from the hand of the Shodai, but in the end I suspect it is a Nidai tsuba. I suppose the "low" hammer price may be explained by its being seen as either a lower-end Shodai work or in fact that of the Nidai. Just as an aside, my personal view of Shodai Hirata Hikozo tsuba is that they are -- at their best -- the finest soft-metal sword guards ever made. That is a topic for a different thread, though...

Tsuba are sold.

Tsuba #2, 3, and 4.

Price drop and special deal. The following four tsuba are still available, all with price reductions: #1. Ohno tsuba. Owari Province. Iron. Mokko with snowflake motif. Profuse tekkotsu. Early Edo Period. 71.5 x 65 x 5mm. Price drop from $250 to $200. #2. Strong iron ji-sukashi tsuba. 74 x 72 x 4mm. Price drop from $150 to $125. #3. Iron ji-sukashi tsuba with Aoi mon, perhaps a Tokugawa crest allusion. 73 x 73 x 4mm. Price drop from $125 to $115. #4. Iron ji-sukashi tsuba. 65 x 65 x 3.5mm. Price drop from $100 to $75. Special deal: all four tsuba for $400, plus shipping.

Sorry about that. I'd thought I'd get a message telling me my inbox was full; I hadn't realized it. Thanks for letting me know. I've just cleared a bunch of PMs. #25 is now on HOLD.

#24 is on HOLD.

Weekend price drop on the following tsuba: #23: From $300 to $250 (a bargain for a strong, early-Edo Ohno tsuba) #24: From $200 to $175 (a silly-low price for this tsuba) #25: From $450 to $225 (a very good price for a large tsuba with good metal, and a Nobuie mei... ) Prices above do not include shipping. I may be able to come down a little if someone wants a package deal, but these prices are already low...

Great! Thanks for letting me know it has arrived safely, Brent. Enjoy your tsuba! Steve

Tsuba # 26 is on HOLD. Tsuba #27 has SOLD.

Price reductions on a few of the above tsuba: #23, the Ohno tsuba with the snowflake motif, now $300. #24, the Kikugata tsuba with the kirimon motif, now $200. #25, the large tsuba with the umbrella motif and "Nobuie" mei, now $450. #26, the large tsuba with the brass inlay and silver fukurin, now $250. All prices above do not include shipping.

Tsuba #28 is SOLD.

There are still about a dozen tsuba available, but they are going fast. If there are particular pieces that interest you, and/or if you are interested in putting together 3-4 of these in a package, let me know.

#18 has SOLD.

Tsuba #22 is on HOLD.

Here is the final group of tsuba I am helping my friend move: Tsuba #26. 8.3 cm x 8 cm x 4mm. Brass inlay (two colors). The inlay is almost completely intact -- just three dots missing from the leaves. This guard features what appears to be a silver "rope" fukurin. $325. Tsuba #27. 7.8 cm x 7.7 cm x 5mm. Kyo-sukashi style sword guard. $175. Tsuba #28. 7.6 x 7.4 x 6mm. Interesting alternating diagonal carving on rim (shifting from lobe to lobe). Note the chrysanthemum punchmark in the tagane at the top of the nakago-ana on the omote. Shakudo glides at the hitsu-ana. $250.

Okay, resuming with more tsuba now. . Tsuba #23. Ohno tsuba. Early Edo. Pronounced tekkotsu with snowflake motif. Mokko-gata. Excellent condition. 71.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 5mm. $375. Tsuba #24. Kiku-gata/motif. Fine kebori on the leaves. Excellent condition. 7.2 cm x 7.2 cm x 4.5mm. $250. Tsuba #25. Large maru-gata sword guard with motif of an umbrella. Fine tsuchime complemented by a light amida-yasuri on the plate. Beautiful color to this iron. There is a signature on the right side of the seppa-dai reading "Nobuie," though this is hard to see with the abrasions to the metal there. The rectangular hitsuana are very pleasing. 8.5 cm x 8.4 cm x 2.5mm. This is a strong tsuba. $650.

HI Brent, Sorry about that. I just cleared some space in my PM inbox. In any event, I am holding tsuba #20 for you.

Tsuba #19: 7.8 cm x 7.7 cm x 3.5mm. $90. Tsuba #20: 8 cm x 7.8 cm x 3.5mm. $100. *Note that this tsuba has had an impact at about 10:00 - 11:00 on the omote. See the metal that has been distorted here. Tsuba #21: 7.3 cm x 6.7 cm x 3.5mm. Kiri-mon motif. $100. Tsuba #22: 7.5 cm x 7 cm x 3mm. Yamakichibei-esque design and treatment. $100. All four for $300 plus shipping.

Here is the next group: Tsuba #15: 7.3 cm x 7.3 cm x 4mm. $125. Tsuba #16: 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 3.5mm. $100. Tsuba #17: 7.1 cm x 7.1 cm x 3mm. $75. Tsuba #18: 8 cm x 7.9 cm x 3.5mm. $100. All four for $300. Plus shipping, of course. *Apologies for the sideways images. Not sure why they are loading that way...

#12 and #13 are on HOLD.

#11 is on HOLD.

Tsuba #11: 8 cm x 7.8 cm x 5mm. Powerful Kiri-mon design. $175. Tusba #12: 7.4 cm x 7.4 cm x 3.5mm. $125. Tsuba #13: 7.9 cm x 7.7 cm x 2.5 - 3.0mm. $90. Tsuba # 14: 7.4 cm x 7.2 cm x 4mm. Good iron. $150. All four for $475, plus shipping.

#7 on HOLD.