Kurikata

Mark, welcome to NMB. Your tsuba design is a kamon (Family crest) - agehacho kamon [Taira Clan]

Robert, the iron used for this namban tsuba is really of poor quality as the majority of these end of 19th century tsuba. Difficult in fact from a single picture to determine the building process of it. Anyway I liked the mixt of dragon and juzu in quite a large pièce [8cm].

Unfortunatly, this tsuba I do own is not cast! [I invite you in France to verify]

Thank you all of you for your kind comments.

I recently purchased this namban tsuba representing dragons within what I guess being juzu (boudhist rosary). Do you agree with me ? Thank you for your views.

Bump.....

To lighten the mood a bit, I'll tell you a story. In 1990, Dr. Sempé passed away, and his widow, fearing theft, hid his Andean archaeology collection, along with 70 tsuba and kozuka, behind a platform in their country house. Thirty-five years later, their daughter-in-law undertook renovations and rediscovered these completely forgotten collections. Naturally, all the tsuba and kozuka were corroded with numerous spots of red rust. Last Friday, I bought three of these tsuba at an auction. Here are photos of one of them before and after the cleaning I performed (washing with soapy water, scraping off the rust with bone, then lightly oiling). No corrosive products were used, of course

A similar tsuba in This thread:

@Curran: following your kind advice. After a Light cleansing....

Thank you very much for all your answers and your good advices. Mito school it is, as a conclusion!

Hi NMB experts, This mumei tsuba get some tanaka school features from my point of vew. Do you agree with me or do you see other influences ? Thank you

Hi, I am selling from my collection this superbe large heinjo tsuba with a rope patern and Tembo marks Price : € 300 / $ 350 plus shipping and potential payment fees Size: 9,25 cm / 8,47 cm /0,55 cm Nakago: 2,99 cm Weight: 177 grams Please contact me for any questions.

Similar tsuba in this thread with explanations:

Prolific Namitoshi...... tsuba transformed latter with shakudo plugs

Thank you Ray. You were fast!

Hi, Can you help me in decyphering this signature? Thank you

Coing back to the title: tea time tsuba kettle

7, 5 euros .... without the box https://www.samourai-medieval.com/Mekuginuki-p-1255-c-7.html

Thank you Moriyama San. The kozuka is dated 1864. Therefore I think I have found him.

Hi NMB experts, Do you read 安吉 (Yasuyoshi) as a signature ? Thank you Bruno

Hi Kai, A warm welcome to the forum. As Jean mentionned it, this is a real tsuba which has been overcleaned and lost its patina. I would consider this tsuba having a strong Hizen influence (numone zogan, dragon etc...) You paid the average price for it....

I have tried Chatgpt to decypher this poem and the result is really amazing: I clearly identified the Japanese characters engraved on the metal object. Here is a transcription and explanation: Transcription (romanji) Hōrai no yama no hotori no sumiregusa yoso no hanayori utsukushikeri Explanation in English It's a waka (a classic Japanese poem of 31 syllables in 5-7-5-7-7). • Hōrai (蓬莱): a legendary mountain in Chinese and Japanese mythology, associated with immortality and paradise. • yama no hotori (山のほとり): at the foot of the mountain. • sumiregusa (すみれ草): violets (flowers). • yoso no hana yori (よその花より): more than other flowers. • utsukushikeri (美しけり): they are beautiful. 👉 The overall meaning of the poem: "The violets that grow at the foot of Mount Hōrai are more beautiful than all other flowers." This type of poem combines nature and spiritual symbolism (here, the mythical Mount Hōrai → paradise, and the violet → simplicity and beauty).

My birds....

+1 Classical Soten school tsuba.

Hi, This tsubako is referenced H01821.0. I hope it helps even if few information is related to him.