Kurikata

Hi Henry, Mon on the saya is : Wisteria (Fuji, 藤) One of the Family using this Mon was the Fujiwara Clan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujiwara_clan Regards

Jean, I have one in my collection. Very simple, with black lacquer but very late Edo or even beginning of 20th century to me.

Denis, Price looks quite in the right range. Just to confirm that shells, abalone or clams theme is not that unusual within the Kinai school, but not the way yours has been designed... Please refer to: http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237/10354 Best regards

It is a very common echizen kinai tsuba........

Dear All, by any chance, can some one help ? Thank you in advance. Bruno

Can someone translate this? I purchased the box without a Tsuba !!!!!

Hi, the name is Udenuki Ana. please refer to this site which provides all names in Japanese: http://www.jssus.org/nkp/kanji_for_tsuba.html best regards

Hello, Can someone gives me a clue on the 4th Kanjit : Ishiguro Masa?? + Kakihan Thank you

Michael, A lot of knives, spoon ans forks sets have been exported from Japan to Europe beginning of 20th century with handles copying both sides kozuka design. These handles are generally in plain Copper or shinchu with no inlays. Should you have pictures, it would confirm.

@ Geraint , it is absolutly true. The shinchu plate is incrustred into a large iron Mimi. This schinchu plate is cut itself to include a HoHo bird in iron. @Brian, Thank you for your so gentle comment. Cheers

Finnally , my promisses after 16 months.... Closer pictures of my tsuba..... Cheers

Would it be Masayoshi (Iwama Masayoshi, 1764-1837) as Tsuba-Ko and not Masayasu?

Thank you Chris Do you mean that the Tsuba is dated 1837 or the Hakogaki has been written in 1837? Do we have some clues on the Tsuba-ko ? Thank you again

Hello Kanji experts and Japanese NMB members WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT ? Thank you

Hi Hames one 's more. I am in. Cheers Bruno

Among kyo Kinko schools, coudl itbe Goto, Otsuki or Ichinomya? Thank you for your input Bruno

Hi All, This tsuba is stated as Ishiguro school. Can experts confirm ? Thank you

I would guess early Edo (end of 17th century)

Looks like a Sanmai Awase style tsuba too me (do you confirm that three plates are held together by a border ?) .

Thank you again Morita San. I did not know that this set was made by such a well known craftman (even if the work is excellent with a very skillfull nanako). Do you know who has written this Hakogaki ? I discovered thanks to you, an article from the NBTKK journal from November 2014 about Aoki Harutsura (written by Kubo Yasuko): Among the Otsuki school smiths, there are excellent smiths, and among them were Kawasaki Kagaharu and Aoki Shunkan(Harutsura). Both Kagaharu and Shunkan were gifted craftsmen, but they passed away at an early age, just like a shooting star. This work is Shunkan’s menuki. In Bunka 2, Shunkan was born and was a son of the kozuka smith Yamashiroya Jinsuke. According to the historical book “Tagane no Hana” he was a genius and had no regular teacher, but some people said he was a student of Kawasaki Kagaharu, although the details are uncertain. Other sources said he was consultant or advisor to master smiths such as Uesugi Kazutsura and Goto Ichijo.” Considering his birth, he naturally learned from his father and continued with his father’s tradition, but after that, his history is uncertain. He was Kazutsura’s age, and they were close each other, so it is hard to think about them as a teacher and student. Also, Kagaharu has very few works left today, and it is hard to judge from their work if there was a teacher and student relationship. Concerning Ichijo, there is no clear evidence of any association between them. So, there is no evidence to support the idea that there was someone who was a formal teacher to him. Looking at Shunkan’s work today, there is no question that he was a genius. In particular, his designs, selective eye, expressive techniques, and his human figures are amazing. Looking at his work, of which not many were produced, he choose subjects such as God, Buddha, Chinese legends, the Genpei battles, No theater, and Japanese traditonal Tokei events like that seen on these menuki, (tokei were imperial court events held in March, and the tradition began in the Heian period). He chose subjects from his cultural background, and expressed them very well. His human expressions show smooth muscular movements in the forehead, cheek, or even the ears, and nervous expressions, not only in the face, but also in the hands and feet. There are elegant movements in clothing, soft shapes in the eboshi (men’s formal hats). Also, in the cocks flowing feathers and tail, he used very delicate chisel marks, abundant irogane (inlays) such as okigane (inlay), and hirazogan (high relief) ,and this kind of work tells us he was not an ordinarily skilled smith. This entire work has an elegant feeling. On the back, the menuki workmanship is perfect. There is a large chikara-gane (reinforcement), the bottom is firm, the tanzaku (plate for mei) is neat, the kanji signature begins and ends with strong dots with Shunkan’s original character and was very carefully done. I feel, this is an exemplary and the best work, and I could enjoy a glimpse of Shunkan’s world. At the same time, from this work, we can recognize again the Kyoto kinko smiths great and skillfull ability. Cheers Bruno

Hi Japanese members (or gaijin experts), I know that I am taking too much of your time to translate those Hakogaki. But what a source of infomation ! Can you help me another time ? Thank you

Another picture......

Dear David, please find herewith a picture of the signature. Sorry for the bad image as the signature is very faint. Regarding Kuwabara san, I know that he wrote a book "NIHON SOKEN KINKO SHI " in 1941. But little information on the Chuo tokenkai. Cheers

Thank you David, I have been slightly jumping ahead of myself in some of the assumptions...... I have been probably infuenced too much by my reading of Jim Gilbert site ( http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/heianjo.htm) I'll try to dig research as signed heianjo tsuba seem quite rare. Cheers

"As mentioned in the introduction, we have to start with the basics." I think it is very true !!!! Thanks Brian to have higlited this simple fact through Markus blog.