Spartancrest

In Japanese art there is a tradition of "utsushi" which translates as homage or emulation at its basic level. Popular designs were done over and over again but generally not as direct copies but as the new artists interpretation of the original design - at least in the best case senario. Copies have been made, some as "practice" by students/apprentices others as outright forgeries aimed at deceit. Yes there are also cast copies made in large numbers but these would not be called utsushi as they do not celebrate the art and are more about making fast money. From what I have seen almost every school of tsuba artist has had followers who make utsushi of their school or other schools master works. I would not be surprised if on some rare occasions some buyers might put in a request for some change or enhancement, there are rare signatures where the maker has included "made to the order of ... " Some schools were almost production lines producing the same pattern over and over again just to keep up with demand Kinai school was well known for it.

Tell the French company that is selling it.

Yeah that would explain a lot!

Hi Gran, welcome. https://world-seiyudo.com/product/tu-040525/ https://www.seiyudo.com/tu-040525.htm a Daigoro here as Mauro has said - it is much thinner work and perhaps more effeminate [No offence to the Samurai spirit ] From a Bonhams auction eight years ago - the site is no longer active. This one also has a silver fukurin - Sorry but these images are very small. https://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/230a24e205e0cc960a170e796b26dc8f a Kyo-sukashi version https://nipponto-ken.fr/Chap8 Typologie Detaillee9.html Lets add a little gold. https://www.tessier-sarrou.com/en/lot/22961/5002947-japon-debut-epoque-edo-1603-1868-maru-gata-en-fer-a-decor?search=& supper fine gold work currently for sale https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-tsuba-for-samurai-sword-t-623/ I tend to like your's more than all these!

https://de.aliexpress.com/i/1005003232133421.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2deu cast iron would be better than this zinc alloy one [but not by much ]

Some auction houses do pull these fakes, I have sent messages to some in the past. I have real doubts though that the auctions will pull the lots after they have already received bids.

There are so many of these I can't say it is the same piece, but I wish there was some way to warn the bidders off! 600 euro so far - why don't these buyers do a little image search before they put in a bid? https://item.rakuten.co.jp/shicmx/xtong02/ and they can have this piece of crap for just 30 euro! That would leave them plenty of cash to waste on the next piece of crap they didn't bother to check out! I seriously thought there was a worldwide monetary crisis, yet some people can really get stuck-in, throwing their money away. Good luck with the "investment portfolio" - when it comes time to launch these back on the market, but I guess people aren't actually getting smarter, when their phones do all the thinking.

Do the papers mention who does the assessment - the actual person? If people had that information they might boycott that inspectors opinion. Who gets to judge the judges? Is there a test these people have to pass in order to make these "informed" opinions and are they ranked in any way? Clearly if someone is paying for these papers they could/should get their money back.

Mainly using a bone awl to remove the rust and rubbing with a soft cotton cloth - nothing drastic as I don't want to damage the fine inlay. The brief answer is "elbow grease".

Update on the beautiful butterfly and vine tsuba. There is the remains of a signature there - it was well hidden under the rust. Any ideas?

This may not fit in with this thread - but when did the NBTHK start certifying mass produced tsuba? First off, I have no idea if the papers are "real" I can't read kanji but I recognise a mass produced "shippo" design that turns up in the thousands. https://www.jauce.com/auction/c1188041144 "Traditional Nagasaki" Early Edo Period Butterfly and Peony Design. A rare original Shippou Tsuba" REALLY! see: https://www.katanacenter.com/316 Tsuba couple Daisho enamel.html this company clearly states "First half of the Shōwa era 昭和" The incredibly "rare" ebay examples https://www.ebay.com/itm/316158776912 https://www.ebay.com/itm/396607088190 https://www.ebay.com/itm/286198233512 Even more "rare" from Japan - https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1055807796 https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n1186861675 and buy in bulk https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h1136698250 These are endless, mass produced - but hey, the papers are what people want to see. Papers separate the fool from his money.

https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1187563804 - looks like an unsigned one?

信家（放れ銘）花文透鐔 Nobuie Tsuba with Rosary Design Even when the seller says "Rosary" it doesn't necessarily mean a Christian symbol. Buddhists also use a "Rosary" of beads so it is even more likely to be a Buddhist tsuba. But the design is strangely jagged for a rosary! caveat emptor - buyer beware or make your own assessment = don't just go with the sellers description, he just wants a sale!

Fair price - it would likely cost that much for shipping individually plus fees, so a good start! [Now you know you can never stop at just 17 tsuba - the game has only just begun! ] My favourite quote is from Arthur H. Church in 1899. "But I was not able to resist for long the varied fascinations of these curious things, so that after much wide gathering, followed by severe weeding, my tsuba cabinet contains over a thousand examples." I have been collecting for about forty years and have only amassed about 300, so my collection is a little paltry by comparison.

Welcome Alves. I believe your tsuba is by the Shoami school, [someone may come in with a translation of the signature] Aoi-tachi-mokko shape? Or at least tachi style. Mandarin Mansion says, Tachi-mokkō-gata (太刀木瓜形) literally means "Tachi cross shape". This style of tsuba was since ancient times mounted on tachi (太刀), large swords that were worn edge downwards, slung from a belt, mainly by cavalry. It is also known as aoi-gata (葵形) or "hollyhock shape". The style dates back to Tachi swords but continued as a formal shape fitted to Katana blades - tachi did not have the hitsu-ana [holes for kozuka and kogai] originally, though many tachi tsuba had the holes cut in later. Alves, yours is made at a time for a Katana from the design and the direction of the nakago-ana [tang hole]

Good pick up Florian!

Let's not forget plenty of images to compare and extensive research. TBF

The "Backyard Blacksmith" has a range of designs - https://www.jauce.com/user/CAWaKufXrxBdNGAA4UXmvfeWjVRf?search=tsuba - he has put up his prices from his usual 8,000 yen! He may make designs to order?

I think number 14 is the standout for me - very nice piece. I think Jean has a point on number 11, the sekigane is "odd" and the holes drilled through are very random and not well executed. 11 may have started off as something else or was home made. A few good pieces in the collection but condition is letting them down a little. The Shippo design of number 12 is good and I like its shape but the pitting on the ura is a little sad. A similar shippo design - https://sanmei.com/contents/en-us/p2433.html [I think the asking price is a little over the top!] may as well add this example - https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1187433530 Not the same theme but similar style to number 5 - https://www.slam.org/search/423%3A1949/ in the Saint Louis Art Museum Are you game enough to say what you paid for your "instant collection"? NOFI

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1981-0128-57 British museum. Number five in a Christies auction https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/samurai-swords-armour-refined-art/group-five-tsuba-12/12096

A little off topic as these are not difficult to tell what they really are, compared to other reproductions ment to deceive. Yet another aspect to consider is when fake/copied tsuba are themselves then faked. https://www.jauce.com/auction/1186920457 A brand new fake following on the success of these fakes. https://www.ebay.com/itm/196883702824 It is easy to see why when the "new" fake is so much cheaper than the "old" fake, the incentive is to undercut the other seller! Some time back Paul Chen Hanwei produced a set of "famous figures" tsuba for his swords - I think it was a matter of weeks before all his designs were being copied. What a minefield for new collectors when you can't even trust a fake to be a real fake! This aside: Japanese humor turned into a joke! Please note the cloud from the original design has somehow become a rabbit in the trashy fake. Tomiyoshi would not be amused! https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1186249206 The cloud came back in this one!

Where do you start? If there is a published image of a tsuba - it has been faked! I know even a guard made by the late Ford Hallam was faked in his own lifetime - nothing is safe when countries don't have copyright rules. https://jp.mercari.com/item/m44209917420 https://www.jauce.com/auction/d1186932990

I would be surprised to see this being sold again so soon. It last sold in July of 2021 as part of the Edward Wrangham collection second sale. It sold at the time for £535.50. https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27271/lot/12/a-brass-tsuba-nara-school-19th-century/

I think Colin has it. An alternative is the generic "Tatar" archer https://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/921/per_page/25/offset/850/sort_by/date/start/1799/end/1898/object/21384 As you say John, there are a few like it getting about.

Is it just me or do all these fuchi & kashira look like the boat has run into a mud embankment ?