Spartancrest

One here with a similar motif - Owari - https://www.Japan-onlineshop.com/antike-stuecke/56-tsuba-owari.html And similar https://www.jauce.com/auction/o1001309331 This one is listed as Akasaka https://www.jauce.com/auction/b557871486 I think there was a lot of overlap in designs from one school to the next.

Roger you are so right - the Tiger snakes here in Tassie are big enough - and they are really friendly, they come right up to you! [where is the emoji for "shudder"?]

Roger from what I can find the Naga has a variety of types depending on whereabouts in Asia it is depicted, in India it has the either the head and torso of a man/woman or a multiple of snake heads, in Thai culture the head is like a dragon with a huge forward facing crest. Both these countries have only a single tail. But other countries show two tails or even more. Having stood face to face with a huge King cobra in Singapore I can see where the myth might have come from - I still get the shakes! They are bloody big snakes! We will never know for sure what really inspired the various dragons, probably lots relate back to crocodiles, but big serpents would be on my list. I think the rain dragon has those strange curled legs [how they would move eludes me] like this Japanese rendering.

Hi Michael: For some additional information the two dragons affronté [face to face] are Rain Dragons, they usually have few if any scales, curlicues for legs and a split [bifurcated] curly tail/s You will find an almost exact copy of your tsuba - not the same shape but all the same elements in the Metropolitan Museum collection. You might get some useful information there as well. [I have taken the liberty to enhance the images for a better view- why do museums produce such dark images?] https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25679

The more decorative side of the guard is usually the side facing the hand when held, counter intuitive when you consider Western weapons have the decoration of the guards on the blade side of the weapon. But it has to do with how the sword is worn with the tsuka [handle] facing forward towards the viewer. The hitsu-ana shape can also dictate the orientation of the tsuba but this is complicated when both hitsu are the same shape as in your examples case. Signatures can appear on either side of the guard and indeed long inscriptions overflow onto both sides. I think like almost every aspect of life any hard and fast rules will have exceptions. PS. it's a very nice guard you have.

Geraint - I would agree it's a cultural cringe away from the traditional, for a relative short time, before embracing once again the style of the past. A niche period of over compensating for a perceived [and unfounded] inferiority of Japanese tradition. Interesting to note that the Western perception of the Japanese style at the same time, was that of awe, of native skill.

Just a general enquiry - what is the definition of a tsuba? Would this be called a tsuba? Taisho era army sword guard [not very attractive]

I do like the 'filled' Namako tsuba, I have not seen many like it.

Josh. Not a Peacock but a Hou-ou (or Hoo-oo) -- The Japanese Phoenix. The three? crossed leaves in the center are a bit difficult to identify. The Kamon on the right is the closest I could find from a quick search - sorry the definition is not good. The only maru menuki images I could find are on Tachi Koshirae - I am sure there are sword experts out there with better information.

Steven E. I have done the same, reporting scams to several auction houses when they are selling fakes as authentic - to their credit most do take the offending item down or relist it as what it truly is. Nice to know Etsy has standards. How do we call out ebay when they won't take action? Surely this is being complicit in a scam and makes them equally guilty of a crime. Who can you report ebay to? Stephen. How do we avoid being sued for defamation even when its true? The offenders often have deeper pockets than the victim and litigate you to financial death.

I just had the same experience, I bought a rusty guard on Jauce [also linked to YJP] for a buy it now price of 5980 yen or about 75 dollars AU. - I had seen the same guard on ebay with three different prices listed, the lowest was $186 AU and the others over $200. A week after I had bought it it was still being advertised on ebay - I politely sent the dealer a note that it was already sold and to please take the ad down, obviously he didn't check his 'available' stock!! I do wish ebay had standards about scalpers, but then they are only interested in their own revenue. I wonder how this thread has gone on from a posting of a picture of a long nosed Tengu to become a talk about auction ethics? Fun though!!

Kawari are irregular outlined guards, they sometimes make up the shape of an object. There are many 'standard' shapes that guards can take - kawari are those that don't fit those standard types. As far as school or maker of your piece it could be Chosu, Bushu or even Kinai, I would only be guessing. It is hand carved and obviously not a modern copy. These images are of Kawari -gata tsuba. Those with the red box outline show rim versions and those without, you could class them as 'modified' to Kawari shape. The others are the finished shape of an object. I have in excess of thirty Kawari-gata in my collection, about half are 'modified' - so previously damaged and reworked. Sometimes Kobushi-gata [closed fist] guards are also called Kawari because of the irregular shape.

Glen you are now a member of a huge club of buyers who buy in good faith - only to be disappointed by money hungry sellers, some of whom use a worldwide crisis to their own benefit. There are however some very honest and reliable sellers - it is just a case of cutting the bad out of your watch list. Maybe we need a list of sellers to avoid? Name and shame?

Wow love that kawari - Waves and Maple leaf design - with two paddles. [let me know if you want to sell it!] Not sure of one of the menuki but one is of a Child's doll. I have a couple of Kawari that are reworked from broken rims and one in the Metropolitan museum. [36.120.195] I can't help noticing the double sekigane - someone treasured it enough to remount it at least twice.

Alban here is another Woodblock print featuring a Samurai and a huge anchor. Title Seki sanjūrō sakata hangorō Print shows two actors, Seki Sanjūrō and Sakata Hangurō, one with a large sword and the other carrying a large anchor over his shoulder. Utagawa, Kuniyasu, 1794-1832, artist Created / Published [between 1815 and 1830]

This Tengu Menuki would give Pinocchio a run for his money!! https://www.jauce.com/auction/t1000415606

Alban - the image is : Suruga Jirô Kiyoshige in armor with a huge anchor by Kuniyoshi Utagawa (1797-1861)

One I like, has an image in his 'Art of War' book but is not otherwise described - doesn't make me like it less. I would say he was a huge fan of the Beatles - Do you think the hair samples could grow cloned musicians?

Alban I think it is one of a group of guards made in the late Meiji era and onwards for practice swords, some times called 'Dance swords" [no idea why]. They all feature cast production with some fine finishing and "inlay" usually (as in this case) missing - I say "inlay" but it is usually worked pieces of copper/brass that are glued into a recess and not truly held in by undercut edges. The workmanship varies greatly some are very finely recut, others are ill defined blobs. Same as these examples - You will notice one has lost the applied metal face. Having said that I have not seen the anchor theme like yours before it may be much less common.

I have just been looking through Greville Cooke's book on the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery tsuba collection and ran into 1930M565 A Shoami school example from ca.1700 [84mm x 81mm x 6.7mm] Sorry about the photo quality but you may be able to contact him for a better image?

Anyone seen a fuchi constructed in this way? https://www.jauce.com/auction/l691653972

Roger sometimes you don't get answers - because we really don't know! On one aspect you mention balance? Is this balance of design or center of gravity? If it is center of gravity forget it, there are plenty of examples where they are lopsided as far as weight distribution. As to the quality of inlay, it is often a reflection of the time period in which it was made, the early inlay was often rough - makes sense they were experimenting, later it got better, latter still it didn't matter anymore because it was only for the 'foreigners'. I do not believe the craftsmen of any nation [Japan included] started off with supreme skill and execution of finish, it always develops through practice. I am sure the experts will say Kaneie/Kaneiye and Natsuo always created perfect pieces - but how many ended up in the recycled metal pile of each artist before they let the rest of the world look at their work? What do you see a wheel? A section through a melon? I think most of the time it is a guess - and mostly we guess wrong, but it keeps our minds active.

Hi Colin you must have got in early, I have only had mine for two weeks! I found one mistake got past me, there is a soft metal guard 1919.356 on page 127 that says it is iron which it clearly is not. If you check the museums site, that is where the mistake came from. But I still should have at least commented on the wrong description. Not a perfect book, but alright for basic reference - Since I started it, I have seen so many utsushi, I could have made a book of duplicate copies! In fact a poor cast copy just sold of number 1919.522 page 293 tonight https://www.jauce.com/auction/d520766334 like I said it is a very poor copy.

Just released a new book on the "Tsuba in the Cleveland Museum of Art" The book is 344 pages with 310 guards in total, with a few comparison examples found in other museum or private collections. So far available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. [I have to say I am not impressed with Amazon's price] Let me say thank you to a number of NMB members who were of great assistance with information. https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=ISBN%3A+9781006769788&ref=nb_sb_noss https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tsuba-in-the-cleveland-museum-of-art-d-r-raisbeck/1139857558?ean=9781006769788 An even cheaper priced book seller, with the Cleveland collection. https://www.discoverbooks.com/Tsuba-in-the-Cleveland-Museum-of-Art-D-R-Raisbeck-p/1006769781.htm also Abe-books https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?cm_sp=SearchF-_-topnav-_-Results&kn=Tsuba in the Cleveland Museum of Art&sts=t The book is also available in Hardcover but as yet does not appear on the book sites. Please send me a PM and I will seek out the cheapest option if you are interested.