Spartancrest

Many years ago I posted an interesting guard that I had just purchased - it was almost universally thought to be a modern cast fake [it is certainly not cast] Today I have found another attributed to Kanshiro Nishigaki (I) copper with identical fukurin in brass. https://www.jauce.com/auction/h556950818 The one I have, has enameled plates either side over a copper core. [I did at the time think the base plate was iron but it is non magnetic, so copper or Shibuichi?] I am wondering at what the board will think this time? [ I will be watching the auction with great interest]

One with an added fukurin in the same week https://www.jauce.com/auction/x777616974 They look like they are punched out like big coins! These are nearly as common - I got caught with one about five years ago, bought from Poland - so they get around! https://www.jauce.com/auction/f512871912

This one is like an old friend [not] https://www.jauce.com/auction/e516816626 Whomever made it has figured you only need one side of the design. Rather than struggle to compare the images at a slope I have straightened them up. From a cheap display board perhaps? Would not fool a monkey!

Mauro thank you so much for those examples - it really does seem everyone made a version of the design! I may not have enough room to include all the possibilities

Thanks John I know it was a big ask getting attributions from pictures, the museum's lack of thickness dimensions is also a handicap. I have since stumbled on another example of no. 8 in the A.H. Church collection in the Ashmolean museum Oxford. That one is described as Satsuma [EAX.10756] perhaps everyone made an example! Also this one {very grainy picture} described as Satsuma from an auction Sotheby's 2001 abalone on drying rack. If I give both attributions people can make up their own mind - for me the image is often more important than assigning a school, because there are so many cross-over designs. Even a signature is no guarantee because of the number of forgeries.

John Higo was a good lead for 8 https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/higo-tsuba-sword-guard/3QLyDIAlN6VZLg Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art (The Ideta collection) it is all out there it's just a matter of knowing where to start looking. http://www.shibuiswords.com/haynesTsu78.html Not too different drying rack by SAKURA YAMAKICHIBEI but not close enough.

The museum has it as Yamashiro no kuni Nishijin ni sumu Umetada Anyway why is he stealing a Kinai design? https://www.catawiki.com/l/15451427-iron-sukashi-tsuba-dragon-echizen-kinai-Japan-17th-18th-century

Yes it is the same guard and the Cleveland museum collection is what I am working on. - Makes it a bit difficult with two pronunciations - I will include both, thanks for the information. I was a bit taken aback by what I had always seen as Kinai dragon tsuba with signatures ascribed to Umetada in the museum, I am hopeless at reading mei. What is your opinion on this signature.

Sorry John yes it is one of the very few with a signature Hokuunsai Mitsutomo at least that is the museums take on it. Even enlarged it is difficult to make out.

I am trying to get some general attributions for a number of tsuba missing information in a museum collection I am forming into a book. Whilst I can hazard a guess with some I am not entirely confident that a guess is good enough to go into print. Any help with identifying schools or styles would be appreciated. [let me know if you would like to be included in the credits, otherwise I will list as "Assistance from members of the "Nihonto Message Board"]

Piers that link has some seriously weird characters! I have found another guard in the Metropolitan collection. "The obverse of this tsuba shows the relief of a Hyottoko mask and a broken fan and the reverse a closed fan. Hyotokko is a clown-like Japanese stock character which is potrayed through the use of a mask. He is depicted on this tsuba in the traditional way, i.e. with asymmetrical eyes and wearing a scarf around his head." Not sure if I agree the object on the ura is a closed fan, once again it looks more like a truncheon? I am inclined to think with the similar layout that the ugly man probably is Hyottoko - The Cleveland Museum from where the original post image came from, has no idea about the theme either. I think I might include Hyottoko in the new book with a big ?

Can anyone hazard a guess as to who or what this strange man could be? And what the object on the ura might be as well? Thanks in advance.

I am going to cry - everyone has a better example than me! Seriously nice gear guys! Curran those eyes are scary, I hope I don't see you on 'Paranormal Caught on Camera'! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9863048/

Peter you have given me a heart attack - I compiled a two volume book on the public domain tsuba in the Metropolitan Museum in 2019, now I see the museum is adding little pieces of information that were not available then [in this case the provenance] so looks like I have to go through about 800 items and update - oh joy! I do agree with you that four alloy surfaces is very rare, there are quite a few with different colour plates each side, the Met has several, but not four on the one guard.

That auction says "rare item" - not rare enough, someone paid very much over the value of that cast fake. Check the nakago-ana with the ones in my picture - identical. My pictures are at least five years ago, and I have seen plenty more since. Yas I would say the tattoo is even worse than the fakes.

Sorry I hope that post is fixed now. No I must admit there are no really good frog patterns - they make a lot of fakes though!

Yas you are the king of spotting fakes. I have to confess I do have a terracotta plant pot I am fond of. I have to show this - taking a hobby far too seriously - and why choose this design? [the tsuba is genuine I think, not one of the countless cast fakes] The tattoo, really bad fake! Are they 'Man Boobs' on the tattoo frog? And a belly button? - very anatomically WRONG!

I will just throw my one and only Okina mask tanto tsuba in, it is not that different to Tom's example except the mask and fan are on the one side with a flute on the ura - mine is not signed so impossible to attribute. I think we are all learning a great deal from this thread, great insight from George. Baz, by trying to find something about your pieces we have all gained, thanks very much.

I am trying to find the origin of what I take to be zodiac or calendar characters on a namban guard. They are arranged around the rim and don't look like Japanese or Chinese figures. Thanks for any help.

I have had a look around and whereas there are plenty of tsuba with noh masks, other fittings are in short supply - makes it difficult to gauge age when there is so little to judge by. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/8005-jp-samurai-sword-noh-mask-takasago-menuki https://www.catawiki.com/l/43615829-Japanese-sign-higonokami-fujiwarateruhiro-saku-kogatana-hand-fan-hanya-mask-motif-iron-copper-Japan-edo-period-1600-1868 https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Kozuka-Japan-Samurai-Hannya-mask-inlay-shakudo-sword-fitting-katana-tsuba-w-box-/183876758513 none of these are very close to your piece but you might get some clues?

Not me! Otafuka お多福 (woman's 'moon' face) based as you say on a Nōh mask. [Maybe her sister was the looker?]

I am very thankful for the translations that have been done. I am looking into 421 and 448 in a list of kao I have [there are so many that are very similar it may come down to a guess] I was never convinced 277 was genuine - may be a cast fake. In any case I have incorporated some ruled pages at the back of the book for devotees to insert their own opinions.

Thank you both very much, It is great to add some lost information that will help future generations [I hope] Probably a few weeks away from finishing the book (so far about 330 pages) if only I had some influence on production costs, or a big firm was interested in doing a big print run to bring costs down. Print on demand has its advantages but cost is not one of them.

How about this little picture I made up of "Rolling Rain Dragons" -

Yes sorry I panicked! I did find other guards like the one in the museum - he seems to have liked to try his hand at several types. [I suppose like everyone you could get bored doing the same, same.] Thanks again.