Spartancrest

More than a century of debate has moved us no closer to the answer. Taken from "Japan and it's Art" by Marcus B. Huish 1889 "The decoration of the sword furniture showed symptoms of decline early in the present century [19th]. Working in hard wrought iron was first of all shirked, and similar effects were endeavoured to be produced by castings; then the decoration ran riot and transgressed all limits, so that many of the pieces made between 1840-1870 could never have been used for the purposes for which they were professedly intended; such products are remarkable in a way, as showing the lengths to which elaboration may be carried, but they can never stand for a day beside the dignified workmanship of an earlier date. Imitations of sword guards are now being imported into the market. These are cast from old specimens, and can usually be detected by holding them at the point of one's finger and hitting them sharply with another piece of metal, when they will emit a dull sound only, whereas a fine old guard will ring like the best bell-metal. It is well to test all guards in this way, but it must be recollected that guards with much piercing will not ring, and that many of those made since the beginning of this century are of such malleable iron as not to stand the test. It is a question which has not yet been solved whether some of the old guards may not be castings, even some of those which are chased. The difference between wrought and cast iron is that the latter contains from 1 1/2 to 4 percent, of carbon, the former hardly any; but it is possible to anneal or toughen cast iron by a process known as 'Cementation' [Ed. In metallurgy: a process of altering a metal by heating it in contact with a powdered solid], that is, by a surface removal of carbon. Many of the guards are covered with oxide of iron, to which they owe much of their beauty." This does push the casting dates back before 1840 so Edo or not? What I did find strange is the 'ringing test' which is refuted almost immediately by himself so why even propagate it? It is still cited by many as a true test of whether a guard is cast or not - yet it does not work in practice and is very subjective.

Soren please don't use my own books against me - You could have used the front cover, that book needs all the publicity it can get!

Hi Roger - just speculation but it looks recently 'cleaned'. Too aggressively at that- looks like half was done with steel wool? Lucky they didn't get into the nunome.

Coincidence, one with horses is listed for auction. No silver though. https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1037860408

Thanks Glen - actually it is on my "External Drive" - less likely to be hacked!

Tsuba in the Rijksmuseum [Amsterdam] 260 pages in both Dutch and English. https://www.wob.com/en-us/books/d-r-raisbeck/tsuba-in-the-rijksmuseum/9781034997436 This book has just been listed on a few sites, it is a basic catalogue of the Rijksmuseum collection of tsuba. [please note there are two little faults in this book version, a switched image and one typo - the museums problem] PM me if you want a corrected version I can get them at a cheaper than listed price. https://www.discoverbooks.com/Tsuba-in-the-Rijksmuseum-D-R-Raisbeck-Paperback-p/1034997432.htm?cond=0005 https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9781034997443 If you buy the listed book please shop around as the prices vary wildly - don't pay more than you can get them for! A photo-book version and a superior print quality book are listed but the economy version is probably the best bet. [The title 1two1 refers to the original collection number of tsuba (121), extras have been added over time.] Wob. also has Stephen Kings two books listed. https://www.wob.com/en-us/books/s-j-king/tsuba/9781034601487 https://www.wob.com/en-us/books/s-j-king/collecting-tsuba/9781006317682 [I hope he doesn't mind me including them here.]

Yves, I have seen a similar guard to yours with the subject being horses [sorry I can't find it just yet] very much like the outlines mixed with solid representation and in the silver and gold. [this is not what I am looking for but similar] Mice or rats are a popular theme.

"what is the front or backside on this tsuba? " Yves, very good question! At a guess it may not have mattered for this namban. But once it was mounted, which side might we expect to see a little more wear? On the tsuka side from hand contact when in use [seldom] or the saya side from left hand gripping the sword to keep it in place? Very good question indeed. [and I think your namban is "that good" but I am not changing my initials! ]

It might be a gardening book or one on drapery?

Sure Glen, but you will have to change your first name to Peter, Phillip or Phineas - unless you are holding out for Paisley? Then you will get a lot of mail misdirected from the Peoples republic of China [who might sue you for copyright infringement even though they don't believe in copyright from other countries themselves.]

Bloody branding

Dan some clearer images for you. If people have a sharp eye they may pick up the date. [Jun 21th - shouldn't that be Jun 21st? (picky, picky) ]

Hi Bruno, there seems to be the sound of crickets in the distance - no responses? Having just done a little book on the tsuba collection in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, I have noted a very close example to your piece. AK-MAK-1110. Like yours it has the dragon coming up from the bottom of the guard [most have the dragon looking down] and the swirling clouds are also very close. The major difference is the free form hitsu-ana. Unfortunately the museum does not give a school attribution. I also seem to remember Vajo [Chris Sch.] was looking into a similar dragon design a little while back which I will try to locate. Just found the link but it may not be of much help as the design is different:

I should just up-date that fee structure - make it 1,910 times the cost of the item! And that is before it gets shipped to me - [lucky the maths is easy on a 1 yen win!] It does take the gloss off a 'win' though! [as I have said before, how much would it cost if I had lost? ]

I couldn't resist - https://www.jauce.com/auction/e1036065521 Big investment in a little bell - 1 yen! [Fees were 400 times the price!] Do you think I can get a nakago-ana cut into that beetle?

Chris - - It is still a bloody big snail on that leaf. Might have got off a boat from Africa? This one looks cuddly - NOT.

It might be seen as sexist, but no one has commented on how nice the Guandoa lady looks!

Glen the first image from the D.Z. Norton collection. The Shachi cast copies have been around for awhile - found one mentioned from 1893 and another from [Tomkinson collection] 1908 get your own copy here! https://www.ebay.com/itm/203827909498 A little too pricey for my money. I should point out the Tomkinson image appears earlier in his collection in 1898 and resurfaced in the later article. [1908]

Chris can you send the Walters an email - museums are sick of hearing from me! Most won't even reply - some museums can't be wrong. Actually either that is a huge snail or a very small plant! Seriously you should try contacting them.

Ian they don't look happy. [neither would I, if I was twisted like that!] I think the Romans liked the design [they probably stole it from the Greeks] A guard going for auction now - https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1036158097

Has anyone noticed that there are designs of banana leaves found on tsuba [and no doubt other tosogu] but as far as I can find not the fruit? [the fruit is inedible] The Japanese banana plant [Muso Basjoo] [originally from subtropical China] was used for fibre production (bashōfu (芭蕉布, "banana cloth)) and made into products like hand-knotted carpets, tablecloths, kimono and paper. Exactly why it appears on tosogu though eludes me?

That is great information, Piers. It must get confusing when a symbol can mean many things- a bit like English in some respects where you need the context of the sentence, for words like '"seal" Noun. One of many types of fur-coated sea mammal. From Old English seol. Verb. To close something so that it cannot easily be opened. Related to the next meaning: Noun. A design pressed or stamped into a piece of wax to close or authenticate a document. From 13th century Old French seel.' [Getting very close to being I know]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shachihoko Piers I don't know how the design could be confused with an Orca, the killer whale is a mammal and does not have scales. Not that these facts got in the way of early European explorers. I'll go with your second definition of a mythical creature. This 'Sea Pig' or 'Sea Swine' lived in the North Sea on Olaus Magnus’s 1539 'Carta Marina'. There are some striking similarities to the Shachi [or is it Shiachi?] I know of only one vertebrate that has more than two eyes [the Tuatara of N.Z.] I can't imagine what the three eyes on the animals flanks [both sides?] would be used for, or are they something 'different'?. Watch out this version can come out of the water!

I have collected several images of Shiachi 'dragon-fish' guards - there would appear to be two types of this design. 1. with pearl above the mouth. 2. pearl in the mouth. From what I have seen those with the pearl above the mouth are likely cast copies or modern fakes. There may be exceptions. Shiachi should not be confused with Shiachihoko, Shiachihoko have the head of a tiger not a dragon or dragon-fish.

No Jean I think a tsuba on a naginata served the same purpose as on a sword - stopping the hand from running up the blade. There is still little to no evidence tsuba were intended to stop an opponents blade. Someone please show me the thousands of guards with cut marks please. Half a dozen examples would merely suggest incidental damage. The tsuba was not a parrying guard as on European weapons, the Japanese sword was not used tête-à-tête even though it is shown in 'spaghetti" samurai movies that way. It comes back to practicality, if a guard was to stop an opponents blade why use leather, copper, shakudo, ivory or maki-e? On a side note can anyone tell me the cost difference between producing a plain iron guard compared to copper, yamagane, shibuichi etc? Same use as on a Guandoa.