Spartancrest

I can't help posting these two images, both from upcoming auctions. The first is some very amateur re-working - that has ruined a perfectly good guard. The second is a piece of metal that was never, and could never, be confused with a tsuba. It may be Japanese, an airspeed dial taken from a plane? a fuel gauge from a truck? Who knows? it was never on a sword.

It is a good piece - good art is supposed to make you think.🤔 [ has anyone got the phone number of the artist? - No? - He will know.😉]

Hi Roger I dug up some images of the Phoenix tanto - from what I could find they are all described as being Shakudo. The pictures are not very high resolution and frankly some were out of focus when they were first displayed [so not my fault ]. While they are very close in design they look hand finished and the quality varies. Sorry I couldn't find better images. In my opinion your example is much better than those I have seen.

You may be correct about the interpretation - you need some good imagination though. I found this one on https://www.nihonto.com/3-2-20/ there are some common elements when you look side by side. Perhaps other people can find something closer. The 'head' of the dragon represented by the circle in the circle reminds me of the rain dragon heads. It could at a stretch be water drops splashing in a pond causing ripples?

Piers I think the panels [ategane/ume?] are yamagane or shibuichi, they are a bit dirty and probably need a clean but I don't want to spoil the 'rustic' effect. The seppa was just laying about so I stuck it up so it wouldn't get lost 🙃 . What do other people do with their seppa? Stick them away in a box? - are seppa part of tosogu or not?😄 I have a B&W pic of the guard without the seppa - you will notice it was a bargain price - I think everyone was asleep when it went to auction. - It has a Miochin look to it but, also that early Katchushi - looks like the smith didn't get rid of all the slag and liked the 'natural' effect. I like it for its shape - and Captain America said he would buy it, if he ever lost his shield😉.

Piers that leaf sukashi is very, very nice🤩. The second hole is very small, you are probably right about it being a design rather than udenuki-ana. I have a huge 'Temple offering' guard? The two holes are big enough to thread rope and both are the same size, so I would think they too, are a design and not for practical use - unless the guy using it was eight foot tall! [Would love to have seen the whole sword]

I was once told that many sukashi tsuba would not have needed any Udenuki-ana, but at least one design supplied by Christianmalterre above throws some doubt on that theory. I have a few examples that if not strickly designed as Udenuki-ana could certainly serve the same purpose. The Tanto guard with the single hole is probably a 'Water droplet' design in keeping with the round indents on the surface of the leaf. The sukashi 'snow banks?' on the lower side of Fuji on the second guard are positioned well for Udenuki-ana as are the inome and 'monkey tumbler?' on the Kaneiye. The Iron nanako has the more conventional twin holes, the lighting does not show well the two colours of the linings. Has anyone fitted a strap to their mounted guards? I have, and the only way that makes sense is to have the Udenuki-ana on the Mune side of the guard away from the blade edge. Try it, don't assume it.

Roger What fascinates me is the price I have seen the 'uncut' ones being sold for - they were meant to be cheap souvernirs but have gone ballistic because the sellers often believe they are real. $800 US. plus, price tags I have on record. I have one myself but I paid the true value of 25 yen about 30 cents. I saw one very recently that had been broken into four pieces and glued together [very badly] still being offered for sale being described as "rare". They were originally sold in a cardboard box, but that evidence would be a dead give away of what they were, so out of hundreds now that I have seen only one was ever with its original box. Yas The same one is also for sale through Jauce. https://www.jauce.com/auction/f458746654 One of the iron castings also on Jauce. https://www.jauce.com/auction/c853489148 [Already up too high in price in the auction]

In a previous post I had some help tracking down the manufacturers of some unusual tsuba, that were mass produced castings. Steve M. was kind enough to translate a boxed example I managed to find, as made by Nambu Tekki (南部鉄器) a cast iron consortium in Japan aimed at the tourist trade. I found this pictured example on-line and you can see from the inserted 'tsuba' how it may have got to its present shape. The only odd feature is that the 'cut down' guard is in 'bronze' whereas all the other examples I have seen are the cast iron ones. Has anyone seen other soft metal examples?

You beat me to it Brian, I was going to say the same thing. But why not? If you had a larger guard laying about why not modify to fit. [Wonder what the small hole was for?] The first Ho-ho one is a rather too common 'Mino' ? type, I have seen perhaps twenty just like it. Even Mauro's Rabbit in the waves is a very common design, and why not, it is a great design and much coveted.

There is a guard in the V&A with Sennin riding the Carp.

Sorry Adam fixed now. It was impossible for me to see the problem. Since found another - not perfect match but very close. The Guard is from the D.Z. Norton collection, in this case the oni is hidden up a tree rather than running away from the reflection in the stream. My theory is it may be a daisho pair to the original design?

Adam I found another guard represented in that design book. Found in the Detroit Museum of Art. ID. number 70.705 The real guard has a seppa-dai but all the other design elements are there, I could not find the ura side of the real guard. - So we know the designs were in fact made, others may turn up. [sorry I am getting off the main subject of the post but all these cross links are fascinating.]

There is an image in "Japan AND ITS ART by MARCUS B. HUISH (October 1912)." I have it in my "Early Articles for Tsuba Study 1880 -1923" book page 238 . You will notice the over large Pectoral fins on this example. The smaller image has already been shown in George's post.

Yes Adam a great reference. I have found one image from the same volume that matches the design of a guard found in the National Gallery of Victoria [Australia] The guard though is unsigned. I am seriously thinking of doing a copy of the volume for my own reference, it is all in the public domain so there would be no copyright problems. I do wonder if the designs are for "new" pieces or is the book a collection of "past" pieces? Some pictures look like rubbings of existing work.

Robert. It is a balance toy, the balls at the extremities are weighted so the centre of gravity is below the pivot point. I would guess it could still spin on the point if there were no obstructions. They are not unique to Japan of course. The tsuba design would not have worked if the weights were extended fully.

I found two hand drawn images of Ruyi menuki in the Metropolitan Museums collection from "Album of Designs for Metal Carving (Chōsen Gafu)" by Ranzan Tsuneyuki [mid 19th century]

Mothers club meeting - my baby is not ugly but yours is! [sorry for the sexist bit] Please just get over it, opinions should always be welcome - you don't need to agree however. [getting shot down in flames makes me take a closer look the next time I comment, which is not a bad thing.]

Apologies, it is the lighting - has the box been used for another set of menuki? I have seen many menuki pairs that are not the same size. Even those depicting the same object.

I have to make a coment on the voracity of museum descriptions and how we should not blindly follow their interpretations. The McLean Museum and Art Gallery - Interclyde council [Scotland], has a rather unusual tsuba in its collection. "The tsuba is in the form of a rack holding a Japanese robe and hat, in gilded relief. There is gilding on both faces. Inscription one face. Signed: Shigeyoshi Umetada." [1981.134] The Powerhouse/Museum of Applied Arts [Australia] has this as the ura side of a guard. The description has this "The reverse of the tsuba has a relief of a shirt on a hanging implement." [A5308-101] The final image will give you a clue as to what both guards are in fact representing. A childs balance toy. What is more damning of the description by the Powerhouse museum, is the fact that two toys are represented on the omote side.

Yas, you have the English translation off again, Google translate [not that it is accurate] Hiroyoshi Tsu (1721-1762) A sword metalworker in the middle of the Edo period. Born in Kyoho (kiyou-ho) 6 years. Awa Tokushima (Awa Tokushima) Clan's master of Nomura Masamichi (Nomura Masamichi). He is said to be the best craftsman in the Nomura school. He decorated with flowers and birds, rims of botanical drawings, petite, scales, etc. Horeki (hou-reki) died in June 2012. 42 years old. Born in Edo. Known as Hachizaemon. Research book: Shigeru Kajimura, "Tsuhirogo", 1966, self-published

I notice there is a shadow in the fabric under the gold flower that doesn't match the present menuki and the colour of the gold looks different to that on the Ruyi so my guess is they are a mismatch pair. Steve I think the description by aoijapan is accurate but 'brush' is certainly not right and a hossu is more of a whisk. The translation I see as Nyo /Nyoi should read as Ruyi [ Probably a Google Translate mistake] Brian I am amazed how good the work on that guard is, from the hairs in his beard to the wrinkles on his face. It is a pity the " Lady/goddess? " face is a little rubbed or oxidized on the ura. Does anyone think the design is reminiscent of an Egyptian Pharaoh?

Thank you very much for that information Steve. One mystery solved. They do make some excellent castings, in fact at times too good!

I have been studing these cast reproductions for some time and untill now had no clue as to who made them. This one comes with the original [I hope!] box, any help in what the box says would be appreciated.

Yes a Ruyi, a septre used by Chinese scholars, I have seen a few on Japanese action sites, they appear on tsuba rarely as well. The tsuba pictured is found in the Metropolitan Museum number 29.100.989