Spartancrest

Yes Curran, Gonse mentions the gold inlay - wish I could find a clear picture. Like everyone else, Gonse got some things wrong, Dragonflies don't fly at night [ Just the same as the opening scene in 'Men in Black' -WRONG ] For those unfamiliar with Gonse he was an early (Western) authority on Japanese art including Swords but mainly Tosogu - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Gonse he wrote extensively [unfortunately for me at least - in French!] [The Countess Annie De Montaigu, took all her illustrations and information from Gonse] Sorry for drifting off topic

I don't have much in the way of information on the 'UME' other than a few roughly 130 year old images. Regardless of their age the two extracts from the accompanying texts speak with great regard to Umetada's works. Japanese ART by Louis Gonse translated from French by M. P. Nickerson. (1891) SWORD MOUNTINGS. The seventeenth century marks the apogee of iron work, as it marks also that of many other branches of art. The name of Umetada throws upon this period all the splendor of his genial talent. One must not confound this Umetada, who was from the province of Owari, with Umetada Miojiu, of Tamashiro, a maker of sword blades. Umetada the chaser signed his work with the plum flower (ume) and the character "tada." Of all metal work in Japan, his is most sought for. He was born in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and worked during the "nengo" of Kuanyei (1624-1643). Two most perfect examples of his style, celebrated throughout Japan, having the signature of this great artist, are now found in a Parisian collection. On one of these pieces dragon-flies, with the fierce look of creatures of the night, are engraved in low relief; they decorate the two sides, and extend upon the outside border, which is ornamented with a beautiful fret design. The plum-tree flower is inlaid with gold above the signature. On the other piece Umetada has expressed, with wonderful art, a sketch in the style of Yeyas. It represents a horse at liberty on the prairie, his mane flowing in the wind. The illusion of the painting is rendered by open work upon metal of varying thickness. Two qualities are found united in Umetada: finished skill in execution and originality of style. His works are so original that they are easily recognized among all others. His taste was for work of a quiet and manly character. He excelled in the chasing of iron without incrustations. He employed metal of extraordinary hardness. When one strikes one of Umetada's sword guards, holding it at the end of the finger, it sounds like a crystal bell. I will here remark that fine iron sword guards are distinguished by the purity of their sound. The more ancient a guard is, the more clear and high is its sound. This quality of sound results from the perfect state of homogeneity and density of the metal, resulting from continued hammering before the work of chasing began. THE SWORD OF Japan AND IT'S ORNAMENTS by THE COUNTESS ANNIE DE MONTAIGU Illustrations from notable examples of ancient sword-guards. Source: The Monthly Illustrator, Vol. 4, No. 13 (May, 1895). Outemada [Modern-Umetada] was also an able exponent of the school of metal-workers, and devoted his talents to the manufacture of tsuba; he was of a sombre turn of thought, and his works are characterized by their strange and grotesque forms, but are always notable in execution. Two pieces by this grandest artist of a past type celebrated in Japan, were found some time ago in a Parisian collection. One of these is ornamented with dragon-flies, in their wild, nocturnal aspect, hollowed out of the metal and curved over the border of the guard. In the other he represents, with remarkable art, a brush-like sketch; it is of a horse at liberty in the field, with his mane flying in the wind. All of his work is highly original, and as he employed the hardest metals they possess an almost everlasting durability.

Well I did tell Stephen awhile ago he could do with a bit of a wow factor for his book cover - how about this! [Small children don't make up a big market in tsuba collecting do they?]

Thanks David, I was just wondering if I quoted a certificate number as a reference to a particular type or design of guard, if that could be used as an example people could look up, but if there is no general access to images on the certificates then the certificate number would not be of much help. I will have to find other examples from museums where stored images can be found by the general public. - it was a good idea that didn't work out.

This is like watching a tennis game -

I was just wondering if anyone knows if there is register of NBTHK certificate numbers? Also are duplicate certificates kept as references by NBTHK? It would be a great resource for study if available.

I can't decide which group either of these guards would fit? I know Onin were known for large inlays of precast bronze/brass elements, but to my eyes these are borderline. Onin were thinner plate? But I don't have access to the thickness of either guard. Any good guesses? Thanks.

What is going on with ebay? This guard is listed three times and with three different prices - and it is not the only example. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/324643235985 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/324444689023 https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/133721764429

Great job - I love to re-use things that can be useful in new ways - we humans are often so wasteful of wonderful objects that just need a little thought to have a second life. Thinking inside the box [rather than outside for a change] top marks Grev.

I think this one needs a little sanding to get rid of the gloss finish! https://www.jauce.com/auction/x785779529 that poor Ox must have slid off the seppa-dai, he needs to be put down, I hate to see animals suffer.

Thank you Chris, I wish it was one of mine, I am doing a book on the Cleveland Museum of Art and using it to show how some of the designs were developed and more or less it is for beginners in the field. There is some detailed information but it doesn't target the experts [who really shouldn't need it after all !] I am sure when it is finished there will be criticism that I didn't mention this or that about the examples, what amuses me is that when someone does that - they don't need that information to start with do they? They already know it! I don't want to bombard people with page after page of detailed descriptions most of which can be directly seen in the images - nor do I personally like a heap of Japanese terms that must be explained into English anyway, why make a subject more difficult to start with? If it was going to be a technical book, that only 'experts' would appreciate I can't see much point to it. I will get off my soap box now. I do wish to thank you and the other members for all their help - now and in the past.

Great Piers - you don't happen to know of a woodblock print I can use for a visual comparison in my book? I am adding where possible images that coincide with the tsuba themes, just a bit extra detail other books don't include. I have this one, I will use if I can't find a better likeness. Hold on a moment What about this Bitter Orange? it has the standing buds as well - I am beginning to think it is a total guessing game, I could do with my late father's expertise on horticulture - unfortunately it's not something he passed on to me [ just a dicky heart a bad back and baldness] Thank you all for the help.

Thank you Chris - Dog wood, they are showy and produce an edible fruit [cornus kousa chinensis] the Asian variety - For our American friends do not eat the Florida plant it is poisonous! The fruit look like either Lychee or Irish Strawberry tree fruit (Arbutus Unedo). https://www.tyrantfarms.com/introducing-kousa-dogwood-cornus-kousa-the-edible-dogwood/

Thank you both, I had a look at Kiri /Paulownia the leaves in the photo are similar, I found a woodblock print of a Paulownia tree but the guard would need to use a very stylized design of the flowers [which is possible] You can tell the print was very small and blurry when enlarged.

Has anyone got any idea what plant this tsuba represents? Not Chrysanthemum or Peony. It is by 'Masataka' of Hagi. Thank you for any ideas.

It would not be so bad if they were marketed as 'replicas' [and priced that way] and these are not utsushi which would be a compliment to the original, these are deliberate fakes meant to deceive. It is a very interesting hobby isn't it !

Hi Yas I have just been doing some research on a book I am about to publish on the Cleveland Museum of Art tsuba collection, and I came across this auction from 2012 https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20190/lot/10/?category=list&length=12&page=1 There is a guard that is almost identical to the Bonhams auction one in the Cleveland Museum [number 1919.422] The only real difference is the Bonhams is a total fake! Zoom in on the hitsu-ana and it is a dead set giveaway. I feel sorry for the person who paid so much, I have a theory that many of these fakes are copied directly from museum collections on-line, in some cases the museums only show the omote side and the forgeries have to resort to a made up design on the ura.

It could have started out as an ordinary tsuba with a flush rather than raised seppa-dai from my experiment with the image - still doesn't explain why it was done? The same auction house has https://www.drouotonline.com/l/15270086-japon-tsuba-bronze---boucle-en The 'bronze' tsuba is a steel bottle opener from the 1960s

You will notice the clock example completely covers the seppa-dai area of the guard - however in this case the hole is round and not oval.

Uwe here are some images taken from "A Grammar of Japanese Ornament" by Thomas W. Cutler [LONDON: B. T. BATSFORD 1880] The birds are not exactly the same but a similar theme.

Has anyone got a copy of TSUBA MEI SAKU SHU by NBTHK: Honma Kunzan & Sato Kanzan? I have a copy of the 1963 edition and have noticed two pages 246 & 248 are blank and thus missing descriptions. Is this a print run error for all that edition? If someone has an edition where they have descriptions could they show a copy of the pages so I could insert into my edition. Many thanks

I agree with Grev it looks much improved, the scratches on the ategane on the ura are a pity but you would need to polish them out to stop the refracted light but I think that is drastic and should only be done by a professional [leave the wrinkles they show its had a life] Barry is right about his tsuba fussing - cotton jeans with cotton pockets and a lot of rubbing but as he says not with inlays. [you might end up with strange indents in your butt when you sit down as well ]

Also running on Jauce - with their usual selection of fees! https://www.jauce.com/auction/d519528671 Yum that popcorn looks good!

Ron. What I notice about this guard, is trace evidence of once having a fukurin from the corrosion line following the rim outline. Monkey tumbler motif at the top? Nice unusual guard. The repair sekigane/ategane means it was treasured by it's original owners. Sorry I can't hazard a guess at the school.

Updating the auction of the not - 'Kanshiro' - it sold with 66 bids for ¥ 501,000 or roughly $4,500 US, with fees probably closer to $5,000 US. Which only makes me smile when I think how much I paid for mine - utsushi or not.