Spartancrest

Hi I have a Tanto sized double clam. A bit worn but well modeled. Dale

Dale This is a very late post, but here are some of my Kawari-gata (irregular shaped) tsuba.

Thanks Jean That's a very nice and as you say unusual piece. I guess my original question "has anyone seen one like it" has been answered - 'Not really'. Yours has some age to it and the width of the fukurin is similar to mine - about the only similarity- I can't help thinking mine and some other 'tsuba -like objects' were made for another reason, gifts on boys day, birthday or some sort of festival offering- just speculation. Perhaps as some have said a hobby piece- I wish it came with a manual! It is going back in its box and filed as - purpose unknown. (or is its purpose to confound?) Dale

Brian & Bruno I have no doubt it is not something that could really be used and have never said it was old, a hobby piece - very likely. (And yes I have Sesko's books too) Despite the doubters it is enameled and though it does not show in the photos the white (stars, blobs, bird excreta) what ever you want to call them are melted into the darker enamel - believe me no amount of paint stripper will wash this stuff off! I also realize that if this was ever to be mounted the nakago would undoubtedly chip and crack the enamel off. I think who ever made this 'thing' they went to a lot of work, in my opinion 'they' saw the fukurin as a major design feature rather than a decorative frame. I have posted two images one of a 'normal odawara' and one of a wide 'plain fukurin' PS.Ford-sarcasm - really. Dale

Ford I will do my best to get images of the layers but my old style scanner is not up to the task. Anyone out there with an x-ray machine? or should I just use a hacksaw to 'prove' a point? There are a large number of tsuba that have images impinging on the seppa-dai so I don't see that as a problem. Dale

Yes Ford This is correct but by boiling in distilled or at least potable water and using one more ingredient that I will keep secret it is possible to avoid rusting altogether .The willow tree piece was cleaned over five years ago and is still in good condition, certainly better than when I got it. The acetic acid is the key and can be found in table vinegar which I also use when the corrosion is not so bad. I never treat tsuba that have inlays or overlays nor kinko tsuba in this way. and don't recommend anyone experimenting on tsuba that still retain patina. Dale

Ford & Grey This time I can't agree with the analysis. Though the pictures can't quiet show, when you look at the cross section thru the nakago-ana it is very clear that three pieces of metal - core of iron and copper sheets either side- make up this guard and the rim is not cast and is soldered together - poorly I admit, but where it should be. If its fake who ever made it went to extraordinary measures to make it. In hand it is also clear to see the edges of the fukurin where it meets the enamel, that makes four layers of metals- - would you bother to go to that much trouble to make a fake? The enamel is almost black but the scanned images show some lighter translucent sections - difficult to impossible to fake with "paint". The "bird sh1t" (and I agree it does look like) could just as easy be interpreted as snow flakes. The aerial view of the photos are not ideal and are never as good as seeing in hand. The guard was from a Japanese auction - - I know this proves nothing - - but the dealer has been honest in the past and does not deal in Chinese fakes. Dale

Thanks Ford This piece was simply cleaned by boiling in a Japanese plum vinegar, a recipe I came across in Japan- trouble is the duration of the immersion varies for each tsuba because the iron always is slightly different. Have had better luck with other pieces and some have required more pickling, but generally within a few months most have begun to colour very well. I enjoy rescuing some of the more neglected tsuba that most people dismiss. These pictures are before/after of another neglected guard, the circled area is a fukure'' I believe, the auction photo was so bad it was invisible with all the rust and dirt. Dale

Dale Sorry I did include some pictures - don't know where they went - will try again!

I just had to bid on a Tsuba that was up for auction with a starting bid of 1 Yen -- What did I have to loose? Well I won - cost 1 Yen. Well that was what you would think. Add 400 yen just for winning, 1,188 yen local delivery fee, 300 yen bank charges, 410 yen for packaging charges and finally 2,000 for international delivery, oh and a percentage charge just for depositing the money. That works out that a 1 yen win cost me about $50 Australian. The guard when I received it was actually worse than its picture suggested, the open cut mimi was bent and deeply covered in rust. I managed to straighten the mimi with no cracking which I would have expected if it were cast.The inside edge is rather sharp, the detailing of the leaves is however a little soft, at the same time the bottom of the seppa-dai is cut sharp so I am confused why the leaves are smooth. I have begun to clean the guard up but it is still early days yet but I expect I can get it back to a much darker patina, after all what have I got to loose!

I have had this small guard for a few years now and like it for both its simplicity and complexity of construction. I am wondering if anyone has seen one like it? By looking closely at the nakago-ana it is possible to see the iron core, the thin copper plates and the fused enamel. The Odawara fukurin: is proportionally large (my dear wife thinks it looks like an old ladies brooch) and the enameling is basic but I still like it. One other point is the colour of the fukurin is darker on one side, is this common? This tsuba was part of a double auction so I figured it cost half the premium, all of $7.50

Geraint I have bought these last two on-line and I have yet to see them 'live'. The site I bought them from is very difficult to get detail information and google translate is not always up to the task. Shoki under his hat is very nice, would probably be out of my price range. Seen many copies same pattern, most though were poor castings around the $20 mark so gave them a wide swerve. I am a poor pensioner so my pieces are modest to say the least, but I do like the more unusual. Dale

Geraint I assume you mean the antler tsuba? Yes have noticed the nakago ana it not cut very central to the seppa dai . Have yet to get home and examine it up close, but thought perhaps the seppa dai may have been off centre and the nakago ana cut to centre the blade after the piece was finished? Yes I may be hopeful, but not the way my luck has been running Dale

I am away travelling and purchased it on-line so have yet to have a close look. I do hope it is over-cleaned rather than cast --- I have more paperweights than I can use already! Steve M, I have a tsuba that reminds me of your login profile logo. What do you think?( It may have been over-cleaned as well, not by me) Thanks one and all. Dale

I just purchased a novel Tsuba and would like some help with the signature, and possible school, any help would be appreciated. Dale

This post is very late, but from what I see only half of the offered lot are "real" and they are the plain ones. The Daruma is more a paper weight, the Torri shrine/ umbrella is a casting, the large Sukashi is very badly damaged. Not a good collection at all.

Louis A The worm eaten wood MIMI and the tortoise shell pattern on the HIRA are common Nobuie themes and he is also known for his irregular shaped Tsuba. I think you may have a good piece. Would like to have it my hands to feel - - - not sure you would get it back though! Dale from Tassie

These are very common castings, the one you are looking at in fact more worn out than most, some had touches of gold overlay, and fine details - - depends how much izarae (Lit. to clear a cast piece) was done after casting. These attachment pictures are other examples, in fact the large detailed example is one I got cheap nearly 30 years ago, I would not buy it now! Dale from Tassie

Shamsy This is Edo period as John says. It is a little worse for wear, it would have been very nice originally, the gold has saved the features of the Dragon fairly well. I would not pay more than $80 for it, you can get better on eBay for that much if you are patient. Not that you will find the very best on eBay. Jauce.com sometimes have bargain buys, though you will be stung by rather heavy fees and bank charges. Picture is one with Dragons I bought for around $65 total, some wear and the gold nunome has totally worn off. Dale from Tassie

Mauro and Jean As for comparing TSUBA and trying to determine their lineage, I am always grateful to that great early collector Bashford Dean- his quote "Let him but try to classify these tsuba before him, and he will find how complicated is his task. Most of us would not attempt it, but he who is thoughtful will long be haunted by the problem which he cannot solve: try as he may to distinguish clearly the groups of sword guards, he will ever find that his criteria "interlock" inextricably. Thus he may try in vain to classify his guards according to their material, whether finished or roughened, whether perforated or plain, whether smooth, encrusted, or inlaid; or according to subjects; or, if he follows his task more thoroughly, even according to the "schools" of the artists who created them." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. Vol. 16, No. 7 Author: Bashford Dean 1921 This allows me to sleep at night when I can't assign a particular piece !

Ford The Shinto is not my ideal either, just showing variety of designs. I have seen many Tsuba with depictions of the Torii gate, so I guess the maker in this case thought it was ok, but you are probably right, Westeners would not like Christian style Tsuba, displayed nailed to a wooden cross . Dale

Hi Darius The dilemma of display as opposed to storage is interesting. I have some display boards that hold just so many Tsuba, this allows me to rotate every so often with others that are in storage. I find I get the best of both words this way. I was very impressed with the Torii display case I found online awhile back, the other is one I made myself. I used brass pins so as not to scratch the tsuba. Maybe you can get some ideas from these pictures sorry they are not hi-res. Dale

Thanks for all that information, I did think the antler one was very modern. Would it have been given as some sort of present perhaps? I have seen another one recently on a site in America and corresponded with its owner who gave me permission to use the image, it looks like a stripped down version that was less well cared for. What do you think ? The not Sanmai (some references give different spellings, but I stand corrected) was not actually cast, it is difficult to see in the pictures but it is constructed with thin twists of metal that are folded over almost like crumpled paper with a lot of solder, the iron section does not quiet line up with the hitsu so that would certainly fit with the keyhole idea. Thanks also Ford for the information on the maybe Saotome it was fairly cheap and I had no great expectations for it. Actually it is still in Japan so I have no idea what it will eventually turn out to be, for all I know at present it may turn out to be a cast iron trivet, I only posted it in reference to the size of Saotome type Tsuba as that is what it purported to be when I bought it. The other picture is a new one I bought recently, the subject matter is pretty ordinary but I do like the nibbled biscuit look of the shape! Thanks again. Dale.

To Jean C. The picture icon on my post is one of mine, it is made of Deer antler cross-section, the spongy core is reinforced with silver and the mei is carved in gold (kakihan ?) I have not got a translation for it. Would the rough outline constitute Kawari or maru I wonder? Dale.

To Jean C .i only joined this group for mutual exchange not aggravation My collection is small, all up about 70, most are not great works of art that's for sure ! There is one that is very ugly by any standards but it still interests me. It is very crude, the seppa is iron with two rivets to the (copper?) body. rather heavy but surprisingly tactile, no sharp edges. Maybe it was a hobby piece but it seems to have some age to it. Wonder if any one has seen one like it? As I said it is ugly!