Spartancrest

Hi Manuel have you seen this? https://www.jauce.com/auction/q1062696566 Also see https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1062683610

Well Mauro - we know not to accept any signed cheques with that set of signatures - he could be anyone! What is really annoying is these major museums don't give any lineage or real dates, I suppose they accept what the gift giver says and leave it at that. You are probably correct thinking they must have got bored doing the same design over and over - still they are pretty nice work and imagine the fights if there was only one to choose from.

I am intrigued by four 'identical' tsuba held in three separate museums all claiming their pieces are signed by Bairyūken Kiyotatsu. From what I see there are four distinct mei some with 'kao' or seals, some with totally different styles of kanji but the design of the guard is almost a carbon copy. Did this maker change his signature when he changed his underwear? Make that Five - this image from a now deleted Wikipedia post.

This is an unusual case of the Aoi and screen being the secondary depiction on the ura side. Found in the Walters Art Museum. 51.129 "Tsuba with a Hanging Bouquet ("Kusudama")" 2 7/16 x 2 x 3/16 in. (6.17 x 5.04 x 0.4 cm) Ichijuken Teruaki. - Kato Teruaki (active ca. 1858-1861) 一壽軒　英明

This one might be a long shot! A Kendo medal described as a 'Carp' but if that is a carp it is the strangest ugliest one on record! Is it just me or is there a suggestion of Bart Simpson in there?

A signed one from a Bonhams auction - https://www.bonhams.com/zh-hk/auction/25125/lot/15/an-iron-tsuba-by-yaji-tomoyuki-choshu-school-early-19th-century/ It sold very cheaply at £87.50 . Very similar to the signed one from Japaneseswordbookandtsuba [tagane-ato different] Also a signed one - https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-tsuba-for-samurai-sword-t-124/ The translation says 八道 友清 (Hachidou Tomokiyo) (1688-1704) - could this be a miss reading of the mei?

A couple more you might be able to add to your list. https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/classic-choshu-ship-tsuba https://japanesegallery.com/19th-century-iron-tsuba-sailing-ship https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/tsuba-%26-kodogu/k150-great-iron-tsuba-choshu-tomoyuki#

https://www.jauce.com/auction/w1062331910 These probably match the tsuba pictured above .

You want a cinnabar lacquered wood carving? You got it!

Richard I found the book on Jauce just before your reply, but thanks for that - so far so cheap but that will change I am sure! Mauro fantastic find, they really do come in some mixed up designs. I think what really grabbed my eye was the gotoku, it is very similar to a strange tsuba I have that has two 'feet' or 'prongs' and if it had three I might be convinced it might have been converted to a gotoku - but with only two it would not stand [literally]

Japanese but not tosogu, just something I got for my wife who loves rabbits.

Derek these might help. https://varshavskycollection.com/kamakura-bori-tsuba/ https://www.mandarinmansion.com/glossary/aoi-gata https://www.aoijapan.net/tsuba-mumeiunsignedkamakura/

Basic materials they are made from - it is called recycling!

A strange find tonight - there is a CAST Dragon by Seiryūken Eiju up for auction. The mei is wide and rounded and there is a casting flash/seam in one of the hitsu. https://www.jauce.com/auction/j1042291577 They did not bother with a seal at all. It also shows plenty of casting bubbles on the ura side. I guess they have tried to fake most tsuba types. Thomas yours is pretty fine compared to this one!

Some of the seals/kao found on Seiryuken Eiju guards - I am sure there are others [I have three matching seals like the last example all in 'shippo' pattern.] Other guard designs such as Dragons may have seals matching depending on the artists speciality.

Thomas this from Mandarin Mansions - https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/seiryuken-eiju-dragon-tsuba Seiryūken Eiju "Seiryūken Eiju (成竜軒栄寿) was the art name of Tetsugendo Toryuken, also known as Naofusa (尚房). He was active in Osaka, Kyoto and later Edo from circa 1775-1800. He was a student of Okamoto Harukuni and adopted son of master craftsman and founder of the Tetsugendo school; Okamoto Naoshige. Tsuba carrying his name and signature vary considerably in style and quality, and many even exhibit different kao (personal seals). The most likely explanation is that he ran an atelier with several craftsmen, and was only involved in some of the pieces himself. Hirado Kunishige also worked like that. A recurring trait of Seiryuken Eiju tsuba is that they have a discoid cross-section, with chiseled iron decor and bears the signature in beautiful cursive sosho (grass script), often with a golden inlaid seal." Several different seals or kao were used because each student or master signed almost the same way and the seal was a way to separate the individual maker [That is my understanding of the 'system']

What are the chances of this turning up - NOW? https://www.jauce.com/auction/1036706516

Jesse, I like the Japanese flavors the best!

Thickness sounds about right for that style of guard. What worries me is these large tosho or katchushi guards turn up week after week and when you check the sellers other items there is usually a string of others - Why? Either the seller has a 'huge' collection he is selling off or he has an endless supply of modern made replicas. It is a gamble but if the price is right maybe the gamble will pay off? https://www.jauce.com/user/dj2hmyuc

Mark your example is very close to Richard's and once again the elements have been moved about - it seems the design was never really settled - well we know they are not cast copies that is for sure! A daisho set would be very hard to find again.

Grev, I would love to say it was 'Unique' but as soon as I do, one will turn up!

We may have a major find here! The guard pictured above Signed Fujiwara Kodo (Furumichi) hitsu and sealed in gold Hirochika. Could once have been owned by an Envoy of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria - The same Archduke who's assassination sparked the first World War. The 1923 image is, I will admit a bit grainy but the proportions are exact as shown in the image overlap. Another "Historic" Yasuchika 'Hare' tsuba from 1894

I don't know for sure but shouldn't the nanako also be on the rim edge? I have an all iron guard and the nanako covers all the face and rim except the seppa-dai.

This is way off topic but my searches produce some interesting things. https://www.facebook.com/kirieya/photos/a.1472128026342623/2283753155180102/ Tsuba paper cut-outs, including themes for major Holidays. Who knew?

Another subtle Aoi and screen with extra feature of the wagon wheel. https://www.jauce.com/auction/b1062022558