Bugyotsuji

Thomas, I will keep Choshu in mind. These people moved around, carrying their styles with them, which makes it very hard for us to see a distinct flavor/flavour of geography at all times. Thank you. Guido, yes, it does have that appearance. You could say that it is in very good condition for its age. I will be rubbing it with a cotton cloth. I hadn't heard of Bizen Shoami until I looked it up and found it does indeed exist! :lol: Lorenzo, the eighth tsuba in your Echizen Kinai link looks very similar in execution. The stolid, rather thick appearance of the two-paired theme, and the obvious concern for strength above artistry make my Celtic ancestry want to cry out that they are by the same Tsubako. My Anglo-Saxon side calls for calm. One distinctive feature is the two large oval windows either side

Echizen. Hmmm... Thank you Lorenzo. Where do you see this? Every drop of knowledge is precious.

Thanks for looking. The silence tells me three things!

The dealer suggested Mid Edo, Bizen Shoami... but not quite sure why, except that a) Bizen is local to here, and b) the 'butterflies' reinforce (to him) the impression of Bizen, with the Lord Ikeda family Bizen-cho Mon influence. 7.7 cm diameter. The iron is deeply carved, and the butterflies (moths?) seem to have both top and bottom, reversed on the reverse. The leaves and the wings have faint designs on them.

Agreed. Beautiful, sensitive work.

If Haynes too referred to the design as 大 then he is not totally infallible! In the meantime I have read and reread this thread, but I am not yet 100% sure what was given to me the other day. One person here became quite angry when I suggested it might be cast 鋳物 (imono). Perhaps he thought I was being ungrateful(?)... when I am solely interested in the story behind it. It seems there was a mid-Edo worker in Kyoto (Yamashiro, Yoshihisa) who made cast Tsuba: http://www.tsubanomiyako.jp/SHOP/T-056.html PS A tsuba collector friend has just seen it. Tapping tells him what the material is. Yes, there were definitely cast iron tsuba in the Edo Period, he kept repeating. Just as there were cast Koshirae parts. Although the Sekigane suggests someone fitted it to a sword, he says it will look better as a single display item. Lack of a mold line suggests use of a single cast that was broken up to reveal the tsuba.

Try 薬王寺　 as a first step. PS Just saw George's post above. Apologies for repetition...

Thomas, I am glad I am not the only one here

Thank you Ron. What you say makes sense.

No idea what Mon this is, but this is what it looks like on the Toppai helmet under different lighting conditions. Hmmm.... Might wear this Maedate on Children's Day, 5/5 at the Ancient Martial Arts Display. Make a change from the old Yattoko/Kuginuki.

Two sets? They look good. Will you be wearing either of them?

Hahahaha... that's very good Morita san! We see, but we don't see. Again we are saved. Forever a beginner. Many thanks. Found this from a website auction with strange Chinese and English translations... http://www.rakubid.com/auction/9/k136548257.html 明珍宗利 造　土佐国住　鉄地変型鍔

Just noticed that in the second half of your post you asked for some pics of the Mimi, Thierry.

Thousands wouldn't, but I believe you!

Excellent links. Many thanks Colin.

Thomas, stupid of me. Of course! Thanks.

What possible merit could there be in casting? One imagines it would be brittle... ? So mine must be an example of a casting (not the original, :lol: ) but how would I confirm that it is cast, I wonder?

Hmmm... teapot maker!!! :lol: ...very similar, although that seems to be the reverse. No Mei? Where is the description that you quote? I wonder how old it is? Now you've got me looking around. I have found evidence that Munetoshi was one of about 10 Tsuba-ko working for Yamauchi in Tosa. http://www.bidders.co.jp/item/148424519

While I have the camera out... This Maedate seems to be made of some copper alloy. It could have been burnt in a fire, as it has dark patches on it. I will be consulting with a shokunin over how to restore the look of the original surface.

Hmmm... I saw, but didn't buy. (A little over my budget...even at the trade price.) It must have been about 55cm overall.

Can anyone tell me anything about this tsuba or the creator? 9 cm high x 8cm across, it looks to me like 大　the Kanji for Dai. The Mimi is quite a bit thicker than the seppa area. Actually it does not seem to have a seppa-dai per se. (Maybe a faint outline on the reverse?)

Thanks Eric. Once the carrying of swords was banned, it must have felt almost natural to push something like that through your 'bando' sash/belt.

Brian, some good questions you have raised. I wonder if anyone has any thoughts. Tamahagane has to be a strong possibility. The rod seems to have been covered in a black patina which is wearing off. Urushi? The tip being exposed... so covered in brass... softer? ...to prevent it causing sparks...? As an artistic balance against the brass at the other end? Reflecting the decorations on Koshirae?

Nice armour! The width of the Shikoro plates suggests mid or later, but not early Edo. (The Kabuto has slipped too far back!!! The line of sight of the Bushi wearing it should mean his mabisashi is almost on the horizon as he looks out.)