docliss

To divert a little from Ford’s original submission, may I take issue with the above statement of David’s? What evidence has he for this: I personally believe it to be quite unfounded. John L.

Thank you both for your input - Ko-Shoami or Saotome would both be acceptable attributions. A defaced example of a similar tsuba is illustrated as lot no 1022 in Haynes' catalogue #4, where it is dated as ca 1500. John L.

Dear Christian and David, I am sorry that I am unable to supply the additional details that you have both requested. But, while I fully appreciate the importance of such factors in deciding upon an attribution, I fail to see their relevance in answering my specific query. With kind regards, John L.

Dear Christian, in reply to your queries, the tsuba belongs to a friend/collector, and I know nothing of its provenance. The lacquer is certainly old. I apologise for the poor quality of the enlargement, but fear that is the best I can offer for the moment. John L.

I believe that I may have posted this query on the NMB some time ago, but am still seeking an answer, and will try again if I may. I am seeking a translation of a red lacquer shumei on a tsuba that will probably be considered as katchushi. The kanji to the right of the nakago-hitsu have been tentatively identified as possibly 一 阿 乙 小, and that on the left as a kao. But they don’t make any sense to me. Any help will be gratefully received. With thanks, John L.

How about Kō-Shoami as an alternative attribution? The iron is badly corroded, and difficult to judge from the photograph, but the two broad kōgai hitsu would support such a suggestion. John L.

Might I ask Mike what is the source of his images? They are quite clearly outstanding examples and, if from his personal collection, fine, and please lets have some more. But if they are taken from another source I am not sure what is the point of this exercise. John L.

Dear Edward Your rather fine tsuba is inscribed, as you correctly say, HIKONE (NO)JU TSUNEMASA. Neither Bamen Tsumasa nor Gotō Tsunema used this combination of kanji to sign their work, but Haynes lists eight artists who did so. None of these are shown as including in their mei Hikone, in the Shiga prefecture, as their place of work, and your tsuba cannot be considered to be Hikone-bori. Of Haynes eight artists, the most probable one is H 10837.0. He is described as working in Sendai in the Mitsu province, and as working in soft metal plate in the kinkō style. But what this artist’s connection is with Hikone I do not know, and your tsuba may be by another artist of this name. Kind regards, John L.

Dear David, my personal preference, for what it is worth, is for an Aizu Shōami provenance. John L.

To pursue further the discussion re left-handed swordsmen, I have in my collection a pair of mumei fuchi-gashira attributed to Hirata Harunari. On both pieces, against a shakudō, pearskin ishime, are depicted the seven takaramono in exquisitely executed shippō work, using translucent enamels enclosed within gold cloisons. On the ‘back’ of the fuchi, as normally worn, a space has been filled with an image, using gold lacquer. I have always assumed that this modification was to adapt the fuchi for wear on the right-hand side. Please correct me if I am mistaken in this. John L.

I am unable to identify the seal on Lynne’s second tsuba, and wonder if Ludolf has it on his database? Personally, and with very little evidence to support it, my inclination is to label both the tsuba and the seal as being gimei for Jōi. Shoot me down somebody! John L.

While it is an instinctive reaction to label the ategane on Brian’s tsuba as being intended to protect the soft metal kogai from damage by the iron tsuba, an alternative explanation might be that the seppa-dai was originally indented for the accommodation of a kogai and that, when this was no longer required, this indentation was converted for ategane in order to repair the seppa-dai. A full umegane would have been both impractical and unnecessary in this instance. John L.

I personally like the suggestion that the function of atagane may have been to adapt the shape of the seppa-dai to a wider tsuka. But is there any evidence that the width of the tsuka increased at some stage during the developmewnt of the sword, in order to confirm this suggestion? John L.

Brian, modesty precludes any comment! But with thanks, John L.

Dear Rog The soft metal insert that you describe in the kozuka hitsu-ana of your tsuba is called sekigane, and is intended to protect the soft metal of the kozuka from damage by the harder metal of the tsuba. It is my impression, from the outline of the other hitsu-ana, that this also originally contained sekigane, which has subsequently become detached and lost. Kind regards, John L.

Please forgive me for giving this thread a 'bump'. Surely there is a member out there who can assist me with this request for a translation? With thanks, John L.

Oh dear - how difficult is this meant to be? To summarise, I know that Marc's tsuba bears a gimei signature of Okawa Teikan, and I want a translation of that mei....OK? John L.

Much as I always value Christien's postings on NMB, I regret that I have no idea what he is saying on his latest posting. The request for a mei translation was clearly for my own benefit, however. John L.

Could one of our experts be so kind as to translate for me the long mei on Marc's tsuba? With thanks, John L.

Dear Ford, once again I am indebted to you - thank you very much. John L.

Further to my earlier request, can any kind member please advise me if Masayuki Murata’s 2006 publication of Bakamatsu and Meiji-era tsuba from the collection of the Kuzomizu San’nanzaka Museum in Kyoto, Japan, contains any works by Okawa Teikan? A scan of any such entry would be a very welome bonus to any reply. With thanks, John L.

Thank you Ludolf, I understand. I gather, then, that you consider your tsuba number two to be soshin, and would love to know your reason for this decision. Is this a personal judgement of the work and the mei, or is it based upon its publication in a respected source, a provenance or a shinsa result? John L.

Dear Ludolf Thank you so much for the contribution from your invaluable database. Of the five tsuba that you posted, the third is #11.5379, ex the Weld collection, from the MFA. The second was posted on the NMB on 1 February 2011, and I was unsure whether or not this was soshin – what is your opinion of this? The first, fourth and fifth are new to me; do you have any source, provenance or ownership to give me for these three? With renewed thanks, John L.

Thank you Ford. Yes, I have details, and excellent photographs, of eight Teikan tsuba from The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Regards, John L.

Dear Christian, thank you for your interest. Family name: Okawa Dates: 1828-1898 Lineage: Son of Okawa Gantei (Motosada) School: Mito Sekijoken Haynes’ reference: H 09521.0, p.1895. Regards, John L.