andreYes

Yes, you are right, John. By the way, I've found an example of Shoami Tadatsugu tsuba on Boston Museum site - absolutely different design...

Thank you, John, for posting. Very nice tsuba! John L., maybe, the Tadatsugu, mentioned in Nihon Tō Kōza on p.302, is the Shoami Tadatsugu (H 09188.0 in Haynes Index)? Could the John's tsuba also be made not by Umetada Tadatsugu, but by Shoami Tadatsugu? What is written in the NBTHK paper?

The tsuba with "hundred" hares (sorry for the poor quality of the picture) I wish to see it someday... My "hare theme" tsuba is here. It's much more humble

John, David, Thank you for your help! By the way, here is a signed tsuba, and it seems to me that the mei is also Tadatsugu. Am I right?

Thank you all for help in my previous topic! I'd like to ask your opinion about another tsuba from the collection of Skip Holbrook. Mr. Holbrook's description puzzled me again : “Umetada, signed Tadatsugu, plum & mum flower, Momoyama”. As I know, the artist(s) Tadatsugu of Umetada family worked in 1675 - 1725, that is nearly the middle of Edo era. On the other hand, the design of this tsuba is one of the classical themes of Umetada Tadatsugu. So, was it really made during Momoyama? Or it is not Umetada Tadatsugu? I searched for any tsubako who signed with nijimei "Tadatsugu" and worked during Momoyama, but found only one tsuba: a tosho tsuba in Sotheby's catalogue of Bradford collection. The photo there is too small to compare the signature, but the design is quite different from my point of view... Any comments and thoughts are much appreciated!

Thank you, Martin! One more question about an important attribution sign Is it possible to tell about characteristics of iron by appearance (or by photo): soft or hard, quality of forging? Concerning this particular tsuba, what do you think about the iron? As I can see there is no tekkotsu, but several places on the ji makes me think about layering:

David, Henry, thank you for opinions, and for interesting article! If it is a Shoami tsuba, is it possible to determine what school it belongs to? If its age (Momoyama) is the right guess, is it Ko-Shoami?

Previous summer I've purchased (thank you again, Grey !) several tsuba from the collection of Skip Holbrook. This one was tagged “Heianjo, rabbit & moon, Momoyama” I've read the description of Heianjo Sukashi tsuba in couple of books, and it seems to me that the text description could conform to this tsuba. On the other hand, all examples of Heianjo Sukashi tsuba I saw looks very different. They are usually more delicate, and sukashi design covers all the plate, not only a half... I don't dare to dispute Mr.Holbrook attribution... Have anybody seen similar examples of Heianjo Sukashi tsuba? By the way, I saw a tsuba with resembling design here - it is attributed to Shoami mid Edo.

I noticed this tsuba on e-bay, and I'm curious, what is wrong with it? The colour and the surface texture seems strange to me. Was it repatinated? What do you think?

Thank you, Moriyama san!

Thanks a lot, John! Could you read what is written to the left of the "Mu Mei (Waki Goto)": "赤銅 ???" - "Shakudo ???"

Please help me to translate the handwritten part of this NBTHK certificate. I’ve tried to guess several kanji : 這龍図目貫 Crawling dragon menuki 無銘 (? 後藤) Mu Mei (? Goto) ??? 小道具 Kodogu 昭和 四十八 年 六 月 十五 日 Showa 48th year 6th month 15th day Thank you in advance!

I looked through several books, and found that there was at least two Masakata: - the third (or second, according to Haynes - H 04068.0) master of Ito school, he died in 1774, and his signature is a little different. - a later artist of the same school, worked in 19 century (Haynes wrote: "There also seems to be a later artist who used this name in the Ito school, about 1825—50"). The most tsuba, which image I found in internet, seems to be his work (or his workshop). This bamboo design is so popular, that there is an obvious fake cast tsuba :D , this one:

Thank you, Jason! It's the same tsuba as by my first link on my first post here. I couldn't resist and bought it just now

David, Thank you again for your detailed information! And it's very interesting to compare these Umetada and Kinai dragons!

Thank you, very interesting information! I didn't hear about such workshops. One more question about tsuba with similar design, if you don't mind I saw several tsuba with same aoi leaves: - this one has inscription "Echizen ju Myochin Yoshihiza"; another one is "Echizen ju Kinai"... Could it be that different masters (or workshops) made tsuba with same design?

I found several almost identical tsuba (according to the photos) signed "Bushu-ju Masakata". One tsuba - on e-bay, another one - here, and the third - in "The Hartman Collection" Christies catalogue (lot #6), here it is: The inscriptions on these tsuba seems to me very similar. Are they all made by Masakata? Of course not by the famous third Ito master, but by the "...later artist who used this name in the Ito school, about 1825—50" (Robert E. Haynes)? Or all these tsuba (or at least two of them) are copies and gimei?

Thanks a lot! :D

Please, help me to translate an inscription on a kind of strange tsuba-shaped object I'm very curious, what is it.

Besides, you can find small shops on flea markets. I saw several on "Marche aux puces de St-Ouen" (rue des Rosiers, metro station Porte de Clignancourt)

By the way, it's not lotus, it's chrysanthemum.

Stephen, I haven't seen other tsuba of the same shape too. My only guess is it's for kozuka. A strange kind of hamidashi :D

Reinhard, No, I just wanted to show the surface more closely. I've noticed tekkotsu only when I edited the photos Thank you again for your estimate! Though I expected it's an older and more valuable tsuba, I'm not too much disappointed: the possibility of learning is also a great value anyway.

Thank you, Reinhard! I have very few experience yet, but it seems to me that this tsuba is older than 19 century... I've made some more photos (macro). Please look at them, what do you think about the age?

Thank you, Koichi-san! I'm not sure, but I've found that Kofu (in Tottori-ken) was founded in 1953. So, the inscription "江府" on tosogu should always mean "Edo". Am I right?