andreYes

Here is my second experience in cleaning tsuba : As usual, I have a lot of questions. Here are some of them: 1. Any idea about style / school of this tsuba? 2. The carving technique is Takabori? 3. What is the material of zogan: brass, gold? How distinguish these two metals? Thanks for any comments...

I've finished to clean this tsuba. Now it looks like this: Thank you all for good advices. Dried bamboo is really good for taking off red rust. Especially if you need to reach "hidden places". And choji oil is also very useful.

One more question about this tsuba: according to its certificate it's a Myochin school. Today I've found a similar tsuba. This tsuba is indicated there as "Kyo-tsukashi". I'm trying to understand... As I know, kyo-sukashi is a style and myochin is a school. So could a tsuba had been made by a craftsman from myochin school in kyo-sukashi style?

Why do you think it's cast?My great-uncle used to own a foundry, and occasionally I worked there during summer breaks. This Tsuba shows, IMO, all the marks (pun intedended) of a cast piece (including the little air bubbles that develop if not done properly). Either that, or someone went crazy on it with a wire brush and kind of re-patinated it afterwards. However, in that case the copper color of unpatinated Shakudô should show, not the silverish material it does now. I think you are not quite right: the dots which looks like air bubbles - it seems to me that it's scratches and corrosion traces - all the surface is very shabby. If you mean the silverish material on the rim - it's a separate part, made of another material than the main plate, which is very dark brown, with yellow and red (like copper) spots on some scratches.

Why do you think it's cast?

Thank you, Gabriel! The ornament looks identical with the one on tsuba. It's interesting to translate the text now. About the motif, I think it's most probably the Manchurian walnut (Juglans mandshurica).

Dear specialists, Let me ask about a tsuba. I don't think that it is of a great value, but I like it, and some points arouse questions. 1. First of all I'd like to hear general opinion about this tsuba: style, time, authenticity, etc. (the mei is translated, thanks to Bugyotsuji, as "O-tsuki Mitsuhiro"). 2. The hitsu ana are sawed very inaccurate, especially if comparing to nakago ana. Could it signify, that they are made later? 3. There are a lot of scratches on the surface. Some of them goes under the rim. Why? Maybe the rim has been made later too? 4. What is it made of? It looks like some copper alloy (shakudo?): the surface is very dark, there is some green spots, like copper oxide. But under several scratches there is bright yellow color, that looks not like copper (in my unprofessional opinion). Thanks for any opinions...

Thank you all for the exhaustive explanation. I'll try not to ask stupid questions again

Thank you very much! Just one more question... What is Kao?

No, no, no I like it. Even if this certificate is false. I'm just trying to understand if it is really the Momoyama Era. I've found a similar certificate here and I've understood that not each certificate can be trusted... Besides, I haven't found any information about Yoshishige...

I'll be very grateful if somebody can translate this Mei from a tsuba: Thanks in advance.

I've got a tsuba. It came with a strange paper, called NTBK certificate. According it, this tsuba is made by Yoshishige (from Myochin school) during Momoyama Era. Can it be truth? What do you think about it?

Thank you again! I've just begun to clean it with a bone (I haven't managed to find suitable ivory yet).

By the way, could somebody tell anything about this tsuba? The only information I have from its seller - it's dated the beginning of 19th century. I'll be grateful for any comments.

Thank you!

Here is the wole tsuba:

I'm just a novice in this theme, so maybe it's a silly question... The kind of surface like on the photos - is it a result of destruction of iron by rust or it was like this initially?