Soshin

Like the tsuba I am sure the feel of the iron is nice in hand, but it isn't Owari. I would attribute this antique tsuba to being the work of the Shoami group circa the middle to late Edo Period especially with traces of what looks like gold inlay on the plate. Attached is a photo of an NBTHK papered Owari tsuba that I once owned as part of my collection. Notice how differently the openwork for the same design is done on my tsuba versus your tsuba. I hope this additional information is helpful to your study.

Just a quick community notice about the Art of the Samurai Bonhams Online Auction. Here is a link to register: Bonhams : Arts of the Samurai. I have already registered for this auction. Highlight of the auction include A Kotō Tachi made circa Kamakura period (1185-1333), 13th century attributed to Shinsoku with Shinsoku orikaeshi mei. The tachi is honzukuri, iorimune, ko-gissaki configuration with a strong koshizori curvature, forged in mokume hada with a ko-chōji tempered edge and midarekomi bōshi, ō-suriage tang with kiri file marks and four holes, orikaeshi mei Shinsoku, with a one-piece habaki, 26 1/2in (67.2cm.) long, in a wood shirasaya storage scabbard inscribed Matsudaira-ke zō (Matsudaira household collection). Here are some interesting provenance notes from the Bonhams website. Provenance Sold Christie's, New York, September 15, 2003, lot 384 Walter A. Compton Collection, sold Christie's, New York, Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Walter A. Compton, Part II, October 22, 1992, lot 207 Tokugawa Ienari (1787-1837, purported) Matsudaira family (purported) Iwakura Tomomi (1825-1883, purported) The shirasaya bears an inscription claiming that in the early days of the Kamakura shogunate, in the second month of 1252, Prince Munetaka, son of the Emperor, went from Kyoto to Kamakura to inaugurate the government and was attended by Kiyohara Noritaka Sagami-no-suke Mikawa-no-kami, of the rank of Daiki Shōgo-i, to whom he gave this sword. With an origami (photocopy only) bearing the seal of the eleventh Shogun Tokugawa Ienari stating that the blade had been given to the Matsudaira family, and an origami (photocopy only), dated Meiji 9 (1876) and signed by the Iwakura household, stating that the blade had been given (to Prince Iwakura Tomomi) by the Matsudaira. Feel free to discuss it politely. Thank you.

Looking at the design aspects of the hitsu-ana of your tsuba, it has been mounted on a sword, and overall thickness of the plate I would say it is antique. It was likely made circa the middle to late Edo Period. I do see something on the surface of what looks like rust pitting of the surface that has since been aggressively cleaned much more recently. I would need to examine the tsuba in hand under good light to get a feel of the iron and confirm its age. Thank you for sharing I love your enthusiasm for old iron Japanese sword fittings.

I totally understand. I also started to regret after a while of having a Japanese art hobby business. I sold more Japanese swords and fittings then anything other types of Japanese art. For me at least it is best to have that clear separation. Business itself was poisoning the hobby for me in many respects. Some other people that are dealers are fine with it. I think it very much depends on the person.

All art is subjective by its true nature. Science is objective by its true nature. That is why I am a scientist and not an artist professionally. I only collect Japanese swords and fittings that fit my own subjective view of beauty.

Some nice tsuba for sale inside and outside of NMB. Curran's Yamakichibei utsushi tsuba is very tempting. Unfortunately, I need to save money for my own trip to Tokyo next month. I will also be attending DTI. This is my first-time attending DTI and all the extra events going on in Tokyo that same week, I am extremely excited.

This tsuba was once in my collection and sold via my business back in 2018. I was thinking it was the work of a later generation of Jingo School.

Jū-mokkō-gata is now I would describe the shape of the tsuba. It is also how the NBTHK would describe the shape of the tsuba on a paper.

Here is one of the early discussions about this sword before I had a new sashikomei style art polished done. Here are some more photos of the sword after the new sashikomei style polish was done. .

This is a remarkably interesting topic of discussion. I spent three years looking at sword not seeing any flaws. I had a full sashikomei style finished polish done on the sword. Afterwards I could only see one tiny flaw that is normally covered by the habaki along the mune that is not just superficial but barely perceivable.

I'm looking forward to attending the Dai Token Ichi this year for the very first time. Thank you, Robert, for putting together the DTI additional events. My wife Tamaki-san also wants to attend the Yakatabune Tokyo Bay Cruise on Saturday, November 18. I'm very much looking forward to November.

Hi Dale, That is a possibility, but a need a bit more information. It never gets old looking at this tsuba. Thanks for providing constructive feedback.

I just wanted to share this tsuba with a different Chrysanthemum design on each side. I really like it and had it a long while in my collection. The previous owner was thinking Jingo and agreed with in on my write up but might Umetada. Here are more photos of the tsuba: (Tsuba Gallery #5 | Tsuba Otaku), it is the second tsuba from the top of the webpage. Feel free to discuss it politely and enjoy.

I am still looking for a Shodai or Nidai Jingo tsuba with the Kangaroo design. Well maybe Issei Naruki can make me one...

Agree with the above comments. I don't think this thing is really that old. To me the sword looks like a not so uncommon Chinese reproduction that has been artificially aged and antiqued for quick sale.

@2devnul They nakago photos looks great in my opinion, nice and healthy without any flaw (kizu). This is important in my book. You have a nice Shinto Era blade in my opinion. @Alex A did an excellent job of summarizing the reasons it would be impossible to identify a specific swordsmith to your unsigned blade. In some other specific cases, it might be possible to attribute an unsigned sword to a specific swordsmith but in your case, it is not possible.

@BIG thanks for posting a link to this article. The written material in the article is overall fine except for the confusion between tradition (den 伝) with school (ryūha 流派). The profiles of the modern swordsmiths are nice. The pictures of the article are bad and detract from the enjoyment of the article in my opinion.

Money? Yes, you have the correct answer in my opinion. @2devnul Adam, looking forward to seeing the additional photos of that specific part of the nakago. In answer to your question. I don't think an attribution to a specific swordsmith within the Echizen Seki School is possible, but I am not a Japanese sword expert. The NBTHK has already formally examined the sword during its shinsa (the shinsa panel is full of Japanese sword experts) and issued a Hozon level paper with the attribution to the Echizen Seki School. It should be noted that school belongs to the very prolific Mino tradition.

Hi Adam, The Shinto Era call sounds good to me. Echizen Seki School with very active in the Shinto Era with many different swordsmiths. Yes, assembling a koshirae is a very money losing process. It can be rewarding if in the end you get something that you like and plan to keep for an extraordinarily long time in your personal collection. You should be aware that all dealers from the USA to Japan and all place in-between (i.e. Poland) will generally break down all assembled koshirae for share parts or sell parts individually that are of decent quality. I learned that the hard way while trying to have a Japanese art business in the USA that had a fair number of Japanese swords. Thankfully, the business is closed, and my conscious is clear.

It looks like Shinshinto to me. Can you please post some detail photos of the nakago (tang) without the habaki (blade collar) please? That would be extremely helpful.

The term "den" (see kanji above in my post from 2015) means "in the tradition or style of". This means the tsuba in this context shows most of the important kantei characteristics of the stated school or group but then shows some additional characteristics that are either not often seen or not often associated at all with that specific school or group. I will share a NBTHK Hozon papered tsuba with the attribution "Den Hoan" for reference and educational purposes only. The iron and openwork design were excellent on this fine tsuba.

I couldn't agree more. Being grateful and content that your collection contains a few nice historical treasures is something important to have for collecting long term in this hobby. Thank you for sharing wonderful photos of your sword and emphasizing such a crucial point.

Hi Peter Reusch, I think it does and it lets me appreciate the designs at a deeper level. I will keep trying to acquire an antique Yaygu tusba example for my Japanese sword fittings collection.

Thanks @BIG for the additional photos of your fine tsuba. I really like Yagyū tsuba but do not own any antique ones, but I have two modern tsuba one I had a custom made for my martial arts training sword. It has a classical Yagyū design. In the photo below I am using the modern Yagyū tsuba and demonstrating Yagyū Seigōryū Battō (柳生制剛流お抜刀). My teacher trained at the Yagyū Kai in the 1980s under Yagyū Nobuharu 21st headmaster of Owari Yagyū Shinkage Ryū. Here is a photo of my Yagyu Tsuba Utsushi unmounted from the sword and the historical example with NBTHK paper reference. The design of the tsuba references the first kata set of the Honden: Sangakuen-no Tachi.