Soshin

Hi Cory, The fuchi and kashira was made by the Soten school. I can read some of the mei at it reads on the left side after turning the image counter clockwise as the orientation of the photo is completely wrong to read Japanese. Here is what I have transliterated into Roman letters: Sōheishi Sōten Sei. There is some additional information on the right side I will need to take some time to transliterate. If you post the fuchi in the translation forum I am sure there are people that can do a much quicker transliteration and translation. The tsuba was not done in a Soten school. The tsuba looks to be a product of the Late Edo Period done in a much earlier tachi style. The texture of the tsuba is interesting. If you want to know more please take a look at a tsuba I am currently selling that I think is of similar origin: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9730. I hope you find the information helpful. Yours truly, David S.

I purchased one tsuba from yumi3go55 and a few wooden boxes. The boxes were fine and the tsuba was fine. The tsuba being a Late Edo Period Tempo tsuba nothing special but also nothing wrong or strange about it. The other sellers I don't think I have any experience with. Yours truly, David S.

I really enjoyed both presentation arranged by the NBTHK. The Pete's Nobuie presentation had more of a impact in terms of what I collect as I am more of a Tosogu then a Nihonto person. The chance to handle multiple examples of Nobuie tsuba were also great. Here is a tsuba I picked up at the Tampa Japanese Sword Show. The previous owner thinks it is a Kyo-Shoami tsuba from the early Edo period. I agree with his judgement. The design is rice balls that makes up a pattern often seen on Edo period cloths and is referred to in Japanese as Shippo which translates as "seven treasures". The seven treasures reference has a Buddhist origin. Here is a link for more informaition about Shippo: http://furoshiki.com/collection/contemporary/shippo-seven-treasures-1.html Yours truly, David S.

Hi Mike, Welcome to the message board. I didn't even know kinko were made in Satsuma. Up until now I have only seen iron pieces from Satsuma in Kyushu. Really nice tsuba by the way I can't read the kanji would likely require a zoom image of the seppa-dai area. I enjoyed the Tampa show greatly. I am going back next year for sure with the addition of the NTHK shinsa. Yours truly, David Stiles

I really enjoyed myself. Thanks so much to the organizer and all of the exhibitors. Wasn't going to purchase anything as it was my first show. My will power broke down on Sunday morning and I purchased a very nice tsuba. :D I will post photographs and discussion later in the tosogu forum. Next year is a must for me with the NTHK shinsa being part of the show. Yours truly, David Stiles

I would agree. I really enjoyed the Florida Japanese Sword Show. Yours truly, David Stiles

What is a very wonderful tsuba for just two hundred dollars! Pick up many tsuba like that at such low prices then I can stop my day job and just start collecting full time. Well maybe not but I can still dream.:lol: Thanks for sharing the wonderful and low priced tsuba. Yours truly, David Stiles

I would like to point out that the crack is I think a minor point as you see many forged iron tsuba with minor cracks that don't go complete through the sukashi and don't compromise the structure of the tsuba. This has been personally confirmed by me from a tsuba I purchased from Grey late last year which is been since to be confirmed to be a Owari Sukashi tsuba from the Momoyama or ealry Edo periods. The biggest thing that makes me this this wakazashi tsuba is a cast iron copy is the iron "sekigane" in the nakago ana. This is clear evidence that a cast mold was used to make this tsuba. Thanks for sharing and for the discussion. These type of discussions help people avoid purchasing fakes. Yours truly, David S.

Hi Dirk, It might be damage from a fire. Just an idea as I haven't seen many tsuba damaged by fire but the surface and patina does look strange. Yours truly, David S.

I noticed the same thing with the upturned and finely folded rim (uchikaeshi-mimi). The in-sukashi is also complex and extensive. The overall size of the tsuba is 8.4 cm by 8.3 cm. The thickness at the center (seppa-dai) is 3.5 mm and narrows to 2.8 mm at the rim (mimi). In Tsuba An Aesthetic Study by Kazutaro Torigoye and Robert E. Hayes page 25 says that artificial use of yasurime is characteristic of Momoyama and early Edo Katchushi work. The idea that this tsuba was produced by professional tsubako working in what was once a style of non-professional tsuba makers of earlier periods still hold true even if my example tsuba is a Katchushi work. Thanks for the information it has been a very helpful learning process. Yours truly, David S.

Ludolf, I think you right that Momoyama and early Edo Period Tosho style tsuba were made by professional tsubako working in or doing a variations of what was done by non-professional swordsmith tsuba makers of earlier time periods. I know some just copied earlier works from the Nambokucho and Muramachi Periods while others used the same basic techniques to create something more original with a different aesthetic balance to it. Henry, Thanks for providing an example of a Edo utsushi (copy) of a Tosho tsuba made during the Nambokucho and Muramachi Periods. To post more photos of tsuba on a forum about tosogu here is an example I have which I and the former own thinks dates to the early Edo Period. This is primarily indicated I think by the bean shaped kozuka hitsu-ana as well as the color of patina. From my references of earlier Nambokucho and Muramachi Periods Tosho tsuba I don't remember this complex and naturalistic designs being done in in-sukashi and raiding file-marks (amida-yasuri). The techniques are associated with Edo Period Tosho style tsuba made by professional tsubako stated in Tsuba An Aesthetic Study by Kazutaro Torigoye and Robert E. Hayes page 18 but having more examples would be helpful. Yours truly, David S.

Yes Henry that is what I was referring to in starting this thread. While I do have some revival Tosho style tsuba from the Edo period that are clear copies of early work. I can also say that I also have some labeled Tosho style tsuba that display a fair amount of independent artistic character using general Tosho techniques such as in-sukashi (negative silhouetting). The tsubashi was I think trying to execute a more complex naturalistic design not seen in the earlier Tosho style tsuba from the Nambokucho and Muramachi Periods. Thanks for providing the reference "Tsuba no Bi" I will try to find it. Yours truly, David S.

I a interested in doing some more research about Tosho tsuba from the Momoyama and early Edo periods. Could anyone point me in the direction of some information about Tosho tsuba made during these time periods. I have some good references for Nambokucho and Muramachi Period Tosho works but don't have any references with good examples and information dating from the Momyama Period and onward to the early part of the Edo period. I will be sure to ask for some examples at the Tampa Sword Show this weekend. Thanks in advance for helping me with my next research tosogu project. Yours truly, David S.

Some really great pieces. I will be at the Tampa Show this year and will make sure to stop by for a look. Yours truly, David S.

Hi Everyone, The tsuba I posted with the coin design in ji-sukashi is now in Japan for NBTHK shinsa. Will keep everyone posted as to the results. Yours truly, David S.

I was going to say that the kin-zogan (gold inlay) looks real and consistent with work of the late Edo period on the dragon tsuba. The cross hatching of the gold inlay is clearly visible. Yours truly, David S.

I think something that should not be overlooked about this tsuba being a middle to late Edo Period Nobuie copy or not. The condition of the tsuba is very poor the surface has much active red rust. I know this will affect the color of the iron patina greatly. The surface reminds me of a Satome school tsuba that I have before I started the very long process of removing the rust with using natural methods outlined at the end of Sasano's first book and discussed on the Tosogu message board. With this tsuba the removal process of the red rust is complicated by prescence of some gold inlay work something I don't think you see in original Nobuie works of the first two generations from the Momoyama or early Edo Periods. Yours truly, David S.

Looking at the other tsuba I would say that it is also signed Tadatsugu in a similar manner as your original tsuba. I have been told that Tadatsugu was a very prolific artisan during the middle Edo period. He might have also had some students under him allowed to use his name. The linked tsuba has a more simpler tosho feel to it but I would still classify it as a Umetada school tsuba. The overall shape of the tsuba is also characteristic of Umetada school and not at all Tosho. Blossoms and kamon are a common motif found in tsuba made by the Umetada school. I have a middle Edo period Umetada tsuba that also has a nice Kamon motif over a nice tsuchimei-ji with maru-bori carved clouds. Yours truly, David S.

I just wanted to posted a update on this topic I started about half a year ago. I have been doing some work on this Satome School tsuba and have improved the surface by removing active red rust. Here are some new scans of the same tsuba after my careful cleaning of the rust. From examining the scans it looks like I still have some more work to do. I will be bring the tsuba to the Tampa Sword Show as Jim Gilbert has offered to take a look at the tsuba. I am still thinking the tsuba is likely early Edo due to its thickness and shape of the kogai hitsu-ana. Comments and questions are always welcome. Your truly, David S.

I would agree the tsuba looks be be classic example of work done by Umetada (埋忠) Tadatsugu (忠次) singed with a nijimei. The date I but on this work is from circa 1675 - 1725 CE. Which is during the middle Edo Period contemporary with the masters Umetada Shigenaga and Umetada Muneyuki. Thanks for sharing photos and starting the discussion. Yours truly, David S.

After reading the topic a few times I have came to the conclusion that at fundamental conservation point should be restated just so that this thread does not create some confusion. This was originally stated in the original post by Keith G. Lacquer of different types original to many very old (circa Early Edo, Momoyama, Muromachi Periods) tsuba should not be removed. My pubic service announcement has ended. Yours truly, David S.

Also wanted to post this scan of a Nanban tsuba with all of the typical characteristics of Nanban tsuba (stylized seppa-dai design, dote-mimi, and no signature) but with a motif of many monkeys setting in trees all in different positions. The intermeshed arms, legs, and tree branches create a familiar Nanban-bori arabesque pattern frequently made of vines in more typical Nanban tsuba. This tsuba could have been made by a Nanban tsubashi trying to imitate the monkey designs seen in the Yagami school. Yours truly, David S.

I just wanted to post some scans of this month NBTHK magazine (Issue #648, pg. 21) that like last month was featuring the Nanban group in the tosogu section. Here are two tsuba by the Yagami school that show even more of a Nanban influence then the classic school motif of the two thousand monkeys. Right now I am a little "on the fence" about if Yagami school should or should not be included the large Nanban group. These two tsuba have many design elements seen in the large Nanban group. Yours truly, David S.

Well technically speaking Hirado and Nagazaki are both port cities located near each other in what was once Hizen Province. They both had a degree of European and Chinese influence that affect a tsuba produced there. Therefore using the Torigoye and Haynes classification system I would think the first tsuba would be classified as Namban as I think there is a bit stronger European influence with the use of the stylized Roman letters. I was thinking the second linked tsuba was a Kagonami but I am not really sure as I have not seen many tsuba of this type described as Kagonami. The two thousand-monkeys-designs is another design that comes like John L. says from artists of Hizen Province that shows a great degree of non-Japanese influence and also by their location near Hirado and Nagazaki cities in Hizen are often given the Namban label. Thanks John L., Jim, and others for the discussion. Yours truly, David Stiles

Hi Bernad, The Heianjo Shinchu Zogan school does but Mr. Holbrook was referring to the old name for the Kyo Sukashi school which is Heianjo Sukashi. Hi Andrey E., Having also purchase some tsuba from the same collection and I love each tsuba very much (thanks Grey) but I have revised about a little more then half of Mr. Holbrook original attributions. Your tsuba here I don't think is Kyo Sukashi school but maybe a nice Shoami work done with sukashi. I collect and like Shoami tsuba and have many in my collection. Thanks for sharing and discussing the nice tsuba. Yours truly, David S.