Jake6500

Hi forum veterans and translators, I'm trying to decipher a mei from a fuchigashira and was hoping for some help reading the following kanji: The kanji that follows I believe I have recognised as the kanji for water (mizu/sui) but correct me if I'm wrong. No idea about the first kanji, maybe JoSui? Sorry for the dark photo but it's the best I've got! Thanks for any assistance, Jake

There is a beautiful Hangaku Gozen Fuchi-Kashira on Jauce right now going for big bucks! Hoping I win this as Onna-Bugeisha are an area of academic interest to me. https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1150059618 Edit: I wave the white flag! 180,000 yen is just too much!

At the risk of dissenting on the centipede thing, if the sutra on the tsuba is interpreted as having been deliberately curved by the artisan to represent mukade this might explain the connection. Mukade were occasionally used as a symbol for Bishamon as Piers has mentioned. There is a story about the goddess Kishimojin (Hariti) visiting Bishamon (Vaisravana) after losing one of her sons. Hariti is guided by Bishamon to Gautama Buddha who returns her son to her on the condition that she replace her diet of human flesh with that of pomegranate. This story could perhaps be the theme of the tsuba with the pomegranate representing Kishimojin and the centipede-like sutra representing Bishamon's and Gautama's joint guidance. The pomegranate is also a fertility symbol so this tsuba might have been an auspicious fertility charm of sorts. Perhaps it was commissioned for a religious or superstitious person attempting to bear children as a gift, although that might be reading too much into it.

This is interesting, however it raises the question of when the rim was cut away, by who and why. On the one hand the cuts might have been made in the modern era in order to produce a cruciform shape and pass the tsuba off as "Christian". On the other, it might have been cut by an actual Japanese Christian at some point during the Edo or Meiji Periods, especially if the patina is (natural as opposed to artificially) thick.

Just saw this beautiful listing on Jauce and it reminded me of our discussion in this thread! Only 8 hours left on this one and probably out of my price range at this point in time... https://www.jauce.com/auction/c1150054016

Aw hell naw, those things are terrifying!

I noticed this one Dale. It's interesting because it appears to be a mass reproduction of an authentic piece. On some of the reproductions different metals are sometimes used (eg. Bronze or copper for the circle around the head in the top right instead of gold, etc.) Or maybe I am wrong and the whole design is modern, who knows?

Seems like an unusual theme but the first thing that came to my mind was onmyoji paper shikigami... Doubt this is correct though

300,000 yen and PULLED AGAIN!!! BIG jump up from the last auction! I don't think anyone quite predicted that increase! Stay tuned for the inevitable part 3 (series finale?)

You may be right as I overlooked this detail. I just went back and had another look, I had not noticed what looks like a wakizashi on the standing figure!

We have another player! Come on, quickly place your bets while you still can people!

This is possible also. Personally I still think it depicts a teaching moment, possibly between a famous figure in their youth and their teacher who has visited the fort to tutor them. The Kamakura Period also coincides with the rise in accessibility to education for samurai children! The low vs high posture of both figures in the image, plus the hands of our "teacher" lead me to believe the tsuba depicts tutoring of the first born son. Then again maybe my preconceived biases are part of the equation!

Possibly, or it might simply have been made as a decorative piece. Personally I think it is a later Edo tsuba, post 1800 and intended as a decorative piece but I acknowledge the observation.

Hi Grey, The item is in the other hand that wouldn't be covered... I think you're referring to simply the raised hand itself. Still a minor issue if you intend to mount it but nothing that would significantly conceal the motif and certainly not a problem for a Tosogu collector with no interest in blades like me!

Additional modern photo of a Shinto priest for context: The item in the hand may also be Shinto Hinoki wood like the one in this photo and not a fan as I initially said!

Tsuba one seems to be kind of similar to this tsuba I found through a quick online search... https://www.eldreds....ing-a-mou_B3C4B97863 Possibly the same Kaneiye? Fushimi school? As for the motif of the second one I believe it likely depicts a teacher and student. Looks like a young boy of samurai status receiving a formal education. I am a big fan of the second one! Edit: To expand on my post, the character on the right is holding a fan which was typically used as a teaching prop. The position of the other hand looks like he is giving a lecture and the head wear is indicative that the man is a priest (as might be the gate in the background). Literacy and numeracy were typically taught in the temple during the pre-Edo and early Edo periods before the introduction of formalised school systems. Important samurai families might also have educators make home visits to tutor their sons.

So I have been doing some research into different schools and I came upon an interesting tsuba from the kikuchi school. I was wondering if anyone had any additional information about the Kikuchi school artisans/lineage as I am curious about the particular artisan who created this piece. I am particularly interested in knowing if this is an example of musume-bori from a female artisan. Any help would be appreciated. https://www.aoijapan...sui/#google_vignette

Hands and fingers in general are pretty difficult to draw or carve, so I don't think it's wise to dismiss every tsuba with a weird hand or finger as a modern fake. Tsuba like any other form of art have different levels of quality and were made by artisans of varying levels of skill or expertise. Not every tsuba will be a generational masterpiece. Some are just modest pieces with a nice cultural design, slightly stiff line work and a weird hand. At least, this is what I think, but I will defer to Dale's wealth of knowledge and experience.

Second time *That I know of* Consider this a fun game to gauge both the value and the market!

Nuh-uh, that's too easy! Everybody's gotta state a specific value to take part in the game, no easy way-outs! Based on how the last auction went my bet is 180,000 yen and the seller pulls it again at the last minute!

As the title suggests, this is a sequel to my post a week or so ago about the cool looking gold Meiji Tsuba... https://www.jauce.com/auction/p1149591169 The question is will the seller follow through this time and what price will they fetch this round? Last time we reached 132,000 yen, gentlemen place your bets! Edit: Previous thread for context - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/49607-cool-looking-gold-tsuba/#comment-516533

I believe this is what Peter is referring to, the unnaturally shaped hand and curved fingers on the back and the curved forefinger on the front.

The hand is one thing about the design I did find a bit odd. It is probably the one part of the design I don't like. That and the linework feels a little stiff or unnatural. That said it struck me as a late design rather than a modern fake. I also trust Dale's judgment. If it was obtained for a reasonable price (along with the rest of the sword) I think it's a decent piece. Not something I would pay top dollar for but something I might buy.

This is a nice tsuba, the type of thing I would add to my own collection. I have a couple of tsuba with similar aesthetic depicting Daikoku and Ebisu which I have yet to post on the forum. Probably different schools/origins but slightly similar style.

Hey Ron, I'm nowhere near knowledgeable enough to narrow down the school or specific artisan but i would guess that they may have produced this tsuba in the Satsuma region, or as a commissioned work for a Satsuma samurai based on the apparent Shimazu crest on each of the "petals" of the tsuba. Maybe researching artisan schools from Satsuma (Southern Kyushu) might give you some leads.