Marc BROQUIN

Hello John, :D How are you ? :D I think you are not far from the answer. I agree on the KISHU JU , even badly carved, it seems still recognisable. For the SADA no doubt too. But for the KANE, I cannot find here the Kanji KANE for gold or metal use in HAYNES H.07715.0, I would prefer the TSUGU which corresponds to HAYNES 07860 which is also a KII inhabitant. I admit that the proposition is not easily recognisable on the tsuba, but the features of the exposed kanji in my modest opinion seem to fit better in this way. Best regards Marc

Hello Cowles, The tsuba seems to be a cast copy. Japanese or chinese : that is the question !! Best Marc

Hello Roy, This is a certificate of KANTEISHO (appraisal) certainly by NBTHK but former standard issue. The name written in roman letters is the name of the owner at the time of certification. This is a pair of menuki, in shakudo, mumei (without signature), and in parenthesis the attribution is given to HAMANO. Try to find the different certificates of former NBTHK in order to identify if it is kitcho, tokubetsu kitcho or koshu tokubetsu kitcho certificate. Look at the collum beginning by __. Best regards Marc

Hello Andrey, I checked several books and found out some more info. if I consider your message containing the 4 signatures pic. The 3rd one you mention as JOLY ISSHINSHI, due to this particular HARU appears to be related to H 08220, ISHIKAWA, DEWA AKITA JU SHIGEHARU. This signature figures in the 3vol. WAKAYAMA with the same particularities. So i would not consider it as the reference for your tsuba signature. For Haynes he has not described it with this artist name of ISSHINSHI so if Joly gives this combination, I would not consider it as right (cf WAKAYAMA and HAYNES). (Another SHIGEHARU is from Nara H. 08222, but there is no ressemblance in the signatures, even if the top key of the SHIGE could fit). The 4th signature of your table seems effectively from H. 08223 SHOAMI SHIGEHARU (AKASHI, HARIMA province) according to Joly's SHOSANKESHU with this typical HARU , but neither WAKAYAMA nor KINKO MEIKAN mention this signature. This type of so simple tsuba IMO doesn't fit, also in general, with shoami work. For the second signature, I must admit there are differencies in the kanji writing. So it could be another SHIGEHARU ca. 1800, H. 08227 for which Haynes gives : From a tsuba with a 2 kanji signature. The source is WAKAYAMA Kinko Jiten W-266-L-9. Haynes cites also a SHIGEHARU named MITSUSHIGE H. 05404 but in the lineage of HAYASHI MATASHICHI and working in this style : nothing comparable. I do not have the Kinko Jiten, So I would suggest you to look to this track with a 2 kanji signature. Sorry for not helping so much... Friendly. Marc

Hello all :D , Just perhaps a suggestion related to the writing of MA ME MI MO... It seems to be written in dutch language. :D We used in the past to learn to little children how to write the different pronounciations of these letter combinations; In french MA, ME, MI, MO, MU in order to give the different sounds with the different wovels. But in dutch OE has the sound of OU in french or OO in english such as in WOOD. So as far as Dutch people replaced the Portuguese with the time in Japan, it seems quite possible to see here a dutch impact. Friendly. :D Marc

Hello all :D , Related to the subject tsuba, I found in the Haynes book several Shigeharu with the specific kanjis . 2 of them may fit the aforementionned pictures. I discarded one Ishikawa, one Morioka, one Shoami, one bushu and one Hayashi. One concerns an UMETADA SHIGEHARU H. 08224. Could be possible but there is no more description than "made tsuba around 1800". :? The other one is an ISSHINSHI SHIGEHARU living in Nishijin (Kyoto), Yamashiro around 1850, H. 08225 : description is given of an iron plate irregula plate tsuba with wood grain surface and some inlay. Except the lack of inlay, there is a serious potential this artist be this one. Any comment welcome. Friendly Marc

Hello Keith, Yes you certainly are right. I didn't remarked these details previously. Best Marc

Hello all, I would like to add a little comment about gilding. For me a gilded metal is one on which gold has been deposited by traditionnal mercury alloy process or electolysis. Do you consider nunome zogan equal as guilding ? Because if one can see traces of the file, it is surely nunomezogan : gold leaf applied by smooth hammering on a striated surface. Comments welcome. Friendly, Marc

Hello Peter, I saw recently a CHOSHU NAKAI tsuba with a similar design and construction. Perhaps a track ? Friendly Marc

Hello all, I was looking at the old posts and fell upon yours. I don't know if I am right but it looks as a good and authentic Kinai tsuba because the appearance of the kanjis seems authentic (which is not the case in chinese cast copies). The general design is typical of Kinai but I have the feeling that someboby has tried to re-patinate it with fire and oil as some people did for guns in the past. This sometomes gives this type of patina after alteration. Any comment welcome. Friendly. Marc

Hello :D , Just a little remark about the decorated mimi . I own a tsuba with this design of multiple hexagons made by an UMETADA signing with a gold flower for UME, possibly UMETADA MASAHIDE . He was frequently doing the same work with such a decorated mimi, kind of extension of the design upon the mimi. True Nobuiye bear sometimes this particularity. About the turtle, it looks like somebody added it by carving and not inserting) afterwards and did the patination again. This could have created this flat surface which differs in patination. This type of patina could be a mixture of firing such as YAGYU tsuba and etching with acidic solutions. Any comment about this assertion is welcome. About the signature, IMO it doesn't look like original one I have seen but nobody's perfect... Friendly :D Marc

Hello all :D , About the curve of the bow , many bows show a reverse or negative curve when not tensioned with the string and it is the case of Japanese ones among others. This gives pre-tensioning before bending and more propulsive force. This explains certainly the present form of the bow. The mon is not from Tokukawa which is formed by 3 aoi leaves in a circle. This general mon has been in use by Ashikaga, by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and presently by the Prime minister of Japan. :| This association of a bow and a standard is not described in the KOJI HOTEN from Weber, but could be perhaps found in Japanese texts books, This type of kozuka seems actually as said previously, produced for western trade during 19th century. Many shoami workers were trained for that. :? Friendly :D . Marc

Hello all, I am not sure at all but from general appearance it looks like to be from the GOTO SEIJO school. I have already seen in the past this type of design attributed to this school. Any comment would be welcome. Best Marc

Hello all, :D May I bring my little stone I got this tsuba a week ago; and it seems well to fit with the YONEMITSU's school production. Any comment ? Friendly Marc

Hello all :D , I agree also with Ford upon the fact this tsuba is not a modern one . But it does not seems so old too . Consulting the Haynes, the only referenced tsubako of Meiji period is WATANUKI HISANORI with a date around 1875. (Source W - 103 - U - 1). Perhaps should we look towards this carver ? Friendly Marc :D

Hello :D , One of my friends is looking for Namban Fuchi Kashira for a Katana . Thanks by advance for any help Friendly Marc

Hello :D You are perfectly right, John , I was giving only my feeling on the design but of course for approaching a better determination it would even be better to have the tsuba in hands :D Best Marc

Hello, Thank you Bazza for this contribution. Yes it is the same mon but the construction of the tsuba is not the same. What are the dimensions and particularly the thickness ? Onin type tsuba are thin (around 4 mm) compared to other heianjozogan type tsubas. But it is interesting to read : end of middle muromachi for the age. Muromachi begins in 1391 and ends in 1573. I know these dates are subject to alternatives in numerous books. But let's take that as an exemple. As it is formulated, Muromachi has to be divided in three parts. Beginning, middle and End each one of a 60/61 years duration. After calculation, this tsuba should be dated from around 1490 to 1510 (mathematicaly speaking) ; it means some 15 to 35years after ONIN wars. Personaly I would have attributed it to the end of MUROMACHI perhaps even MOMOYAMA. John, what do you think ? Friendly yours Marc

Hello :D , IMO the first one with those tiny shells looks very well like SHOAMI work, perhaps KYO SHOAMI . The second one could effectively be OWARI but I have a small doubt . The third one is IMO OWARI the square hitsu ana being typical of this school The fourth one could be SHOAMI too but I have also a doubt, because of some AKASAKA and ONO trends IMO modestly. In fact only the third seems purely OWARI. Best to all Marc

Message sent with some other pics. I will search and try to find your tsuba. Best Marc

Hello John :D , Wakizaka and Hatakeyama are the only one havig used this specific mon . It seems KAWACHI HATAKEYAMA continued to use it until... almost 1600 :? . After that they became retainers of other major Daymios. : MUTSU and NOTO HATAKEYAMA used a simple circle with 2 horizontal lines, as far as I discovered on the Web :| . Japanese friends confirmation would be appreciated . I am still working on the family; hope to have finished for end of February . About the tsuba itself, what period do you propose ? Best Marc

Hello :D What do you think about the age of this tsuba . Does it date from the Onin war (around 1460/70) or is it later as I think (end of Muromachi) ? I do not think that the other incrustation represents any Mon but only a decoration. What is your idea ? Thanks Regards :D Marc

Hello, I promised to expose the famous tsuba I spoke about in my first post. It's time to do it. Best to all. Thanks for your help. Marc

Hello John :D , Yes I know the complete story more of less . In fact 2 families have weared the name. At first one from Taira descendance and the other from Minamoto descendance. And Takeyama disappeared from political life with the beginning of 17th century. I am screening the Net to get all info and preparing a file with all I can collect, but the file will be in french... Sorry When it will be finished I will send it to you, if you want. :D Best :D Marc

Hello John, A thousand thanks for your precious research. It will help indeed but perhaps our Japanese friends can give us sone more details precisely on this potential alliance. What I do not understand is : when you are a male and marry, you bring your name and Mon. Or you change your name afterwards and you keep your Mon ? Some thing bizarre, no ? Need more help to get the light. Best to all. Marc