Help in IdentificationI am requesting help in identifying th

[Pastor B]

I am requesting help in identifying this Tsuba. I have an opportunity to purchase this item but I don’t read Japanese. I am concerned that it is not a reproduction. Also, any idea what the value would be? It measures approximately 3 inches in across and 3.125 inches up and down. The weight is approximately ¼ pound. The wide part of the nakago ana measures 5/16 inches across with the thinner area being 3/16 inches wide and 1.125 inch long; the widest part of the kogai bitsu measures 3/8 inches and the widest part of the kodzuka bitsu measures 3/8 inches; the thickness is approximately 3/8 inches. A magnet sticks to this Tsuba. It is signed on both sides.

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

Pastor B

[Thierry BERNARD]

藻柄子入道　 宗典製

 

江州彦根住

 

soten school!

[Brian]

Oh, it is real...and Soten as Thierry said. Search the forum for Soten School and you will find a ton of info. Yours is mediocre quality, as they can get quite detailed. Price...difficult to say, but I estimate around $300 or so?

 

Brian

[Thierry BERNARD]

Yours is mediocre quality

Brian

 

Not so bad imho, not a master class tsuba, but best than most of hikone bori tsuba we could find!

[Marc BROQUIN]

Hello All,

Yes indeed the incription is HIKONE JU SOHEISHI NYUDO SOTEN SEI. But the carving is a bit under what the Soten School has normaly produced. So I will prefer to atribute it as HIKONEBORI school or even a SOTEN copy SHOAMI.

Discussion welcome.

Best

Marc

[Surfson]

I would estimate its value in the $400-500 range.

[docliss]

I agree with Marc that this is probably an Aizu Shōami copy of Sōten work. Interestingly the three-stroke kanji for ‘shi’ (子), of Soheishi, on this tsuba has the conventional, horizontal first stroke, rather than the lenticular form frequently found in Sōten mei. John L.