Few newbie questions and my second tsuba.

[Antti]

Greetings,

 

As my first purchase was not a total failure, I was encouraged to buy my second tsuba. Few months of saving and rummaging the internet, I found myself coming back to this particular example every time.

 

But, questions first if I may.

 

1. Is there some kind of comprehensive catalogue of different Yagyu tsuba designs? Although I dont find them very aesthetically pleasing, I am very interested in learning more about them, and as their range of designs seems to be rather diverse, I was wondering if there was a website or a book that has a comprehensive collection of their designs? I think Ive seen this old book or catalogue somewhere with drawn Yagyu designs, but I cannot seem to find it now.

 

2. There are two terms I cannot seem to find a translation to. First is "kodai" (sometimes godai, or ko-dai), which is usually used with a school attribution, like kodai Higo, kodai Akasaka etc. They seem to be in the lower end of the price scale, so I am guessing its a negative attribute. I have a hunch that it may mean "Akasaka-style" or "Higo-style", so that the design is FROM a prestigeous school, but it was not made BY that school. Would this be correct?

The second term is Ubu. Now I know it means something like unaltered, but could someone explain what it means if Tsuba is Ubu? If Nakago-ana has been altered for fitting, is it no longer Ubu? Or does it need a repatination or a restoration work of some kind to be considered not Ubu?

 

3. Thirdly, I would like to know about the popularity of this fine hobby. Could you tell me, if you can, is the number of people collecting Tosogu rising or falling? Is it now more popular than ever, or is has it been more popular in the past? Im sure it is very difficult to say, but if you have a gut feeling, I would appreciate it. I would assume it would be in correlation with sword collecting in general and Im sure the recent economic downturn has had its effect to it as well.

 

4. One more question about the prices of tsuba. Many of you have been collecting for a long time, so I would like to hear whether tsubas are less/more expensive than in the past. Inflation has occured surely, and the prices are probably in correlation with the number of people collecting (supply/demand), but again if you have a gut feeling about this I really would like to know.

 

Okay now to the tsuba.

 

To my amateurish eye, the condition seems to be excellent, the design very elegant and I find the color just beautiful. My favourite detail is that one branch that doesnt quite reach the rim.

 

Akasaka (Mumei)

Size: 71,5mm x 68mm x 4,5mm

NBTHK Hozon origami

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Antti,

1. Don't know about the book but wish I did.

2. Kodai means undifferentiated later generation. Godai means 5th generation. Ubu, when applied to a tsuba, usually means that kotsuka and/or kogai hitsu-ana haven't been added to a tsuba that originally had none. It may also mean that the tsuba is original diameter (some have been cut down, made smaller).

3. No idea how many people collect kodogu or whether the number is more or less than it used to be. I lost count.

4. I think prices/value for quality items hold through time regardless; a great tsuba will always be valuable. Low to medium grade pieces are more likely to fluctuate with economy and #s of collectors.

5. The tsuba you've picked is very nice; I like it a lot. I don't know the price, of course, but if the price doesn't seem outlandish to you it probably is a smart purchase.

But I'm not an authority. Grey

[John A Stuart]

後代 in this case ko is later dai is generation, as per Grey. A book on Yagyu tsuba; YAGYU TSUBA, SHAHON YAGYU REN NARI TSUBA FUROKU, Miki Yoshitomo, Osaka, 1997. John

[Marius]

Well done Antti!

 

I wish every newbie would do such purchases :-)

[Antti]

Thank you mr. Stuart and mr. Doffin for sharing your wisdom, and thank you Mariusz for your flattering comment!

I'll try to see if that book is available somewhere. Next few hundred bucks I manage to scratch together will go to books anyway.

 

Oh yeah, and if anyone can give an age estimation of that tsuba I would really appreciate it. Im just being evasive and say mid-late Edo.

Although I read somewhere that older Akasaka tsubas were about 4,5mm thick (as this one) and the later ones were usually thicker. However it doesnt really look that old at all. Can anyone help?

 

Thanks!

[christianmalterre]

Nice choice!

very late,correct.-mostly an hereditary(in remind) Tadamasa Aka shop manufacturers piece.

Me personally had put it more into Toshio direction-if but papered to Aka directly it´s of course equally good and certainly correct-the symbolism is,as mentioned before,loaned from Tadamasa(the Nidai)...at least reminds me to him immediately(maybe an bit stiff but that´s O.K. for that production time)...

 

Nice Guard!-Good iron-good choice!

 

Christian

[Antti]

Thank you Christian!

 

You mentioned it is good iron, but I've thought the late Edo iron tsuba were generally poorer quality "factory iron". So is this an exception?

 

I hope in the future I will learn to recognize good and bad iron when I see it. Still working on it

[christianmalterre]

tu parles a tort!

There´s some of the very(ever)best iron ben produced-especially in latter times!

The problem is in fact no problem...

you just have to know into which tradition to look for it...

 

your´s "start" is more than just excellent!

(no reason to be shy)!

 

LOL!

 

Very nice Tsuba!(if i had seen it before i certainly had asked mine "minister fiscalis" so to proof the actual cashflow...Laugh!)

 

Christian

[Curran]

I agree with Mariusk: well done.

Not often a newbie comes in with two solid examples.

 

As to collecting, I think the number of fittings collectors in the west is growing. In the last decade, many fittings books have been published or translated into English.

This has really helped.

 

Prices: up, down ,sideways. Supply vs demand is very true and there is ebb & flow in terms of what people collect. Some of the traditionally collected schools have come down in price as old collectors sell into new collectors who are better educated and able to collect across any school they wish. Many top quality pieces hit the market with the closing of the private Sano Fittings Museum around 2004. ~~ However, since 2009 there seems to be an increasing shortage of the upper top level pieces. With a few exceptions, they seem to go relatively fast privately.

 

Attached is a ko-akasaka similar design to your tsuba. I think this is one of the earliest designs in the school, as I feel this ko-akasaka predates the nidai Tadamasa (Rice grains) and the sandai Tadatora (Bamboo sprouting). I tend to think of Tadatora's as being the meatiest ones, but there are many exceptions.

[Antti]

Thank you Curran for your insight. I remembered that this tsuba had some design similarities with your avatar. You posted some really nice tsuba. I especially like the first tsuba you posted, so elegant. I love the irregular hitsu anas and how seamlessly they blend into the design.

 

By the way, does that small... "ring" have any significance. I mean the small loop in your first tsubas 5 o'clock and my tsubas 4 o'clock.

 

You mentioned the lack of higher end tsuba. Although I see Juyo token swords for sale all the time, Ive only seen one Juyo token tsuba for sale somewhere. First I assumed that getting a Juyo token for a tsuba would be very rare, but perhaps people are just hanging onto them pretty tightly or selling them privately.

[Pete Klein]

You might pick up the Dai Token Ichi catalogs as they have Juyo level tsuba/fittings illustrated.

[Curran]

As Pete said: back issues of the Dai Token Ichi catalogs.

There are significantly less Juyo kodogu than swords. Why?: the reasons are many....

 

I think those are dewdrops(?) on the morning grass.

Some say the design is the grass of Sekigahara after the battle.

 

(The ko-akasaka was one of my first "a-ha, I appreciate this aesthetic" finds. It was in very bad shape when I bought. Caring for it, the tsuba has healed remarkably over the last decade.)

 

As they all say.... books are a good thing. If you like Akasaka, try to get the Sano Akasaka book w/ its English translation.

It is a good read and very helpful.

[andreYes]

Thank you, Antti! Very interesting topic

I like Akasaka tsuba too. Especially different kinds of "grass design"!

 

A separate thanks to Curran, very nice pictures!

The third tsuba in your post (the Tadatora's) - is it also Akasaka ? If I'll see this tsuba without your comments, I never even suggest that it could be Akasaka!

[Antti]

Thank you mr. Klein, Curran and Andrey for your answers.

 

I'll certainly take a look at those Dai Token Ichi catalogues. As I said, I will invest in books next, but hopefully can still get a new tsuba before the end of the year, but we'll see.

I was going to get the Haynes fittings index and some other books as well. I have around ten books about Japanese swords in general, but not a single one about tsuba in particular. First I'll try to find the books that have a lot of relevant information, but are not as expensive as those rare editions. Perhaps some comprehensive, all-around books about tsuba instead of editions with very detailed information about a very specific topic, like a specific school or something.

 

Mr. Doffin seems to have some of those catalogues for sale so perhaps I will get one or two when I again manage to scrape some money together.

[andreYes]

Here is a list of important books about tsuba.

 

For me the following books were very helpful:

- Tsuba an Aesthetic Study

- Nihonto Koza Volume VI, Kodogu Part I

- Early Japanese Sword Guards, Sukashi Tusba

[Antti]

Thanks for the list and the books you recommended. These will be enough to get me going!