Help on Tsuba with horse

[stefanbrett]

Dear all,

 

I am very new on nihonto message board with my knowledge being very little. Inspired from a trip to Tokyo and a Japanese friend, I got interested in Japanese sword history and read a couple of books, however didnt buy anything.

 

Just recently, I ran into that friend again who asked me whether I would like to have this Tsuba as attached. He originally got it on a market in Shizuoka. I like it as it shows a nice landscape with a horse and a tree. I am just curious to get more information about the story this Tsuba took. He said it is probably a imono Tsuba.

 

Maybe you could let me know some more details about the meaning of this landscape, about the origin and the era it has been built?

 

Especially the markings “KK” (or XK, or XX?), which are included into the upper middle of this Tsuba confuse me a lot. I have never seen mentions about western letters in any Japanese sword art so I am surprised and wonder if you know where they come from or what they mean?

 

I attached three pictures and hope this could help you in judging the tsuba a bit more. The dimensions are as follows:

 

Width: 7.5 cm

Length: 8.0 cm

 

Length sword hole: 2.5 cm

Length kozuka and kogai hole: 1.7 cm each

 

Thanks a lot in advance for your opinions!

Regards,

Stefan

[Gunome]

hello,

 

This tsuba is a modern copy? Probably a cast one.

Sorry

[stefanbrett]

Thanks Sebastien!

 

My friend also said it is a cast one, but he assumed it would not be a modern or copy one as he said that kind of patina would definitely not be seen on modern ones.

 

Anyway, thnanks for your input, hope there are more opinions out there..

Stefan

[christianmalterre]

Your´s friend seems to be an at least honest friend!

(LOL!)

 

Me just do wonder about this...

Who can help?(never have seen this yet...)

 

 

 

Christian

[chris covington]

Hello all,

 

This might be a long shot but this is a thought... I've seen cast tsuba that were given as awards for things like budo. Maybe the "KK" is an organizational logo or part of some sort of award? Just a guess.

 

Edit: I found this on ebay. Looks like a commemorative tsuba from the 1970 kokutai national sporting event that was held in Iwate. I'm guessing it was for the Fukuoka kendo team maybe? Maybe your horse tsuba was for an event like this? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Commemmorative-Tsuba-W-Sho-ki-Sama-Design-Signed-/251070077594?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item3a74f15a9a

 

Chris

[hxv]

I am curious about the shape of the nakago ana. Any idea, gentlemen?

 

Hoanh

[Grey Doffin]

I don't think this can be called a tsuba. Don't know what it is (maybe a paper weight) but I'm sure it has no value because there is no quality. Don't buy it.

Grey

[stefanbrett]

Gentlemen,

 

thanks for your judgements.

Any more ideas about the nakago ana?

And anyone who knows something more about that strange markings "KK" or whatsoever (Christian marked them in the pics)?

 

Cheers!

[chris covington]

It looks like there is one on ebay that is simillar http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-SAMURAI-SWORD-ANTIQUE-small-katana-TSUBA-No-T006-/221313245353?pt=Asian_Antiques&hash=item33874c20a9. You can see on the omote side at about 1 o'clock there is a a symbol that looks like your "KK" it also has the weird nakago ana. Maybe you can have a matching daisho set of these cast tsuba with the "KK" on them?