Edo Period Tsuba?

[Tree]

Hello Guys and Gals (are there any gals?}

 

Recently aquired this tsuba from Usagiya but they could only tell me that it is Edo period.

Any thoughts on the school etc. would really be helpful.

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Tree

[Curran]

Tree,

 

I am surprised no one else answered.

 

The cirlcing tigers and some other things point towards it being a Satsuma tsuba, though it may also be a Shoami copy as the design became very popular.

 

That is my read on it. I will try to add more if you have better photos. Personally, I'm not too fond of tiger themes (or dragon themes)- but that looks like it was a good purchase.

[Tree]

Thanks Curran.

Had a lot of trouble getting these pics on, they are much better than the previous.

Rich and Henry think Shoami too.

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Tree

[Curran]

Dear Tree,

 

I find those pictures a bit more helpful.

 

If you have the Nihonto Koza Kodogu volume (Watson translations), look up the Satsuma tsuba section and see the related examples. I am not very knowledgable on Satsuma tsuba, and would try to go off the iron to give an opinion as to Satsuma vs. Shoami.

 

Circling tiger theme, plus bamboo edges, and the gold vine paulownia scrollwork along the edge all look Satsuma at first glance. But looking at the seppa dai, spacing of elements, and (if in hand and I had a magnifier glass) how the gold has been applied might all point to it being a shoami tsuba.

 

On the whole, a decent looking tsuba in my opinion.

[Tree]

Dear Curran.

Thanks again. Funny how things work. Last night I received this letter from Usagiya. It is also not conclusive but I thought you might find it interesting. By reading it you will see that you get the gold medal.

When I purchased it I thought it to be Oda school based on the one pix I could find of a similar theme item (and the apparent similarities therein) but am happy with it anyway.

Thank you also for the positive comments.

 

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Tree