Another unknown Tsuba

[Myers]

This has been in the family for 100+ years, so I am sure nothing about it is recent. I put it in a 'special' place about 20 years

ago and have been looking for it ever since. I have scoured the web to identify it to no avail. I learned that some tsubas

can never be positively indentified. Soooooo, here it is.

 

The naturally illuminated pictures approximate the correct color. The flash pictures show the detail better, but still the amida yasuri is

barely visible. Amida yasuri are on both sides. The inlays seem to be copper and gold. The relief figures are quite finely detailed.

2 7/8 X 1/8

 

My Sony digital camera is almost as old as the tsuba so the pictures could be better. A big improvement over charcoal rubbings.

Close examination does not reveal a signature or characters of any kind. It has not been cleaned or tampered with at least in

the last 100 years.

 

What might I have? Thank You .

[ROKUJURO]

.....My Sony digital camera is almost as old as the tsuba......

That would make it a really precious thing, and you should sell it immediately and buy loads of nice TSUBA instead!

 

The bad pictures do not show much, but it seems to be a WAKIZASHI size, EDO period iron TSUBA with TAKABORI execution, but what you see as AMIDA-YASURI-ME (which is applied radially) is in fact the depiction of rain (SHOKI, the demon queller, with a damaged umbrella on the front and an ONI looking for shelter on the backside of the TSUBA).

 

Others may tell you more.

 

Please sign all posts at least with a first name.

[Curran]

Welcome.

Please formally sign with at least a first name, as per the etiquette rules.

 

Also, with the antiquated camera [i use an old one too], please take a side photo of the side where the man's umbrella finishes.

If the umbrella and design wrap a bit onto the mimi [edge], it will help pin down the general school to which this tsuba belongs.

 

If not, then we can only give a best guess and whatever information might help you in your understanding of this old sword guard.

[Jean]

Aizu shoami?

[Myers]

Amida yasuri are on both sides. Radial design, The rain crosses them. The relief figures end just before the edge. The thickness

of the edge is uniform the entire circumference. The edge also appears to be hammered.

 

 

 

From the shakey hand of P.A. Myers, Auburn CA

[Alan Morton]

Hi PA Meyers,

It is not Amida Yasuri but is slanting rain done for effect.

 

Regards Alan

[ROKUJURO]

Amida yasuri are on both sides. Radial design, The rain crosses them.....

Sorry, P.A.,

 

I was wrong! Now that you mention it again, I can see the AMIDA YASURI ME in some spots! The photos are really not great, or is it my 'shakey' eyes?

[Jean]

Understatement, Jean

[docliss]

P.A.’s tsuba is smallish is size; is unsigned; and has no designated seppa-dai. It is somewhat restrained in its design, and the elongated kozuka-hitsu indicates a considerable age. All of these characteristics, and bearig in mine the limitations imposed by the images, suggest to me a possible Kō-Nara attribution.

 

John L.

[Curran]

I was thinking towards Nara too.

Don't think I would say ko-Nara, but it is one of the areas where I don't have many books and definitely have much more to learn.

 

As the design doesn't curve around onto the mimi, I think the most I can say is [Nara den]

[Myers]

I must mention that your information is of paramount interest. This tsuba has been around my entire life. The only thing I ever knew

was that it is some type of Japanese sword hilt. The figures [shoki and Oni] have always been a curiousity.

Your help solved a 60 year old mystery, very satisfying and thanks.

 

Your specifications and identifications have given me a basis to mine more information from the web. It is curious that so many are offered

for sale with minimal background. Catalogue descriptions seem brief, even tsubas of considerable value. When I have occasion to sell

a flintlock rifle, it must be described in minute detail, in addition to multiple photos.

 

It seems obvious that this WAKIZASHI size tsuba is EDO period. That is a big span of time. Is their any way to determine [guess?]

a more specific age?

 

P.A.

[Antti]

Perhaps some better pictures would help mr. Myers! Surely you have a friend or someone who can take better quality photos.

[Ford Hallam]

I would like to suggest that the basic plate, with it's radiating 'amida yasurime' ( a misnomer as these are not filed marks, yasuri-me, but chiselled) is older than the later decoration.

 

I would concur with the general educated impression that it's decoration is of the Nara group. However this grouping comprises Tsuchiya Yasuchika, Sugiura Joi and Nara Toshinaga, each of whose work is very distinct from the others. This ought to imply a reassessment of what is usually meant by 'Nara school' style or at least a more specific indication.

 

Having said that this present piece is, in terms of visuals, most reflective of the work of the Toshinaga line, imo.

[ROKUJURO]

Ford,

 

I wonder how they could have made a TAKABORI decoration on an 'AMIDA ray' (is there a correct term for it?) underground unless they used iron ZOGAN technique on iron.

 

What do you think?

[Dr Fox]

P.A.

 

Just a small correction: It,s not a sword hilt, but a hand guard. (Tsuba)

 

Cheers

[Myers]

When my father [a professional soldier] tells me its a sword hilt, its a sword hilt. I obviously now know its a WAKIZASHI, EDO period iron TSUBA with TAKABORI execution. Thanks to your help.

 

P.A.

 

 

Also! A new camera with macro mode is on the way. Ergo; much better pictures are on the way [!?!].

[Lorenzo]

When my father [a professional soldier] tells me its a sword hilt, its a sword hilt

 

[Marius]

When my father [a professional soldier] tells me its a sword hilt, its a sword hilt.

Fathers can be wrong, as can professional soldiers

A tsuba is a guard, and a guard is just a part of the hilt. Let us stick to a universally accepted terminology.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilt

 

And, BTW, I am not sure if this applies to nihonto (Japanese art swords), because their hilt (or rather handle), called tsuka, is treated as something separate from a guard, called tsuba. There are tsubaless mountings, called aikuchi. But that is splitting hairs :D

 

You might want to start with some basic knowledge about the Japanese sword and its mountings:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/glossary.htm

[Myers]

A little better, I'm still working on the lighting.

[Marius]

That is so much better

 

The iron looks very good in these new pictures.

[Justin]

Shoki is consistent with other examples, however the Oni is not. They are usually leaner and have a more ferocious expression. It is also interesting that he is carrying a lantern.

 

Here is an example from my collection:

 

http://tosogucollection.com/2013/12/23/ ... tadatsugu/

 

As you can see the Oni on the reverse is very different to yours.