Owari tsuba - patina and hitsu ana

[sabi]

Hello all! Hope everyone in the US is off to a fantastic start on their Labor Day weekend and happy Saturday to the rest of the World!

 

I just picked up this plate and I'd love to share discuss with the board. It's given to Owari, Momoyama period. Measures 8 x 8.2 cm, .5 cm thick at the mimi and .48 cm thick at the nakago ana. Nakago ana measures .75 x 2.7 cm.

 

It's been a fantastic piece to study already. The bold and strong design drew me to it and has been a pleasure to admire. I've started diving into the details one by one, using published examples as references to learn everything there is to know about it.

 

That has led me to a couple questions, I was hoping this could spark some discussion as there is probably no right or wrong answer. Both seem pretty subjective from what I have read so far.

 

First, the patina. This piece displays the textbook purple tint of the Qwari (and some others). I was wondering if anyone had come across a theory on how this was achieved. Was it a property of the iron itself? If so, what? Could it be a product of heat treat? If so, how? Perhaps there isn't a straightforward answer, I just haven't found so much as an opinion on it. I've seen a lot of metal in my life (custom knives preceded this hobby) but nothing quite like this, it has certainly sparked my interest.

 

Second, the kogai hitsu ana. There seems to be two of them. Now, I've done a bit of reading on this and opinions are widely scattered. Some think that carrying two kogai was not too far fetched as it was a general utility tool. Guess it couldn't hurt to have two! Others think that the shape has little to do with what was actually mounted in this case, and that a kozuka could easily be made to fit inside of a kogai-shaped ana. But, why go through the trouble of making the second one lobed? Aesthetic purposes to keep the symmetrical design intact?

 

Another touch on the hitsu ana. They have been wonderfully plugged in this case. I'm assuming whoever did them was also the one who carved the spider, but that's obviously just a guess. My other question is why plug them at all? If it were being mounted on a different koshirae that didn't accept the accessories, why not just leave it as is? That way you could keep the possibility open to utilize them in the future. I haven't researched it but I'm guessing that once you plug them, that's it. Seems like it would be tough to remove them without damaging the plate, especially given the tight fit of these. If there was a way to remove them I'd love to hear about it!

 

Last we have the pics. Cell phone shots are the best I can give you but they do give an honest look at it. What you see is awfully close how it looks in hand. I have included a couple of different angles and lighting changes to show both its "normal" look as well as the different undertones.

 

Hope you guys enjoy it! Any and all discussion is graciously appreciated.

 

[Antti]

I think it is a very nice tsuba and you really did a good job. Strong, yet elegant, good condition. The spider is the cherry on top. Especially enjoyed your final photo.

 

Very good start I think!

 

I'm sure the more knowledgeable can help you with the questions you had.

[Kevin Adams]

One of the traditional methods of affixing the plugs in the hitsu-ana is pitch, so it would be no great feat to remove them later as needed. I like the spider detail, it makes me wonder if the plugs were part of the original design of the tsuba, rather than a retrofit...

[sabi]

Antti, thank you my friend. You have been very helpful in my early stages. You were the first to reach out to me to help and I am deeply ggrateful for that.

 

I put that picture last in the sequence for a reason, it was my favorite too :D

 

Kevin, I honestly did not know that! Makes perfect sense though, i just simply didnt give any thought as to how they are fixed in there. If that were the case I would assume some punch work would knock them right out.

 

I also hadnt considered them being part of the design from the start. I had just assumed this started as a plain spider web sukashi and whoever plugged it decided to add the spider. Unfortunately I don't think we'll ever know for sure!

[Soshin]

Hi Evan,

 

Unless you are mounted the tsuba on a sword and have good reason to remove the plugs I would recommend just leaving them alone. I think they look nice given the sukashi design. Can I see a photo of rim edge?

[sabi]

Hi Evan,

 

Unless you are mounted the tsuba and have good reason to remove the plugs I would recommend just leaving them alone. I think they look nice given the sukashi design. Can I see a photo of rim edge?

 

Don't worry, not planning on removing them at all.

 

Just curious as to the history, reasoning and methods behind them.

 

Heres a shot of the edge, it shows suble tekkotsu all the way around. This was the best shot I could get for now, sun is starting to set here.

 

[Soshin]

Hi Evan,

 

The style of rim is called in Japanese kaku-mimi koniku (角耳小肉) which means square rim with slight rounding. This rim style along with the bold thick positive openwork are all characteristic of Owari Sukashi tsuba. I have a NBTHK Hozon papered Owari tsuba on my website for reference.

[Marius]

What about the shape os seppa-dai, the hitsu ana and the stylism?

 

Whatever the attribution, a very pleasant tsuba

[Kurikata]

Just as an information, a "little brother" is being sold on Ebay:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7882-JP-Samurai ... 2731wt_900

[Soshin]

What about the shape os seppa-dai, the hitsu ana and the stylism?

 

Whatever the attribution, a very pleasant tsuba

 

Hi Mariuszk,

 

To me the seppa-dai is a "koban (小判)" the shape of a Edo Period gold coin characteristics of Owari sukashi tsuba. I sometime disagrees with some of Skip's attributions on Grey's webiste but his one I completely agree with. The hitsu ana shape in Owari sukashi tsuba is fairly generic and not specific.

 

Hi Bruno P.,

 

Nice find on eBay thanks for sharing.

[sabi]

Thanks Marius! I've certainly over many pieces that you've posted.

 

I think the seppa dai is too broad and short to be kyo sukashi. The hitsu ana are also very standard unlike the elongated kyo sukashi counterparts. Haynes/long specify full oval seppa dai beginning late muromachi.

 

Thats not getting into the iron and overall aesthetic, which both scream owari to my eye.

 

I actually saw the one on eBay after purchasing mine. The "Higo" piece lacks boldness, depth and feels a bit flat compared to the owari. The seppa dai was also done a bit lazily IMO. It's connected to the web instead of "floating" and I think it detracts from the overall look quite a bit.

[Marius]

Evan,

 

Nobody said anything about Kyo

 

As said, nice tsuba

[raven2]

Evan,

 

Nobody said anything about Kyo

 

As said, nice tsuba

 

True Mariusz, but here is one from Skip Holbrook that Grey has on sale which is listed as Kyo.

 

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.c ... ashi-tsuba

 

BTW I really like yours very much, Mariusz.

[sabi]

Fair enough, Marius

 

My comparison to kyo was just based on the fact that they share qualities with owari tsuba of the same period and that it can be a challenge to tell between the two.

[Soshin]

Fair enough, Marius

 

My comparison to kyo was just based on the fact that they share qualities with owari tsuba of the same period and that it can be a challenge to tell between the two.

 

Hi Evan,

 

Kyo-Sukashi, Owari-Sukashi, Ji-Sukashi Ko-Shoami, and Ko-Akasaka tsuba are all very hard to tell apart sometimes. I think I might have a handle on it after ten years but I wouldn't bet on it. Please learn to take anyone attribution via low resolution photos with a "pound of salt".

Based upon the quality that I see in your tsuba I recommend submitting it to the upcoming NTHK shinsa in Chicago next April. I think they would say "Owari" but that is just my personal opinion from look at a few low resolution photos. If you are coming to the Philadelphia, PA show on October 17-19 at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott bring this tsuba along for me to take a look at as I will have a table at the show. Once I see the tsuba in hand I might be able to give a more informed opinion.

[sabi]

I had originally planned on submitting it for papers. Now I'm thinking I may just hang on to that extra $$ and put it towards another piece or some books. We'll see...

 

Probably won't be able to make it down to Philly. October is a busy month this year family wise and I can't see being able to fit the show in there.

 

I could always drop it in the mail for you to spend some quality time with it.

[Soshin]

Hi Evan,

 

No problem I understand. I will also be attending the Tampa show next February which is great to attend in the middle of Winter. The Chicago show is a big maybe right now for next year. If there is cash in pocket burning a hole I would spend it on a good book. A good beginner book is Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study, by Kazutaro Torigoye and Robert Haynes. While not perfect at 300 pages it is by far the best deal. Here is the link to club selling it for about $25.00 USD: http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_publications.htm.

[sabi]

Some more pics that help shed some light on its construction. I also thought that they would serve as a nice reference.

 

These appear to be evidence of folding from what I know but please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Not sure if this is of any significance but they are directly oopposite of each other; one at three o'clock, the other at nine.

 

Thoughts??

 

 

[Marius]

Evan,

 

Honestly, I fail to see Owari in your tsuba. Just about everything tells me it is some other school. Many would use the shoami grab bag...

 

Judging by the slightly "rustic" charm, I'd say this could be some provincial, undocumented school. And long live those provincial schools - they have produced many wonderful tsuba.

[sabi]

Hey Marius! Hope you're having a good one dude!

 

I'm completely OK with that. I didn't purchase it because of the Owari tag, that would be silly. I only posted it with that attribution because it's from a collector that knows a lot more than I do.

 

Would you mind specifying why you hold that opinion? I plan on sticking to old iron and I'm always eager to hear what others have to say. So far, you haven't gone past the seppa dai and hitsu ana, which don't throw up any flags based on what I have read. I'd love to know what you see in this, spread the love, brotha!

 

From my research, I think it ticks a lot of the boxes. The purplish patina, thickness, rim shape, surface, boldness and tekkotsu are all characteristics of Owari from what I know, but who the hell am I, right?

 

Again, I'm not concerned about the "reputation" regarding its origin. Either way it's a fantastic piece in wonderful condition and I want to explore its every detail.

 

I completely agree with you about its rustic flavor, which also drew me to it. I find more personality in such pieces than I do with the more refined styles of the capital, for example. I would love it if some unknown artist far off the grid banged this thing out.

[Steve Waszak]

Hi Evan,

 

If you get your hands on a copy of Sasano's Silver book, you'll find two tsuba which look very much like this one. Of the two, one is almost identical, while the other has an additional variation; one of the tsuba is included in the Owari section of the book; the other is included in the Shoami section. Sasano (typically) is cryptic about why one guard is in the former section, while the other is in the latter. This is a must-have book for you, Evan, if you're an early iron (really should be called steel) tsuba connoisseur.

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Marius]

I second Steve's advice. Look up the silver book or the golden book by Sasano.

 

Tell you what, Evan, it is just a hunch. If Sasano has put one into tye Owari basket and another one into the Shoami grab bag, I won't say I know better. So treat this just as a feeling, intuition that cannot be confirmed, nor concusively denied.

 

And, BTW, an eventual NBTHK origami to Owari or Shoami will be... just an opinion.

 

Get the Sasano books, read about Kanayama, for that matter. An interesting study in speculation. Attributions of old tsuba should always be treated with a grain of salt - they are in most cases just the result of an understandable desire to categorise, but, frankly, they are meaningless in cases where there are no documented lineages of tsubako.

 

In this sense, my opinion does not matter at all. Try to pinpoint the aetshetics, without getting bogged down in all those seppa-dai and rim shapes. In the case of this tsuba it will be an exercise in futility. Enjoy it, understand the iron, look at the workmanship, but don't insist on "boxes".

 

Just my two cents...

[Antti]

I got the Silver Sasano a while ago, and for a beginner I must say it has been the by far the best publication I have bought. Price can be a bit steep but the book is worth it if you like old iron. A must have.

[Soshin]

Hi Evan,

 

I concur about the purchase of the book discussed above by Steve, Mariusz, and others. I have had that book now for a few years and still use it often.

[Marius]

I would recommend the "gold" book of Sasano-sensei. Although older, the photography is better, and the contents is basically the same (perhaps a few tsuba less):

 

http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.c ... uba-sasano

[Soshin]

Hi Evan,

 

As Marius K. stated the first book is also helpful. I find both books very help and often use them. The color photos of the first book are helpful in determining what the color of the patina should look like.

[sabi]

Is there a lot of repitition between the two? If I picked one up now would it still be worth the price tag to grab the other?

[Marius]

Yes, they do overlap a lot.

[Soshin]

Hi Evan ,

 

While there is overlap between the two books the second book contains some tsuba that are not found in the first book and vice-versa. The second book covers fewer schools but the schools it does cover are in much greater detail in terms of examples. I hope you understand what I am trying to say. Looking at both books you would quickly see what I am talking about. I know the book are not cheap but try to get both idle you can.

[sabi]

Very helpful gentleman, thank you.

 

David, I know exactly what you're trying to say, much appreciated. I think the second book may be more useful for my area of study. Just to make sure I'm not missing anything, would you mind giving a quick rundown of which schools are covered in the silver book?