Kyo Sukashi

[hxv]

Greetings,

 

I couldn't resist the temptation to purchase a Kyo sukashi tsuba with a very elegant and unique design, and the iron seems to be nicely done. After the purchase, I was digging around to see if I can understand the motif, but there is nothing out there on the web. So, I cracked open my copy of Sasano, and lo and behold! My tsuba is (nearly) identical in size and motif as the tsuba on page 76 of his gold book. In the top picture, I placed my tsuba at the bottom of the page for comparison. Now my tsuba is clearly missing a flower at the bottom, but the design and the size match are unmistakable. In the middle picture, I placed my tsuba directly on top of his tsuba for comparison, and it's a match. In the bottom picture, I took a close up photo of my tsuba where the missing flower would have been, and sure enough, I see a notch, identical to the notches where the other two flowers are. It looks like the missing flower had been missing for a long...... time, as the iron on both the rim and on the bottom side of the triangle have healed and patinated nicely.

 

Given my reading of Sasano's interpretation of the motif and that I have not seen any motif remotely similar to it, is it reasonable to assume that this guard and the one in Sasano's book were made by the same person, or at least in the same shop, during the same period? This is not a rhetorical question, and I have not formed an opinion at the moment. Any discussion/comment/theory is most welcome as always. Even with the missing sukashi, it's quite charming and I like it a lot!

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[John A Stuart]

I would think so, and it is a nice and tight design. I believe you could have this restored if desired. It would complete it and if done well not detract from it at all. John

[hxv]

Thank you for the great suggestion, John. I didn't know this extent of restoration is even possible. I like the tsuba enough to pursue the idea.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[TosoguCz]

Greetings,

is it reasonable to assume that this guard and the one in Sasano's book were made by the same person, or at least in the same shop, during the same period?

 

Hello,

I wouldn't say it is similar enough to assume that it was made by the same person, or in the same shop. Execution of piece in Sasano's book is more fine. The rim is differently shaped and contours of hitsu ana and the flowers are nicely done. I see the same motif but not the similar workmanship at all.

[hxv]

Roman,

 

Your point is well taken. I do see that Sasano's tsuba has a finer rim.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[John A Stuart]

Yes, maybe. But within an atelier there are bound to be differences depending on the craftsman. Then it may be a copy, in the good sense. John

[hxv]

I should really elaborate on my thinking. If Sasano's interpretation of the motif is correct, it seems unlikely that this motif is of interest to anyone except a few people of this particular lineage. Furthermore, this motif doesn't seem to be one of those that are popular and repeated to death through times, e.g., mitsutomoe. So, it seems unlikely to me that it is a later copy of Sasano's tsuba. If I were to order a tsuba, or a few tsuba, for my personal use, I would most likely order it from the same tsuba shop, rather than sprinkling my business around, hence my conjecture that Sasano's tsuba and mine came from the same shop during the same time period. I know conjectures are just conjectures, but there is some logic behind it. As John said, there are many different levels of workmanship, even in the same tsuba shop, so differences in the level of workmanship does not bother me.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[TosoguCz]

Yes, maybe. But within an atelier there are bound to be differences depending on the craftsman. Then it may be a copy, in the good sense. John

Maybe, but I would expect some "studio" standards. But who knows how strict they were. But definitely it is not from the same person.

[Ford Hallam]

there are many different levels of workmanship, even in the same tsuba shop

 

I very much doubt that this was the case. The reputation of any workshop, then or now, rests on the consistancy of the quality of the products produced in any given time frame. The notion that workers made tsuba at different levels of skill in the same studio reveals a misunderstanding of how traditional training worked. An apprentice tsuba-shi would not be allowed to complete a tsuba until the master was sure the finished piece would meet his own standards. Anything less would undermine his own reputation.

 

The late Ningenkokuhō Higo tsuba-shi Tahei Yonemitsu (1888~1980) made his own trainees practice nunome-zogan and the fundamentals of tsuba making for 10 years before he would allow them to make a tsuba.

[TosoguCz]

Another example of the same motif.

[hxv]

Very, very nice example and thank you!

 

Hoanh

[laowho]

Another example of the same motif.

 

I'm not at all a fan of modern tosogu, but that was before coming to this forum and discovering Ford and now you. Went to your website and have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how very appealing is your work.