On an otherwise pleasant umetada tsuba...

[Tcat]

Gentlemen,

 

Aoi has for sale this mumei umetada tsuba: http://www.aoijapan.com/img/fittings/2014/F14428.jpg

 

Can anybody suggest what is with that poor excuse for a moon? Is it a later addition? It looks like it was carved with a compass by a 10 year old.

[docliss]

That is a truly lovely tsuba, with the studied simplicity of the moon complementing beautifully the overall tranquility of the scene. Yes please .... John L.

[Fuuten]

I'm not even close to being experienced in tsuba but i would think that the moon is a later addition. It would look better without it.

[Marius]

Easy to do. Here... Better now?

[Brian]

For me, yes :D

 

Brian

[seattle1]

Hello:

There were several men who used this type of rebus mei. I believe it is meant to be H01720.0 or H1723.0, however the mei executed on the tsuba is as awkward as the moon. The real artist did work in iron, executed beautifully done kebori with excellent chisel control and proportions.

Arnold F.

[Fuuten]

Easy to do. Here... Better now?

 

Now that looks a whole lot lovelier than the original to me:) Quick with the stamp-brush thingie in photoshop!

 

Edit: also on second thought i don't necessarily dislike the moon addition, but it doesn't look close to the same standard..

[Tcat]

Easy to do. Here... Better now?

 

Now that is gorgeous Hope I have not offended anyone.

[laowho]

Einstein to Bohr: Are you saying the moon isn't there when I'm not observing it?

 

Bohr to Einstein: Prove that it is.

[docliss]

Just to finalise this thread, I note that Alex's posted tsuba has an NBTHK Hozon paper certifying it as "（梅）忠 (Ume)Tada" work.

 

John L.

[seattle1]

Hello:

Sorry to be so obdurate, but I fail to see how reference to an NBTHK Hozon paper is in and of itself sufficient to "finalise" the thread. The tsuba could be correct, but if so it is wildly out of the parameters descriptive of the style or skill levels that characterize this artist. The design looks weak, the delamination seen in the upper left quadrant of the obverse stands out like a sore thumb, the moon has already been commented upon, and for a good example of a representative mei, see Kinko Meikan, 16a. The key skill attribute of the rebus Umetada is the use of the chisel, particularly in executing kebori-like lines that look very much like the beautifully executed brush strokes of a fine sumi-e, showing width variation, slope variation and rapid and sure execution.

The paper could be right and an honest judgment, but if so probably not done with an example of Umetada's work at hand. On the other hand I take the view that the object confirms the paper and not the other way around, whether sword or tosogu.

Arnold F.

[seattle1]

Hello:

I ought to have added to my above post that the failings on the example tsuba, particularly the poor chisel work on the mei and moon, is not that the work appears to be in iron. The example I own is iron and chisel fluidity is as if he was cutting butter. Any good tagane man is not hindered or challenged by iron as a medium.

Arnold F.