Tsuba Kantei 2015...

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Decided to offer up a newly acquired and photographed tsuba of mine for a Kantei game.  It has been issued a NTHK paper and I also have its original shinsa worksheet.  Here is what I am looking for in the answers if possible along with some type of reasoning.  The measurements of the tsuba are 7.5 cm wide by 7.4 cm high.  The thickness at the rim is about 5.0 mm.

 

What is the approximate age?

[Examples: Late Edo Period or Early Jōmon Period]

 

School or group that made the tsuba?

[Examples: Goto School or Ko-Katchūshi]

 

Province and/or major city where it was produced?

[Examples: Settsu Province and/or Edo] 

 

What is the design(s)?

[Examples: Rain Dragon or Shishi]

 

What is the quality level of the piece as evaluated by the NTHK? Did tsuba received a shintesho, kanteisho, or yashu-saku level papers from the NTHK?  What was the approximate point score?  

[Examples: kanteisho, 70 pts.]

 

The tsuba is not listed on my website.  If you have any questions please send me a PM as to leave space for replies to the topic for answers.  The shinsa will run a week starting today and then I will post a detail answer to each question and include a photo of the NTHK paper along with the tsuba. 

 

[MauroP]

Hi David,
I like your challenges (and your tsuba as well). That's my try:
 
- middle Muromachi period
- Kanayama (but simply Owari could be the right answer)
- Owari province (modern Aichi prefecture)
- karigane and...?  (that's the most difficult answer since NTHK sensei  can take out every kind of rabbit from  their hats)
- kanteisho (mid level paper)
 
Bye, Mauro

[hxv]

Mauro took the lead. I'll follow.

 

Momoyama period

Kanayama

Owari province 

Karigane + who knows?

Kanteisho, may be 74 points?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Rich S]

I'm guessing: mid-Momoyama, has elements of Kanayama, Owari; Kyo-sukashi; but I'm think Echizen ju Akao.

Can I be more off base?

Rich

[Ford Hallam]

David

 

have you considered asking people to evaluate the actual weight, the relative density, approximate carbon content and that old stand by, the hardness ( on either the Vickers, Brinell or Rockwell scales) ?

 

Given that these qualities are regularly given in discussions and descriptions of iron sukashi tsuba I think it important that we at least start to learn how to properly recognise and evalute them.

[MauroP]

I use to bite the tsuba to evaluate hardness and carbon content, so if David send me his tsuba I can surely give an educated opinion....

bye, Mauro

[Soshin]

David

 

have you considered asking people to evaluate the actual weight, the relative density, approximate carbon content and that old stand by, the hardness ( on either the Vickers, Brinell or Rockwell scales) ?

 

 

Ford,

 

Yes I consider those type of things all the time when examining iron tsuba but will never do any type of destructive testing.  The mass of the tsuba is 70.9 grams.

[Steve Waszak]

An excellent tsuba:

 

Momoyama period (though the papers will probably say Muromachi, these guards are pure Momoyama...)

Kanayama

Owari province

karigane and gourds

kanteisho, 80 points

 

Steve

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

A quick bump to the tsuba kantei topic.  Thanks for everyone who has participated so far in the tsuba kantei.  I will start to try and write something up tomorrow after work and have it posted by Thursday including a photo of the NTHK paper along with the tsuba.         

[Brian]

Muromachi, Owari scoring kanteisho of 77 points. Theme has been described already.

 

Brian

[BMarkhasin]

Momoyummy,

Kanayama (Owari)

Gourds and Karigane

Kanteisho 70 pts

 

Nice tsuba.

Boris.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Attached are two photos of the tsuba along with the NTHK paper.  Here is my write of the result of the tsuba kantei.  Thanks for participating in the kantei and I hope your learned something.  Feel free to discuss or ask questions.  

 

 

Question: What is the approximate age?

 

Answer:  The NTHK paper dates this tsuba which I agree with especially upon my review of examples in both Masayuki Sasano Published English books on the topic of Japanese sword guards to the middle Muromachi Period (室町時代中期) from about the Onin (応仁) era about 1467 to the Bunmei (文明) era about 1487. ^{1, 2}      

 

Question: School or group that made the tsuba?

 

Answer:  The NTHK paper attributes  this tsuba to be the work of the Kanayama (金山) group.  From my own research on the topic I have came to the same conclusion as to the group who made this tsuba.  The key kantei points allowing this tsuba to be attributed to the Kanayama group includes the numerous large granular iron bones (tekkotsu 鉄骨) along the rim as well as the surface of the tsuba.  The surface of the tsuba has been treated by reheating and slow cooling the plate (yakite-shitate 焼th手仕立) giving the surface a glossy smooth surface and helping to reveal more iron bones.  The surface of the tsuba is also finished nicely with fine hammer marks (tsuchime-ji 槌目地).  The rim shape is referred to as round-square (kaku-mimi koniku 角耳小肉) are often found on Kanayama tsuba from the Muromachi Period to the Momoyama Period. ^{3, 4, 5}          

 

Question: Province and/or major city where it was produced?

 

Answer:  The tsuba was produced in the castle town (jōka-machi城下町) of Ōno (大野) located in Owari Province (尾張國).  The town as well as Ōno-Kanayama Manor (大野金山荘) was important in controlling the sea near Ise (伊勢) by maintaining a navy.  Around the early Bunmei era (circa 1469) Saji Tameyori (佐治為頼) who was hired by the ruling Isshiki (一色) family to settled 300 smiths and other artisans which included many swordsmith and tsuba makers in the castle town.  The early Kanayama group developed from this group of tsuba makers. ⁶               

 

Question: What is the design(s)?

 

Answer:  The positive openwork design (ji-sukashi 地透) is of bottle gourds (hyōtan 瓢) and wild geese (kari 雁).  The twin (kozuka hitsu-ana 小柄櫃孔穴) are nicely incorporated into each hyōtan openwork design characteristic of tsuba from Owari Province.  Both designs have an association with the Winter season.  The bottle gourd is harvested in Winter after the first frost and the wild geese migrate to Japan to spend the Winter.  I find funny as this tsuba was added to my collection during the winter season. ⁷       

 

Question:  What is the quality level of the piece as evaluated by the NTHK? Did tsuba received a shintesho, kanteisho, or yushu-saku level papers from the NTHK?  What was the approximate point score?

 

Answer:  The quality level of this piece is good as evaluated by the NTHK and therefore was issued a kanteisho paper.  The point score listed on the 2002 NTHK shinsa paper work was 81.  This tsuba is eligible based upon having a point score 80 or higher for the once yearly NTHK yushu-saku shinsa.  I contacted the former owner of the tsuba Jim Gilbert President of the New York Token Kai and confirmed that this fine tsuba has never been submitted to the yearly NTHK yushu-saku shinsa.

 

References:

1. Masayuki Sasano. Japanese Sword Guards Masterpieces From the Sasano Collection.  ©1994 Daisuke Saito, Mega Co.
2. Masayuki Sasano. Early Japanese Sword Guards Sukashi Tsuba.  ©1972 Japan Publications, Inc.
3. Richard Turner. Kodōgu no Sekai Blog http://kodogunosekai.com/2010/07/11/kanayama-sukashi-tsuba-金山透鍔/ 
4. Richard Turner. Kodōgu no Sekai Blog http://kodogunosekai.com/2012/08/13/金山透鍔-kanayama-sukashi-tsuba/
5. Jim Gilbert. Tsuba Art of the Japanese Sword Website http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/kanayama.htm
6. Yasukazu Okamoto. Owari to Mikawa no Tankō (尾張と三河の鍔工). ©1983 Yasukazu Okamoto
7. Shigeo Fukushi. The Art Appreciation of Japanese Sword Fittings. ©2012 Shigeo Fukushi

 

 

 

[Steve Waszak]

Yeah, about what I figured in terms of dating.  However, such a date (mid-Muromachi) makes little sense in terms of cultural context.  That was a period dominated by preferences for things Chinese (and a Chinese aesthetic).  The particular features of this tsuba (yakite and tekkotsu) make far more sense as a Momoyama-Period product than one made in the middle of a time predating the Tea sensibilities Kanayama guards express.  I know Sasano's theories quite well; they simply fail to convince in the case of Kanayama tsuba. 

 

Steve

[Soshin]

Hi Steve,

 

Yes you did a great job with the kantei and was only a single point away from real point score on the worksheet. Talk about being able to quantify quality. The hyōan "bottle gourd" has a Chinese cultural origin and deep association with Taoism. I agree with you in terms of the tea taste of the Momyama Period. The thickness of the plate isn't as great as some Momoyama Period Kanayama and Owari examples I have seen. I also noticed that different layers of iron are visible along the inside surfaces of the sukashi. I have observed it in this Kanayama tsuba as well: http://www.bushidojapaneseswords.com/uploads/3/0/1/5/3015097/6061208_orig.jpg?225

 

Do you or anyone else have a Owari or Kanayama tsuba example from the early to middle Muromachi Period to share? It would be helpful for my study.

[Steve Waszak]

Hi David,

 

It's a great tsuba, in any event.  Congratulations on acquiring it. 

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[BMarkhasin]

David,

I have to concur with Steve's comments on motif / dating, but it is a very nice guard and you are fortunate to own it.  Well done.

 

Best,
Boris.

[Curran]

  Always liked this guard.

Glad it found a good home.

[Brian]

Nice one, very glad it got a high score, usually they are a little conservative. A good tsuba to own and keep. Would be interesting to see what the NBTHK would give it. Just Owari, or Kanayama?

Congrats!

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

Kanayama tsuba, mumei, ca. mid Muromachi

 

7.5 cm H x 7.4 cm W x 0.5 cm T

 

Iron, maru gata, round cornered kakumimi koniku

 

This piece has a black patina and linear and granular tekkotsu in the mimi. The design is of openwork gourds on the left and right and birds at the top and bottom. NTHK kanteisho to Kanayama, 81 points.

 

The above tsuba and information is published on Jim Gilbert's site: http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/kanayama.htm

 

PS: I think it wise to not take Sasano as any form of orthodoxy. In Japan most of his theories has been overturned.

[Soshin]

Kanayama tsuba, mumei, ca. mid Muromachi

 

7.5 cm H x 7.4 cm W x 0.5 cm T

 

Iron, maru gata, round cornered kakumimi koniku

 

This piece has a black patina and linear and granular tekkotsu in the mimi. The design is of openwork gourds on the left and right and birds at the top and bottom. NTHK kanteisho to Kanayama, 81 points.

 

PS: I think it wise to not take Sasano as any form of orthodoxy. In Japan most of his theories has been overturned.

Hi Pete,

 

Yes I listed a link to Jim Gilbert's website in my references. I also contact Jim to discuss this fine tsuba.

 

I agree with not taking Sasano dating as orthodoxy but after comparing the published examples in his book, my tsuba, and what was written on the NTHK paper it all looks consistent. Just would like to see early to middle Muromachi Period Kanayama tsuba outside of the Sasano books to see how similar or different it is to my tsuba. I have some old English Token Bijutsubu issues in English I will check. I will also do more searching among my own reference library.

[Pete Klein]

My point is that Owari, 'Kanayama' tsuba are from late Muromachi/Momoyama at earliest. There is no evidence for them being any earlier.

[Soshin]

Hi Pete,

 

Ok I understand what you are getting at. I think the dating for production period from the late Muromachi Period to the Momoyama Period is a more realistic dating of my tsuba then what is written on the NTHK paper. I am also lacking evidence that the tsubako relocated to the new castle town of Ōno during the Bunmei Era (1469) produced any tsuba that were Kanayama style.

[MauroP]

Hi David, great tsuba. I'm happy my performance wasn't so bad. I stated mid Muromachi just following Sasano's, and after all NTHK shinsa in 2002 still stayed on the same orthodoxy...

Thank you for this amusing topic.

Mauro

[Soshin]

Hi Mauro,

 

You did a good job. Glad you enjoyed yourself on this kantei. Tsuba of this age and quality don't come along so often. I will have this tsuba in my collection for a very long time. I am thinking of turning this kantei write up into a short JSSUS article for thier newsletter.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just some additional notes mostly to myself but I think other can benefit as well.  I did some checking of earlier text such as Tsuba An Aesthetic Study by Robert E. Haynes copyrighted 1994 and Tsuba Geijutsu-Ko by Dr. Kazutaro Torigoye copyrighted 1960.  I have copies of both books.  Robert E. Haynes states in this translation that Kanayama tsuba evolved around the middle Muromachi Period and likely wise Dr. Torigoye states in Japanese in his book Tsuba Geijutsu-Ko (時代―室町中期) which basically means "Middle Muromachi Period".  It appears Sasano dated some of his Kanayama tsuba in his collection even earlier to the early Muromachi Period.

 

I also examined the more modern Japanese book Bushi no Issho: Sukashi Tsuba (武士の意匠透かし鍔) by Sanno Museum copyrighted 1999 and the earliest dated Kanayama tsuba are dated to the Muromachi Period (16th Century) basically meaning the late or end of the Muromachi Period by referencing the 16th Century.  Seeing how I can't be sure my tsuba wasn't made before 1568 the most accurate statement I can make in terms of production period for my tsuba is from the late Muromachi Period to Azuchi-Momoyama Period (circa 16th Century).                        

[Steve Waszak]

Hi David,

 

Where we run into problems is in the fact that some/many of these sources rely on each other for their information.  If some early/esteemed source pronounced a certain dating of a particular work (sometimes without evidence or explaining the reasoning used to arrive at that conclusion), that source may be used by other, later scholars as though it were well-researched, accurate, reliable, etc...  But without hard evidence locating the production of Kanayama guards in the 15th century (I am not aware of any such evidence), we are left to consider broader cultural contexts such that we may make an educated guess as to when these tsuba were really made.  Those contexts point much more convincingly to the late 16th century as the production time for Kanayama tsuba, specifically, the mid- to late-Momoyama Period.  Of course, I am happy to be wrong about this, if any really sound, hard evidence can be brought forth...

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Pete Klein]

I agree totally with Steven. One of the downsides of transmission of knowledge via the 'Sensei' system is that it all too often does not allow for questioning outside of dogma. Therefore, all it takes is for a predecessor to be wrong or have guessed or utilized faulty evidence and there you have the beginning of error. Much of what we read today was guessed out by collectors over one hundred years ago and is not based in fact simply because there is no historic data yet discovered to back up these conjectures. Into Edo it gets much easier as there is historic data available. Pre Edo is difficult at best. My take on this is that the student should learn what has gone before as it allows a vocabulary for discussion but not to hold anything non-verifiable as dogma. It is all too easy to get caught up in the drama side of collecting where a piece is suddenly judged to be from three hundred years prior to it's actual time period. Stay focused in a realistic mindset. It will do you well.

[Brian]

I think this is something that Ford constantly speaks about too, and makes the same point.

Not to question the experts, but to make sure that the facts are indeed that...facts, and not just passed on info with little corroboration.

 

Brian

[Soshin]

Hi Steve, Pete, and Brian,

 

Thank you and yes that is why I was presenting the information from the different sources I found two of which are very interrelated in the classic teacher and student relationship.  I think Sanno Museum dating of 16th Century for its Kanayama tsuba is more accurate which includes the late Muromachi Period and up to and including the Azuchi-Momoyama Period.         

[Guido]

Steve and Pete made very good points. Furthermore, I see a recent trend among collectors that "older is better", which always leaves my baffled. Why? Age seems to be something that especially North American collectors are fascinated with.