Hako Gaki By Kuwabara San

[Kurikata]

Another Hako Gaki to translate please.

 

Seller informed me that this Heianjo tsuba is signed by Tadanaga and comes from Yojiro Kuwabara collection.

 

I would be very gretafull is someone could give me a translation of all kanjis.

 

Thank you for your help

[k morita]

The back of the lid, English translation:

 

There are tsubas called Heianjo-hira-zogan-tsuba(Flat inlaid tsuba) in the world,but it are almost unsigend tsubas.

But,this tsuba is signed as Heianjo ju Tadanaga, and will be good reference item of signature of his work.

 

February,1940

An appraiser of Chuo tokenkai.

Kuwabara Sōa(so-u-a) (Sōa is Kuwabara Yōjirō's pen name)

 

-------------------------------------

Japanese:

世上平安城平象嵌鍔と

称するものあれども殆ど全

部無銘なり。本品は平安

城住忠長と在銘品にて

最も宜き参考品なり。

 

昭和十五年二月

　中央刀剣会審査員

桑原雙蛙 with stamp

[Kurikata]

Dear Morita San,

 

once again, what would be this forum without you ! ! ! !  Thank you for your marvelous translations. 

 

Best regards

[k morita]

Thank you for your reply.

 

[Kurikata]

Dear Morita San,

 

Now it is crystal clear on Kuwabara San appraisal.

 

@admin- Can you move this discussion to Tosogu Chapter ? I do not find any TadaNaga from this period of time (end of Murumachi) in any referential (Websites, Haynes, etc...) - Does someone has information on this specific TadaNaga?

 

Thank you

[Soshin]

I do not find any TadaNaga from this period of time (end of Murumachi) in any referential (Websites, Haynes, etc...) - Does someone has information on this specific TadaNaga?

 

Hi,

 

I don't think the tsuba is from the Muromachi Period and nor does the hakogaki state that. All the tsuba from the Muromachi Period are not signed by their maker. Beginning in the Azuchi-Momoyama Period you had the very first artists signing thier work. These include the artists like Nobuie, Kaneie, Hoan, and Yamakichibei. Your tsuba likely dates from the early to middle Edo Period. While Heianjo Shinchu Zogan School tsuba are not often signed there are a few examples in first half of the Edo Period. All in all the tsuba looks good and you have a hakogaki that adds to the history of the tsuba.

[Kurikata]

Thank you David,

 

I have been slightly jumping ahead of myself in some of the assumptions......

 

I have been probably infuenced too much by my reading of Jim Gilbert site ( http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/heianjo.htm)

 

I'll try to dig research as signed heianjo tsuba seem quite rare.

 

Cheers

[Soshin]

Hi Bruno P.,

 

Reading in Tsuba An Aesthetic Study Mr. Haynes lists a few signatures found on Heianjo Zogan tsuba but notes that many examples are unsigned .  They are as follows: Nagayoshi, Kaneshige, Yukihisa, Yoshiye, Yoshihisa, Shigemitsu, Shigeyuki, Kanesada, Munetoshi, Masamoto, and Munetoshi.  While Mr. Haynes doesn't state that all signed examples are Edo Period I am of that opinion based upon examples I have seen.  Can we have a better view of the signature if possible?

 

I would also like to learn more about the Chuo tokenkai.  Where they located in Japan and if they are still active as a group.     

[Kurikata]

Dear David,

 

please find herewith a picture of the signature. Sorry for the bad image as the signature is very faint.  

 

Regarding Kuwabara san, I know that he wrote a book "NIHON SOKEN KINKO SHI " in 1941.

 

But little information on the Chuo tokenkai.

 

Cheers

[Kurikata]

Another picture......

[Soshin]

Hi Bruno P.,

 

Thanks for the additional photos I was able to make out Heianjô jû (平安城住) part of the signature which is on the ura side.  I checked out Markus Sesko's Signatures of Japanese Sword Fittings Artists and they had only one entry for a artist named Tadanaga (忠長) who was based in Hizen Province and not Yamashiro Province and therefore is not the maker of your tsuba.