Tsuba Theme/school Help Please?

[SAS]

Just got this along with a sword, don't know anything about it and tosogu is not my main area of study. Any help?

[SAS]

I think it is an oxen at rest near some blossoms, with a butterfly hovering above; not sure what is showing on the reverse side. I don't know if there is any deep meaning to this theme, or if it is just a bucolic pastoral scene. The  tsuba seems to have some age to it. The sword it came on is alleged to be koto.

[MauroP]

Hi Steve,

water buffalo (suigyū - 水牛) was a quite common subject in tsuba. I think Aizu-Shōami or Nara school  are the most likely candidate for your tsuba. Thierry Bernard  could suggest the right answer, since he has in his collection a tsuba with a buffalo shaped in the very same way (see: https://plus.google.com/photos/111034403517161566011/albums/5907642350231257809/5907643528777221794?banner=pwa&pid=5907643528777221794&oid=111034403517161566011).

Bye, Mauro

[SAS]

Awesome, thanks Mauro!

[Tanto54]

Dear Steve,

 

For hundreds of years, the Japanese have followed a calendar system that includes the Junishi (12 Zodiac Animals).  Japanese often identified themselves with the animal from the year that they were born.  Each of the Junishi have certain attributes and traits (and combine better or worse with certain other Junishi - so this is often considered for marriage or whether a samurai is appropriate for a certain position or job).  One of the Junishi is an ox/cow.  In some cases, a samurai would choose tosogu based on their Junishi sign.  However, of course, that doesn't mean that all oxen/cows are referring to a birth year, but when all of the tosogu are related to the same Junishi, that's usually a good assumption (in this case, with just the tsuba, its impossible to tell).  By the way, the Junishi are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and wild boar.

[SAS]

After doing some reading and comparison, I am agreeing with an Aizu Shoami possible attribution, although this seems to also mean that it could be Nara. Thierry Bernard, are you in the house?

[John A Stuart]

I wouldn't' pigeon hole so quickly. This tsuba meets quite a few school criteria. John

[SAS]

Thank you John, such as? Don't be so circumspect

[SAS]

Nobuiye? Myochin?

[JohnTo]

Whenever I see a tsuba of this form (mokku shape, lightly hammered surface, mixed metal design in lower right quadrant, usually wakizashi size) in auctions they seem to be catalogued as Tanaka school.  Not that the Tanaka school only produced tsuba in this style.  What interests me is that, on the reverse, the decoration often appears to be a couple of small rocks lying on the ground (as this example) or a small plant in the lower left quadrant.  Always seem to be a bit odd and nothing to do with the main subject.  It appears that the artist was happy with the main theme and then just stuck something simple on the back.  Any ideas why they should choose rocks?

[John A Stuart]

Look at Mito, it is a feature, rocks. plants and waterfalls, John. Aizu is next door and there was much interplay between these artisans too. John

[Thierry BERNARD]

Hi

 

no much to add. Here as reference 3 tsuba :

 

the first one is papered as Nara ( the workmanship is very similar to the one on your tsuba)

 

the second on is the one with the same theme (no paper)

 

the third one is papered as Aizu shoami

[SAS]

Thank you very much for your reply, Thierry. The working on the iron plate on #1 and #2 are very similar, #3 not so much. I am leaning more toward Nara then on mine.