A Strange Tsuba (To Me At Least)

[Gasam]

Heyas,

 

Saw this iron tsuba today. Tried to google and research similar appearing tsuba, found some similar but they feature more elaborate designs, this one seems strangely crude, yet someone took the trouble to sign it. (picture  a bit to small to see clearly)

 

I mean, look at the diagonals in the weave, the other examples I have seen are really quite straight lined. This one, not so much.

Also the sizing of the cut-outs are crude (to my eyes), differently shaped across the whole etc. The other examples I have seen has really had quite nice even and same sized cut outs.

 

Could it have bee severely bent and straightened at some point? It is only speculation from me.

[Stephen]

My untrained eye thinks it was made that way.

[Gasam]

Hi Stephen,

 

If my eyes will ever be half as trained as yours...

Will look for some tsuba literature. Is there anything comparable to the connoisseur I have for nihonto?

[Thierry BERNARD]

one possibility is that initially this tsuba was perfectly round, but after one or more shock it has been distorted

[Dojikiri]

The irregularity of the design is puzzling but I think it is a late Higo Jingo tsuba, or possibly Nishigaki work, or a copy thereof. The differently sized hitsu-ana are a typically Higo trait. This motif is usually found on Bushu tsuba but with thinner metal to the rim and hitsu-ana.

[Gasam]

Thank you all for replies.

 

Yes, I think it could look like sideways distortion possibly...it is intriguing.

[SteveM]

I don't know about the overall asymmetry of the shape, but my first thought was that the theme was a fishing net, and that the weave was deliberately made to look irregular.  

[Rich S]

Is it possibly a cast copy? I think I see casting flanges in some of the cut  outs - or maybe just dirt?

Rich

[Curran]

Hayashi design of Fishnet.

More of a Hayashi->Kamiyoshi seppa dai shape. [Kamiyoshi assumed the Hayashi school]

 

I cannot read the supposed signature.

It looks more kodai Higo to me, but tell us what the signature says?

[MauroP]

I too think that the asymmetry of the net  is a desired effect. See this from Kokubo K. el al., Sukashi Tsuba, 1968:

Indeed, the net pattern was one on the favourite by Hayashi nidai (http://katana.mane-ana.co.jp/shigemitsu.html).

Bye, Mauro

[Thierry BERNARD]

here one of mine

[Gasam]

Heyas again.

 

Signature. Best I can do im afraid. Havent even tried translating.

 

In all haste (at work),

[MauroP]

Just a first guess:

 

Mauro

[Gasam]

Just a first guess:

mei.jpg

 

Mauro

 

Could very well be indeed...

[Curran]

Looks to me like Kampei too.

Nidai Kanshiro's younger brother, and he did often sign on the back of tsuba.

 

A fair bit of gimei's of Kampei's signature exist for various reasons.

He was a good signature to add to mumei pieces if you wanted to up the value of a Higo piece.

Yet, like I said, one of his particular quirks was he often signed on the backside and has been known to date a few of his pieces since he lived a long life into the early 1700s.

So it could be legit.  I wouldn't venture an opinion, since I cannot see it well enough.

 

Interesting though, as it looks much more Hayashi. But it isn't as if the Higo boys didn't borrow designs from each other all the time.

[Gasam]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for your inputs. I was able to aquire this tsuba.

I will be posting some pictures of it in a few weeks if interest.

 

All the best,

[Michael 101]

Interesting tsuba - design common across the Higo schools with examples seen by the first Shimizu Jingo master, nishigaki kanshiro etc. The flat round shape ( aori ) is what instantly marks this example out as Higo - apart from the signature !

 

Kampei did some very good work and we sometimes see fake signature examples on the market. However, this looks good to my eyes and has his name and age on the reverse which is typical of him. It is also signed with his age (70 years). I have another example with the same age and the signature appears exactly the same.

 

I would be interested to know the size of this tsuba - his are rarely large ( 7.5cm would be typical ) but usually pleasingly thick 0.5cm so they tend to be quite heavy.

 

Looking forward to seeing better pictures whe it arrives - a very good purchase.

 

Kind regards

Michael

[Gasam]

Hi again Michael,

 

Yes, I think this is an interesting buy, and as it turns out, it could have some value if not gimei :-) It will be very fun to study this tsuba.

 

Pictures and measurements will be posted in not too long I hope. "Height" stated by seller: 7.7 cm. The width seems slightly less as it is not completely round (or does not appear so in sellers pictures). Thickness not stated.

[Gasam]

Hi,

 

The tsuba has arrived. I was wholly unprepared for it to look and feel as good as it does, completely different than the photos or the images in my mind.

 

Color is black, deepish.

 

Measurements, ca 7,9 cm high, 7,5 cm wide, 0.4 cm thick (maybe a tad thicker, using tape measure, must get sliding measure). It looks an even thickness over the Whole, from rim to center.

 

What this does is that the walls of the cutouts are not rounded as I thought, but rather deep and flattened like gift wrapping chord (if that makes any sense).

 

Posting some pictures now.

 

Now its just a matter of hoping for shoshin :-)

[Gasam]

Picture 1

[Gasam]

Picture 2

 

I find that the photos are rather dull looking in browser compared to my image editing app (lightroom). I think If i attached srgb color profile they would look better, havent the time now...

If you dl to comp and open in Windows/macos/whatever they should look better.

[Brian Ayres]

Is there any sign that it is a forged piece?

I would think that this is constructed with a dozen or so rows of wire each way and forge welded. This would be what I would do to give it the natural form if I was to make a tsuba of this design. That would also explain the inside edges being rough vs being finished. I am assuming that it's not casting flash. I think it would be fun to make a tsuba like this perhaps of soft metal wire, forge welded like mokume......

[Brian]

Cut from solid. Dirt and rust inside forming the roughness that appears to be there.

At least, this is what I suspect.

[Gasam]

Hi,

 

i am unsure of wether strips were used or not. I have to admit my first thought upon seeing it was "hey, those are strips", but that I think was because I did not expect the walls of the cutouts to be so flat and deep. They could just as well be cutouts, but the thickness of the walls are freakishly even throughout...

 

I also expected it to be very rusty, in fact it is not so much so. But there is dirt in the openings and light rust. Might take a soft (not metal) pipe cleaner-like brush to it, but for now leave as is figuring out what, if anything , I should do to clean it lightly. Not to comfortable cleaning the inside walls

[Michael 101]

Hi Gasam,

thank you for posting these new pictures.

 

Your tsuba looks perfectly good to me - his signature is a little weaker carved but the same is seen in several published examples - most importantly the work is very good. Its a large size, bigger than I have seen any of his tsuba before but this is most likely due to the design. I would be suprised if the thickness at the centre isnt slightly thicker than 4mm so might be worth double checking with a proper measure.

 

Compare your tsuba with this one also by Kampei - like two peas in a pod - at first I thought it was your tsuba !

 

Kindest regards

 

Michael

[Gasam]

Hi again Michael,

 

 

They are indeed very much alike those two tsuba. Getting happier with the purchase by the day :-)

I have to admit i never foresaw how interested I would become in tsuba/tosogu. I always looked at blades only. 

 

Ah well, new things to learn, new things to collect :-)

[Brian]

Good find Michael

[Gasam]

Heyas again:

 

Update:

 

This tsuba too, was able to pass NBTHK Hozon shinsa. Papers are pending. It was not submitted for TH.

A big thank you once again to all that contributed above :-)