Collection Of Questionable Tsuba + Kinai-Kuru

[FamilleNoire]

Hello everyone, 

 

 I have stumbled into a little collection of five tsuba. Although an avid collector of 17th-19thc western tools, early Canadiana, and a few other things, these are my first tsuba, and it is no understatement to say that I know nothing about them. At the moment I have some books on order from my library about tsuba, however I am hoping some folks here might be able to give me their thoughts on the tsuba I have acquired. My instinct is that they are more resent tourist pieces, and not "genuine" examples made for domestic consumption, however as I said, thoughts from individuals more learned on the subject then myself would be appreciated.  

 

 They came from an ethnographic collection that belonged to a Dutch gentleman who traveled extensively in the east in the 1940s-50s. All of the items in the gentleman's varied collection were documented on small cue cards with watercolours of the items (I have not included photographs of the cards on account of photo restrictions). At any rate the tsuba, and a couple fuchi that also came with the collection (the latter also not shown) are at least as old as the 50s...

 

 One of the tsuba is marked with a small tag that reads "KINAI-KURU 17th  IRON". As can be seen in the photographs the central body of this piece appears to be one piece, and the outer band surrounding it, an other. This is confirmed by a slight looseness of the outer band.

 

P.S. If only one side of a tsuba is shown in the photographs it is because there is no signature present on the obverse. 

 

-Kemp

[Stephen]

im interested in the bamboo and tiger if you think you might want to pass it along.

 

all look real amd good to me, thats not saying much with my record...lol

[Grey Doffin]

IMHO, all are real.  The Kinai is signed Echizen Ju Kinai Saku (made by Kinai (school) of Echizen Province).  The last one with a dragon is signed Jakushi.  The 1st tsuba is Choshu school but I can't make out the rest of the signature.  Can't make any of the signature on the 2nd.  The 4th tsuba is pretty low end.

Grey

[FamilleNoire]

Thank you very much gentlemen!

 

Stephen, thank you for the offer, I will send you a PM, however as I am getting interesting in potentially collecting tsuba I don't believe I will be looking to move anything on at this point in time. 

 

Grey, I strongly appreciate the information, that's wonderful.

 

-Kemp 

[Brian]

All real. That one with the manji (swastika's) is the piercing all the way through, and we are seeing the background it lay on, or....?

Interesting that they added a shakudo rim to the tiger one. Classy upgrade period done.

All are 100 or more years old. Nothing amazing, but nothing terrible either Nice honest and typical tsuba of the period. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. A good start

[ROKUJURO]

I am not so sure about the last TSUBA. To me it looks like a gold decorated cast item.  

I like the KINAI bamboo TSUBA with the fat cat!

[Grey Doffin]

I can't really see the mei on the last tsuba.  I gave it to Jakushi because the work is so typical of that group.  Anyone have a better idea?

Grey

[Toryu2020]

Number two with the manji sukashi is most interesting to me - looks to be signed 江都住 which to me suggests a late manufacture, Late Edo or early Meiji perhaps. Need better pics of the rest of the signature and I too am curious about the reverse, would be nice to see more pictures of this one.

-t

[Stephen]

could it be the same on the other side, which begs to question how great it would be cut out?  to me yes

[FamilleNoire]

Thank you for the additional comments and thoughts! This is fantastic stuff to be able to read. 

 

 Brian, The tsuba with the "mangi" is not pierced all the way through. The rougher texture that can be seen between the raised portion of the pattern in indeed part of the tsuba.

 

The light was a little better outside today, so I shot a couple more photographs of the tsuba in question, and added a photograph of one of the cue cards from the Dutchman's collection. 

 

-Kemp

[SwordGuyJoe]

I really like that manji tsuba. Very nice!

[MauroP]

The dragon tsuba is definitely signed Jakushi  (若芝).
Bye, Mauro