Tsuba question

[Jason K]

I have a sukashi tsuba in the shape of a wheel and I’m curious to see if it’s a Saotome/Myochin tsuba or something else. I have been told this was a common motif with the Yagyu but I don’t remember seeing any with raised rims. I have a chance to send it over to the NBTHK for shinsa but I don’t want to waste money on a pipe dream (Yagyu). Any comments would be appreciated.

 

Jason

[Pete Klein]

Hi Jason -- the karuma (wheel) motif can definitely be Yagyu but the construction of yours does not appear to be. Yagyu are heavier and without a raised rim edge. In general Yagyu will have the whole mimi raised thicker than the web but flat with kaku (squared) edge if they are not flat. Also the metal quality is not tight enough being rather amorphous looking. I'm not sure how to assign yours -- it looks to be outside the usual and might be country work. Hard to say as pictures and scans can throw things off. I hope this helps a bit.

[Rich S]

Not that it is much help, but this tsuba doesn't

strike me as Saotome. Metal looks wrong and

the raised rim is not generally a Saotome

feature. Maybe by process of elimination we

can arrived at what it is but determining what

it isn't :-)

 

Rich S

[John A Stuart]

I find it interesting that it is called a 'Devils Wheel' in the description. Is it not a Bhuddist representation of the Karmic wheel of life. death and rebirth? John

[Jason K]

Pete – Rich,

Thank you for your insight on my tsuba. I will hold off on sending it in for shinsa as I don’t want to add to the investment un-necessarily.

Thanks again,

 

Jason

 

P.S. How can i refine my pictures so the color comes out brown instead of this dead gray/black?

[Martin]

In general Yagyu will have the whole mimi raised thicker than the web but flat with kaku (squared) edge if they are not flat.

 

Hi Pete,

 

this piece shows a flat mimi with a squared edge.

http://www.nihonto.com/fwf27.html

 

cheers,

[Guest reinhard]

Hi Jason,

 

What strikes me is the slightly assymetrical seppa-dai. This is always pointing to a less skillful Tsuba-Ko and a later date.

 

reinhard

[Rich T]

Hi Jason

What strikes me is the slightly assymetrical seppa-dai. This is always pointing to a less skillful Tsuba-Ko and a later date.

reinhard

 

 

Hi Reinhard, I am curious as to which of the above tsuba are you referring to ?, that has a seppa dai that is lacking symmetry ?. I assume it is Jason's ?

 

The shape of the seppa dai on Jason's tsuba is commonly found on Shoami, Ko Shoami, Hoan, Yagyu and Kanayama tsuba. All old and many of very high quality. Many fine Kaneyama and Shoami sukashi guards have slightly 'wobbly' seppa dai.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Martin]

Hi,

 

I modified Jason´s picture a bit to show the possible symmetry/asymmetry of the Seppa-Dai Reinhard is referring to.

It does not seem that striking to me though...

 

cheers,

[Guest reinhard]

Martin illustrated my point with his illustration. Asymmetrical shape of a seppa-dai, regarding the horizontal axis, can sometimes be explained. Eventually it is the trademark of a school (f.e.: the top of the seppa-dai of early Akasaka-Tsuba often ends in a pointed tip). But the vertical axis should never be out of balance. Things become tricky, when the seppa-dai is not the actual outline of the inner area of (sukashi) tsuba and therefore not the boundary to suit the fuchi. Sometimes this is difficult to discern. But as a rule you can say, that a seppa-dai, which is obviously out of balance, looking at its vertical axis, it is probably by a less skillful Tsuba-Ko and often a sign of later manufacture. The deviatons however, are often minute and difficult to discern for our "modern" eyes. In this case, they are quite obvious.

 

reinhard