Sue So Shu

[Jean]

Steven, to answer your statement/question ( as in a famous song), I'll say 24 hours...

[Bugyotsuji]

Steven: "we all love dragons."

 

If I ever get born again as a dragon, this sounds like a friendly place to be.

[TETSUGENDO]

Piers/Jean,

 

INDEED, INDEED!

 

-StevenK

 

p.s.-Holiday or Washington or......?

[Bugyotsuji]

My sword teacher looked at the Tsuba yesterday and said "This is a Jingo tsuba, of Yashiro in Higo, probably a later generation." I asked if it would be worth getting the sekigane plates that have fallen out replaced, and he suggested not as it would be a labour of love to get the shapes exactly right.

[DirkO]

Could it be he meant Yatsushiro in Jingo? Indeed, looks like a genuine Jingo - late generation is the safe call, seeing we don't have a lot to go on. The iron suggests later generations, although the ana seems a throw back to earlier work.
More pictures would help to narrow it down.

[Bugyotsuji]

To get back to the topic, my sword teacher has asked for the Hirotsugu Tanto/Wakizashi which started this thread to be part of the display this weekend at our local two-day sword society exhibition. Among the preponderance of Bizen blades there is a little So-shu section of three or four blades. Being a humble sort of chap, moi, I am proud to be asked to contribute.

 

He has also asked me to provide background decoration in the form of Tanegashima-style Matchlocks and related equipment.

[Bugyotsuji]

DirkO, yes, I am sure you are right and I misheard him. I will try and get some better shots of the tsuba. Watch this space!

 

八代 is pronounced Yatsushiro there at Yatsushiro Castle, but Yashiro is how I mistakenly read it when I looked it up to check! (Nuts)

[Bazza]

Imagine my surprise when in post #28 Piers shows a tsuba very similar to one I saw recently on a Sue Koto wakizashi koshirae.  Posted here for interest.  The sword wasn't for sale but I liked the tsuba particularly and took a photo for posterity.  I have no idea what it is, but the similarity to Piers' suggest a nice Jingo tsuba.  The colour differences are due to my imperfect exposures.

 

Bestests,

BaZZa.

aka Barry Thomas

 

.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Tsuba shots for Dirk, from the tachi koshirae.

 

Oh, and no I have not tried to clean it! Someone before me must take that credit...

 

8.2 cm x 7.8 cm, thickness at Mimi around 0.3-0.4

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, Bazza, you beat me to it. Very interesting, both the similarities and the differences! Thank you.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Piers, at this time the dimension of your collection of Japanese artworks and items in general should have forced you to change home... :-) .

[Jim P]

Hi Piers, Had a look at Fujishiros, this is what the Trans,had to say. From your post  " he is not sure whether Bunmei Hirotsugu and Eisho Hirotsugu are father and son, or just one smith."

 

HIROTSUGU SOSHU [EISHO 1504 SAGAMI] SUEKOTO JOSAKU
He is the son of Bunmei Hirotsugu, there are works from Meio to Eisho. The Bunmei Hirotsugu is also viewed as the same person. Hamon is gonome choji and suguba nioi shimari. Horimono of bonji and suken are also seen.
Signatures:     HIROTSUGU
SOSHU JU HIROTSUGU SAKU
Plate II:    SOSHU JU HIROTSUGU SAKU
Plate III:    SOSHU JU HIROTSUGU SAKU
Plate I:    HIROTSUGU
 

[DirkO]

Regarding the tsuba, its condition prohibits seeing certain features, so although it might be one of the earlier generations , kodai is a safe bet. In any case, it seems a bit worse for wear, pity for what originally was quite a nice tsuba!

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Great to see you again Carlo. I have really missed your friendly and encouraging posts. Sadly my wife does not support my collecting habits, so they have been suppressed, or driven largely underground. Since I retired my meagre Japanese pension does not allow me to splash out, but the elves always find extra cash for me in times of need, especially if it is something quirky.

[Bugyotsuji]

Jim, yes, that is what I gathered from the original Japanese version. He leaves open two possibilities. Thanks for the complete translation!

[Bugyotsuji]

Dirk, many thanks for your thoughts. It is all grist to the mill. Today I was at an antiques fair and immediately recognized a Jingo tsuba, with the distinctive spade-shaped hitsu-ana and a somewhat similar dragon zogan up one side. My eyes have been opened! It was a good dark iron, but concave on the reverse. The dealer felt his was mid to late Edo.

[TETSUGENDO]

Piers,

 

Your dragon has personality to spare,and then some, I like him very much!  I think some sympathetic restoration (even up the colour) would add greatly to its appeal.  The sekigane issue should not be difficult, nor too costly,  to put in order.  Its a descent piece and not too far gone to warrant some attention.

 

-StevenK

[Bugyotsuji]

Steven, many thanks for the kind consideration. I hate to leave things in limbo, so your encouragement is just the nudge I needed to get this tsuba sorted out. It sits quite happily on the tachi I wear for matchlock displays, but the wire brush effect and gap-tooth look is a real let-down.

 

PS I was told yesterday that early Jingo have an earthy rustic feel to them, and that a longer tail generally indicates later work.

[Bugyotsuji]

Yesterday at the sword exhibition in Soja we had three relatively close Wakizashi, a So-Shu Kunitsugu, then a Sue So-Shu Hirotsugu, and a Hiromasa.

[Bugyotsuji]

In this fashion