Help Identifying Inherited Tsuba

[Stu]

Good Day All,

 

I recently inherited a tsuba from my wife's family.  From my rudimentary research, it looks like it might be a Mino-goto Tsuba.  A contact I had here in Canada tells me that it's Edo period and dating around 1860-1880.  Can anyone provide some more insight?  I would love to know more about it for sentimental reasons of course!

 

Cheers!

 

  

 

Stu

[Greg F]

Hello ?

welcome, it is a rule here to sign all posts so we can address you politely. I think you are on the right track so far with your search.

 

Greg

[Stu]

Thanks Greg,

I have made the changes

[Brian]

Stu,

Mino Goto style yes...very typical of the lower quality type and kinda mass produced at the time. I don't think these can be dated so accurately, but probably sometime in the 1800's. Not a masterpiece, but still a genuine tsuba with some age to it. If you Google Mino Goto tsuba, you will see some of the top quality ones, and what is possible from that school

[Gordon Sanders]

from my perspective and limited experience, the blackening seems forced, and almost like spraypaint.  is this normal?

[Brian]

It's probably trying to emulate shakudo.

[Stu]

Thanks for all your help Greg!

 

I did do a look up on Mino Goto and found a lot of similarities, but nothing that really matched mine.  It does appear to be old and it's in quite good condition.  Do you think I might be able to find more research on it, is it unique?

 

Are there any links that explains more about the Mino Goto school?

[Geraint]

Dear Stu,

 

You might also look up Nagoyamono.  Have a look at this one.  http://www.nihonto.us/NAGOYAMONO%20TSUBA.htm

 

All the best.

[Stu]

Wow Geraint!!

 

Thank you for the link.  It gave me something to look for, and I found this link with the same tsuba in it!

 

http://catalogues.lesliehindman.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=118++++++870+&refno=10081147

 

The gold leaf on this one seems to be more visible.  It could mean a cleaning is needed.

[Stephen]

study up before you clean soft metal tsuba, you can scrub off the gold very easily. 

[Gordon Sanders]

Are you sure this isn't a cast reproduction?

The Nanako is lacking in detail that you would expect.

It doesn't seem to be worn by age.

 

I might be off my rocker though, as I am a noooooob.

[Stu]

Gordon,

 

It belonged to my Japanese wife's grandfather who passed away at 101 last year.  He was a Shinto priest in Gifu.  I have no reason to doubt that it's real.  With looking at it up close, it looks real to me.

 

With the similarities of the piece I found online that is Nagoyamono, and being that Gifu is close to Nagoya, it makes sense to me that it would be Nagoyamono.

 

I would love to hear from anyone that might be able to provide more details on Nagoyamono...

[Surfson]

Looks like a nice tsuba to me.  Nanako is pretty well done, lots of inlay with at least three colors of metal, the carving is good.   It's a nice family treasure.   You can try a very soft toothbrush and some mild dishwashing detergent with some warm water and it might clean up very nicely.  Cheers, Surf

[Geraint]

Dear Stu.

 

This link will tell you more, http://www.shibuiswords.com/tsuba.htm#nagoya There is not a great deal of information out there that I have been able to track down, be glad if anyone else comes up with something.

 

All the best.

[Stu]

Thanks so much everyone for your help!