Bugyotsuji Posted February 12, 2008 Report Posted February 12, 2008 Hi all. I was given this small Mumei tetsuji tsuba for my birthday which is next week. Don't ask... It comes from a reputable major sword shop and I know the people well enough that it is not a 'fake'. No information was given with it; my primary concern is that I really like it. Looking through several books points me in the stylistic direction of Kanaie, (iron quality, hammering and furled mimi) but I am unable to narrow it down further. It is takabori and has a hammered surface. The shells on the omote mimi are done in shakudo, kin, gin, shinchu and do, in exquisite detail. The abalone volcanoes look 'punched', and one has broken through. We had a thread talking about awabi/abalone shells, and it could even have been mine, but searching hasn't pulled the right one up, otherwise I would have posted this there. The photos have been taken under two sets of lighting, one with 6 fluorescent rings, the other with just one incandescent bulb. The true color/clour is somewhere in between. Any thoughts on age, school, artist would be much appreciated. :| Quote
docliss Posted February 12, 2008 Report Posted February 12, 2008 Dear Piers With appropriate humility I shall make some observations upon your posted tsuba, while realising that more knowledgeable members may well shoot my penn’orth down. In spite of the hammer marks around the nakago-hitsu, this remains fairly ‘virginal’ in appearance. The wide hitsu-ana immediately suggests ShÅami work to me, while the appearance of the iron; the presence of incrustation with soft-metal shells; and the suggestion of a Umetada influence further refine this to Aizu-ShÅami. I therefore suggest that this is C19, Aizu-ShÅami work. Awaiting other comments with interest, John L. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted February 13, 2008 Author Report Posted February 13, 2008 Thank you John for your insight. This has increased the value (to me) of my birthday present to myself. I am aware that you cannot be certain and that you are prepared for someone to come on and say no for the following reasons, but it has given me something to chew on. Some of the 'incrustation' (I like that choice of word) has been lost, unfortunately. Rusting tends to lift zougan off. I suppose the exposed position on the edge of the mimi was not very practical either. This gives us a hint ... impractical = later work?) Quote
Eric H Posted February 16, 2008 Report Posted February 16, 2008 Piers, happy birthday and thanks for the pics. Regards Eric Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted February 17, 2008 Author Report Posted February 17, 2008 Piers, happy birthday and thanks for the pics. Regards Eric Eric, that's a kind thought. Thank you. You are very close! It's actually on the 18th of Feb, six hours from now here in Japan. Quote
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