Higo Tsuba

[Akitombo]

Hi All,

I have just picked up this iron tsuba.

It looks like a typical Higo style tsuba, but I have not seen one with gold inlay.

Is this original or added later?

I thought this to be around 1750, but does the inlay make it later?

Yours as always confused

David

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/8581/higogx5.jpg

[Ford Hallam]

Ok...I give up, where have you hidden the photo of your Higo tsuba? :?

[Stephen]

here it is

[Pete Klein]

Gold nunome work would be original and most likely later Nishigaki School work in the style of the second Kanshiro. The workmanship of the seppadai/hitsuana is not up to that of the second's to my eye. An arguement might also be made to later Kamiyoshi work. There was a lot of crossover in later Edo work so it gets a bit confusing.

[Mike]

Hello, I believe it might be third Kamiyoshi, called jinzaemon, known also by the name Rakuju. He worked in the style of Higo great master, and this is Nishigaki style tsuba. He was almost as good as the great master though the shape of his seppa dai wasn't as good. So I think this is the case now. The inlay is original to tsuba, one of the abilities of Rakuju was the beautiful inlaying. Mike

[Pete Klein]

Mike -- one problem -- this tsuba lacks the tagane mei of Rakuju -- two on the top and three on the bottom of the nakago ana.

[Mike]

Yes Pete, I have noticed that, this tsuba might be Rakuju's younger brother (Chuhachi) work, or an exception in Rakuju work, I am not sure that all his tsuba had that tagne-mei. I am still looking info on this. Mike

[Brian]

Has the nakago ana on this one been drastically altered? Especially at the top, I can't see that being the original shape, Maybe enlarged greatly at some stage? Looks like it needs quite a large sekigane there?

 

Brian

[Akitombo]

Brian,

It has been filed out to take a large tang, the largest sword I have is big Nobukuni and that rattles around.

Could that explain the loss of the punch marks?

Any other way of putting a name to it or will it remain a bit of a unkown?

David

[Guest reinhard]

Being a swordsman you don't need my advice. I hope you don't mind me trying to visualize your question. The kogai-ana (amongst other things) raises some questions.

 

reinhard

[Brian]

Thanks Reinhard, that is very helpful.

As Reinhard demonstrated, and looking at the overall work, the sukashi work and the kogai ana...doesn't this seem to be a poor quality later copy of an earlier work?

Bear in mind this is not coming from a tsuba expert (or even an educated tsuba novice really) but that is the impression I get from it?

 

Brian

[Guest reinhard]

The pics of my post might be misleading, when compared to the tsuba in question. Higo Kinko quite often made the kogai-ana part of the design and departed from classic shape. What I meant was: Together with the overall quality it looks a little odd here. This is just a notion anyway

 

reinhard