I'm In Love

[Chriso]

I just saw, what I think is a lovely Daisho pair from a Japanese Antique dealer and although it's out of my price range, it's driving me nuts trying to come up with a school.

The only info given is that it is Edo period and the motif is Squirrels on a grape vine..

 

any ideas would be greatly received

 

Cheers Chris

 

 

[Geraint]

Dear Chris.

 

Interesting seppa dai, don't you think?

 

All the best.

[Chriso]

Certainly a bit unusual Geraint, so are these ?????, keeps things interesting i guess

 

Chris

[Surfson]

Choshu maybe? 

[TETSUGENDO]

Certainly not the same old boring thing, this is an odd one, it almost has a slight "late Gothic" flavor.  But seriously, a quirky Chosu maker is not an impossibility.

 

-S-

[Alan Morton]

Namban

Alan

[JohnTo]

Nice tsuba.  The seppa dai looks namban style but the main part looks like Bushu/Efu (Edo) carving. An interesting feature is the numerous tiny ‘silver nail heads’.  I’ve got these on a mumei tsuba (see pics) of chrysanthemums which I attributed to Bushu, Shoami or Choshu  schools.  Choshu was least favourite as I believe they were not great on gold nunome around the mimi.  Aoi-Art has a similar style tsuba (F16179) to mine for sale with silver nail heads and a NBTHK Hozon attributed to the Kyo-Shoami school.  I don’t know how common ‘silver nail heads’ are as a decoration, or if they can be used as a kantei point.  But that’s my best guess, a mixture of styles but carving in the round plus silver nail heads gives Shoami.

 

Best regards, John (just a guy making observations, asking questions, trying to learn)

[DRDave]

I'm seeing some inconsistency in detail between the two tsuba, and wondering if that's unusual for a daisho pair, or not.

 

 

 

 

[TETSUGENDO]

Dave,

 

They are often different to varying degrees, nothing unusual.

 

-S-

[MauroP]

I'd say Hizen. See:

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2014/1410_6040syousai.htm

[Sly]

Hi Chris.

 

I've seen a similar motif tsuba in an auction sale in Paris (april 2015). It was signed OMORI KIYO CHIKA. As a reference, the auction's house mentionned a similar model in Japanese art JOLY/Kumasaku page 154 N°768.

 

The link is the following for the sale :

 

http://www.thierrydemaigret.com/html/fiche.jsp?id=4944580

 

 

[Nikanoru]

Mauro got very close.

This one was attributed to Horinshi in Hizen but "slightly" different quality

http://www.finesword.co.jp/sale/kodougu/htm/1001_1050/1026/1026.htm

and this one (only ura)

 

[Tanto54]

I have been wondering about this motif - often described as Squirrels and Grapes.  Animal experts say that it is a Japanese Dormouse instead of a squirrel (the Dormouse looks like a small squirrel with a bushy tail, and it eats grapes while a squirrel does not).  We find it on tosogu from time to time. But I've been wondering why a Samurai would want a Dormouse and Grapes on his sword.  Sometimes tosogu images have hidden meanings, puns or other word play, so I've been wondering if that applies in this case.  For example, Grapes in Japanese is Budo, and while the kanji are different, Budo also means the Martial Arts ("Martial Way" or the Way of War).  Dormouse in Japanese is Yamane, and while the kanji are different, Yamane is also a style of martial arts.  I wonder if the Samurai who used this motif were Yamane practitioners?

[Kurikata]

About squirrels and tendrils:http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/14496-was-this-type-of-workmanship-common-to-a-particular-group/?fromsearch=1

[Chriso]

Cheers guys, great conversation from all, I guess the school remains to be seen perhaps Hizen at a pinch. Sylvain, i think your link and picture come very close, unfortunately i cannot read French so the information about it is still a mystery but thanks anyway.

 

Chriso

[Sly]

The translation of the description in french of the tsuba is simply the following :"Iron Tsuba in openwork with patterns of dormice among golden grapes, signed OMORI KIYO-CHIKA"

The auction's house has also written that a similar model can be found on plate 754 page 168 of the book "Japanese Art and Handicraft" by Henri L. Joly and Kumasaku Tomita. Maybe someone of the board has this book in his library and could go a little further for you...

 

 

 

[Chriso]

Thank for that Sylvain

 

Chris

[TETSUGENDO]

Here you are, It's plate 768 page154.

[Rodenbacher]

I bought this Shibuichi Tsuba some weeks ago from a small Swordshop at Ginza, Tokyo.The owner told me that this is Oda School from Satsuma. The previous owner of the Tsuba was an expert in Satsuma Tsuba and attributed it to Oda. This is a school we do not have a lot of Information, but they worked in an eclectical and very individual style in 19th century, so the possibility is high. But who am I? Just heard it and give it to you.

[DRDave]

One more with the subject motif.

[Chriso]

Nice one Dave, so the motif must be fairly common and i think Georges comment on the Doormouse seems more appropriate. Thanks to all for your comments.

 

Chris

[Kurikata]

Another explanation from Aoi Art:

 

https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-mumei-futtachi/

 

‘Futtachi’, the spirits of some aged animal carved on round shape iron Tsuba with open work.

In ancient Japan, it was believed that when the animal with the tail got aged, the will gather spiritual power and gain more tails.

[Chriso]

Lovely piece there Bruno, many thanks

 

Chris

[Chriso]

Certainly some great ideas here, I think it would be fun to go back in time and talk to the makers of some of these fittings and discover what their view are on the motif's they create.

 

Chris