Gunto Tsuba

[Mark C]

Hi All,

 

This tsuba is mounted on a Kanetsugu gunto (Maekawa Kanetsugu)

 

I think it's nothing special, Probably late war production but I've not seen anything like it before.

 

It has two seppa either side and the one closest to the tsuba also have the same sort of thing.

 

The holes have not been put in after manufacturing as the guilt is on the inner surfaces.

 

Your thoughts would be greatly appriciated.

 

All the best

 

Mark

 

[Mister Gunto]

The quality looks too good for late war production. The "Pierced" gunto tsubas seem to have been earlier make, or possibly a more expensive variant, than the "Solid" types, which I see far more often.

 

Just guessing, but possibly by making two holes for the scabbard locking pin, the tsuba maker was giving the buyer the option of mounting the locking pin in two different positions? Maybe they were unsure of which type of scabbard or locking pin would ultimately be installed on the sword? The koshirae were sometimes made by different makers, and then fitted to the blade in yet another location. 

[Dave R]

 I think the tsuba has been flipped over, because it has had to match up to  different fittings and the original piercing could not be conveniently altered, going from a side clip (chuso) at a 3 o clock position to a 2 o clock position. This could have happened during the original use of the piece in wartime.......

[Mark C]

Hi Dave,

 

I get what your saying but it doesn't account for the original guilding on the inside surfaces of both piercings.

 

I don't think this has been made with one piercing and then modified to suit another set of mounts/fittings unless they went through the guilding process on the new piercing.

 

All the best

 

Mark