Fact checking : Tsuba 1 : Kuni Hiro

[DirkO]

Hi,

 

I'm looking to sell this tsuba and I just want to verify what I think is the correct info about them. So please, any remark at all would be greatly appreciated. This was my first tsuba and I like it a lot, because of it's simple nature. But I like a good naginata better so I have to make some sacrifices :-)

 

Tsuba 1:

mei : Kuni Hiro

Edo Period

Dark patina

Kakugata form and kaku mimi.

Kozuka itsu ana and kogai itsu ana are open.

Size: 78mm×72mm

Nakago ana 28mm×9mm

 

I don't know about these scratches on the 1st pic, could they be described as battlescars ? Is it something worth mentioning ?

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Nice tsuba there, Zanshin. Funnily enough, I have a smaller Kunihiro (I think) iron tsuba here which I am just now researching. Nade-kaku-gata. 6.4cm x 7 cm. 4mm thick at mimi. 2 hitsu-ana. As with yours, it just has the two characters 国広　in the old Kanji, although they must be different smiths.

 

As to the scratches, common sense suggests to me that the owner was careless replacing the kozuka/kogai. However, common sense doesn't always work for me, so maybe they are battle scars! Good luck with the sale!

 

Would yours not be better called sumi-kiri-kaku-gata?

[Ford Hallam]

As to the scratches, common sense suggests to me that the owner was careless replacing the kozuka/kogai.

 

Hi Piers,

 

I think those marks are on the wrong side, ie; facing the saya, to have been made as you suggest.

 

cheers, Ford

[DirkO]

And still, this was a really solid tsuba, the owner in question would have to be really reckless with his kozuka, to get those scratches :-s

[Bugyotsuji]

Ford and Dirk, yup, got me there! It's as if the point of something has hit the tsuba. Would a sword or a spear hit the same close vicinity five times, all aiming roughly for the kogai hitsu ana?