Mokko tsuba with a landscape.

[Robin]

I received this one today.

It has some rust damage, mainly on the backside and the bottom side of the rim, but I still think it's a nice tsuba.

Mokko gata, 85 mm x 78 mm. thickness nakago ana 3 mm, rim 4 mm. 

Brass birds, copper and brass tree, silver and brass fish, silver and brass ten-zogan rain drops.

 

With the drying fishing nets (I presume) and thatched roofed huts and the water....seems to be a lakeside view.

 

 

 

 

 

I admire the landscape scenery and the tiny birds and fish are so nicely detailed, even though they're just about 2 mm!

Still a pitty about the rusty backside.    

 

I tried to do my homework and my estimated guess is a fairly early Saotome tsuba.

 

Hope you like it and input is more than welcome.

 

Robin

 

 

 

 

[Steves87]

Hi Robin, this one had interested me a fair bit, I cannot put my finger on it exactly, but it could be the diamond on mokko that I find mesmerising.

Congratulations! That is a Tsuba I could view and ponder for hours

[Vermithrax16]

I like it Robin! The inlays are all intact and really grab attention. Motif is complex, very cool!

[lotus]

Very nice indeed. Though the majority of Saotome work I have seen do not have inlay and if they do, they are much more simplistic than yours.

[Ford Hallam]

The inlay work and waves look like Nara school work to me, specifically the Yasuchika group.

[Robin]

Thanks gentlemen. 

 

I got the Saotome idea from the Haynes & Long description and examples and compairing it to other tsuba...online and in books.

http://www.shibuiswords.com/KDsaotome.html

The use of both silver and brass rain drops on this tsuba is a striking similarity and it fed my Saotome idea even more.

But...this is probably not a unique Saotome feature. 

 

The fishing nets...I'm not even sure they are fishing nets, but it looks like...and it matched my romantic idea of a peaceful lakeside location.

 

Ah well. I keep learning and above all...admiring, because that's most important. Enjoy the beauty and craftmanship of these wonderful little things called tsuba.

 

Robin.

 

 

[Mantis dude]

Am I seeing remnants of a signature?

Best

Ken

[Robin]

Am I seeing remnants of a signature?

Best

Ken

Thanks for checking Ken, but...no.

I checked again....under the magnifying lamp, with a jeweler's eyepiece and looked at large close up photo's from different angles.

Even with a fair amount of wishful thinking...mumei. It's just some honest rust damage.

 

Robin