Elegance in a Hallam Tsuba

[mareo1912]

Hey guys,

 

just started redoing my inventory photos today and took off with this beautiful Tsuba by Ford Hallam.

Please note the fine blue/purple shimmering created by one of the patina layers and the vivid mimi.

 

Couldn't resist to share this beauty. Big compliment to Ford!

(The pictures lost lots of detail due to size limits on NMB)

[Ken-Hawaii]

Very easy on the eyes, isn't it?

[FlorianB]

What a beauty!
It proofs deepest understanding of Japanese aesthetics.

Florian

[Ford Hallam]

Thanks Gents, for the very generous words.

 

This particular tsuba, which I've made a few of, was the result of wanting to make a guard a bit like a tea potter makes a teacup. If you've ever seen an accomplished potter seemingly effortlessly squeeze spinning the clay in a few minutes to produce a perfectly natural looking cup you may get an idea of what i mean. There's a sort of natural uncontrivedness that I was looking for. Where the end result 'just is', where the techniques used in making it are not at all obvious, and where the different processes overlay each other seamlessly.

 

The late Mike Dean bought the first one I made off me. He said, "it looks like you threw a piece of copper into the sky, God caught it and dropped it back to you" Anyone who knew Mike will know that there's nothing more you could attain after that response.

[Martin]

I was also lucky to receive one of these and I very well remember the words Ford quoted.

You just cannot describe it better 

[SAS]

Ford, how were the brush like strokes achieved, was it by tagane, if that is the right word? Sublime.

[Ganko]

Real shibui, great piece of work.

[Vermithrax16]

More sublime touch by Ford Hallam:

 

[terminus]

I honestly believe Ford is up there with the tosogu masters of the Edo period. This one here just stuns me in both conceptual design as well as technical execution. The reflection of the hitsu ana plug is so novel and the crisp details of the shoreline is so clean:



ps. Ford if you're selling that above tsuba I'm paying big bucks for it

[mareo1912]

Hello guys, reviving my own topic it seems...

 

However, I would love to get some additional informations on the metallurgical structures visible in the attached detail shot. While I have some decent chemistry background, I am not sure if this is about different crystal structures of the alloy or also some patina? Especially the "golden" spots would interest me, for the red ones I think of copper clusters in special structure?

 

Of course it would be best if Ford could jump in on these questions! See whole detailed picture here (be patient, it is 80 MP in size) https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mkLi055M-0xSTtMHBoDNekyeC56NyM6j?usp=sharing

 

Best,

Marco

[Surfson]

Beautiful.  Is it just me or does it seem like a marriage of Musashi, Hirata and Umetada?

[Peter Bleed]

You guys are such suckers! Please do your research, develop your eye, look at eBay. How can you be sure that this isn't a Chinese copy?

Peter,

P.S.

Now I am afraid that this is too subtle for the NMB community. This is - like - a joke....

P

[ROKUJURO]

.....how were the brush like strokes achieved, .....

EDO period angle-grinder? 

[Brian]

You guys are such suckers! Please do your research, develop your eye, look at eBay. How can you be sure that this isn't a Chinese copy?

Peter,

P.S.

Now I am afraid that this is too subtle for the NMB community. This is - like - a joke....

P

Peter, I think it may be too late for Ford to call off his Ninja assassins.

Was nice knowing you...

[Ford Hallam]

Morning Gents, Peter's post properly made my laugh out loud, my muesli nearly went up my nose 

 

Thanks again for the kind comments on the tsuba though and the renewed interest.

 

It just so happens that over the past month or so we've been putting out a free "how I did it" series on the making of this type of piece as my offering to help keep sane during this time of crazy.

It's in 12 parts on my Patreon channel here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/36667789

[SAS]

My question has been answered, i can die in peace (someday not soon I hope)!