Thoughts?

[mdiddy]

Hello - here is a tsuba that I am struggling to figure out period/style of. Rounded square, sukashi, some metal besides iron showing through. 73mm by 68mm, 5mm thick. Any additional thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Grey Doffin]

I think you have a Namban (sp?) (foreign influenced) tsuba. The tip off is the rectangular seppa dai and the convoluted sukashi. The period would be mid to late Edo, if I'm not mistaken.

Anyone agree?

Grey

[Brian]

I would agree. From the Field Museum book: (online at http://www.archive.org/details/japaneseswordmou16guns)

In the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century certain sword-fittings began to appear which registered strong traces of foreign in-fluence, both Chinese and European. Two great events in that period, the arrival of the Portuguese in 1542 and the conquest of Korea by Hideyoshi in 1592, brought with them into Japan innovations which rapidly had strong effects on many of the arts and crafts.

European characters, in monograms or inscriptions, figures of foreigners, and coats of arms were soon woven into purely Japanese designs in the most itigenious manner ; even the Umetada artists combined European letters in some of the decorations on their sword-guards. Grounds simulating leather became very popular both in metal work and lacquer, presumably under Portuguese influence; and, as has already been remarked, inlay in iron noticeably increased with the introduction of European fire-arms.

Two types of sword-fittings grouped under the names Hirado and Namban reflect to a marked degree these foreign currents. In the town of Hirado in Hizen worked a coterie of craftsmen who specialized in brass and iron sword-fittings chased with designs of dragons, waves, and flowers almost always combined with European letters. Those which are signed usually have upon them the names of Kunishige, an artist, who must have been the leading spirit of the group. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Hirado like Nagasaki, became the market-place for many "ready made articles" (shiiremono) , intended for the swords of the merchants and lower samurai, and also to satisfy the demands of the foreigners who might carry them home.

The type of tsuba known as Namban was likewise made by the hundreds and imported to some extent. The word Namban meaning "southern barbarians" was first used by the Chinese to describe all aboriginal tribes inhabiting the southern part of their country. 1 In Japan from the sixteenth century on it designated all foreigners, Portu-guese, Hollanders, as well as other Europeans. The word has also been applied to a peculiar kind of hard iron, harder than ordinary iron, but not as brittle as steel. It may have been imported from the Malay Islands, Java, or India. 1 At any rate, it was utilized effectively for the production of the early so-called Namban tsuba, the date of which has been fixed by most writers as late sixteenth century. While some of the designs on these guards plainly show European influence, such as figures, Dutch boats, and birds, for the most part Namban tsuba are thoroughly Chinese in impression, and are combinations of intricately chiselled designs of dragons and tendrils with the jewel appearing some-where in the scheme. Guards of this type, on account of their Chinese character, are quite often called Kannon or Kant on tsuba. In some cases the design itself is beautifully proportioned and therefore appealing; for the most part, however, the admiration aroused for these tsuba is due to the technique displayed in the skillful undercutting of the tendrils and dragons which are intricately interlaced.

 

Brian

[mdiddy]

Grey and Brian,

 

Thanks for your added insight and pointing to more resources to use in understanding these. Much appreciation.

 

Matt

[Bungo]

here's another " atypical " Namban tsuba, note the open works + nunome.

Looks more like a Hizen but the box that accompanied the tsuba says Namban.

 

milt

[Mike]

Matt, your tsuba was once gold plated, all these fine marks indicate of plating. Mike