'Nanban' dragon with 'roman alphabet' tsuba

[kyushukairu]

Next up is an interesting juji mokko (cross shaped) 'nanban' tsuba.

 

This is a solid piece of iron at 62 x 62mm and 7mm thick and with a theme of dragons and pseudo roman characters. Presumably this tsuba was produced during the height of European trade, and when artisans first came into contract with latin-based text. Although the characters themselves are nonsensical, we can nevertheless detect the artisan's attempt to comprehend and simulate a foreign language.  There is a lot of on-going scholarly debate about the true origins of 'nanban' tsuba, and whether these were produced outside of Japan in regions such as Indochina. This tsuba however, bears several characteristics which point towards a Hirado attribution. Firstly, the use of nunome-zogan, usunikubori (sunken relief), and incorporation of pseudo-roman characters. 

 

*A very similar tsuba is published in Nanban Tsuba by Yoshimura Shigeta as depicted in the third image

 

£450

[TheGermanBastard]

Hello Kyle, this is a nice Tsuba. I have exactly the same one. I have it as Hirado Kunishige school tsuba

[kyushukairu]

Thanks for the confirmation, Luis. It certainly matches the profile of Hirado Kunishige, though I've never seen any iron tsuba bearing his signature 

[Bugyotsuji]

The text says that Siebold brought back a similar one.

[kyushukairu]

That's right Piers. It also notes that the tsuba is in the Siebold collection in Leiden, Netherlands:  https://www.sieboldhuis.org/en/about/siebold

[kissakai]

A nice tsuba Kyle

[kyushukairu]

Many thanks Grev! I discovered that there's also a similar piece in the Ashmolean museum, Oxford: http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237/10368/21313

[Bazza]

A very interesting thread that I have expanded on in the thread:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/31578-fascinating-informative-fb-site-on-namban-tsuba-etc/

There will be a little repetition here.

 

When first reading I was moved to say that Henri L. Joly's "Inscriptions on Japanese Sword Fittings" would be a good companion read.

 

Then I remembered that I had seen a similar tsuba to Kyle's in C.R. Boxer's "European Influence on Japanese Sword-fittings 1543 - 1853".  Both these publications appeared in "Transactions & Proceedings of the Japan Society, London ..."  Here's the tsuba:
 

 

Best regards,

BaZZa.

[kyushukairu]

Thanks for the link, Bazza. Boxer's comments seem a bit harsh. I'd be interested to read Joly's thoughts in comparison 

[kyushukairu]

Still available - open to partial trades 

[kyushukairu]

bump

[kyushukairu]

still available