kutsuwa tsuba.

[parfaitelumiere]

I have finally been able to purchase a kutsuwa tsuba, made from genuine horse bit.

I will put a decent picture once I get it in hand, due to covid 19 there is some delay.
Happy to find it, this makes another tsuba made from original item, I hope to find a real kagami tsuba one day.
I combined several shots together to make this information picture.
I also put together on same picture some front and back.

[Pete Klein]

Mike Yamasaki has/had one on www.tetsugendo.com - better to find him on FaceBook though:

 

[Peter Bleed]

I tried to find interesting Kutsuwa in the old days, but they were hard to discover. I appreciate your taste and your work!

Peter

[parfaitelumiere]

Yeah I know about the tetsugendo Tsuba, it would just be perfect but price is far too high for me...I admit it would have been even better without hitsuana.
About the kutsuwa rarity, I don't know, I found almost nothing on google, and found not so much on bing, Japanese langage search helped to find good example of decorated openwork kutsuwa, I mean, good enough to be used, very good pictures are impossible to find.
Good tsuba pictures are easier to find.
I know there is another thread here, with 2 different kutsuwa tsuba, not very good pictures sadly, an a last thread showing a complete kutsuwa but very small and poor quality...

[Spartancrest]

Patrice L 

 

Here is something that started out not being a tsuba.

 

I notice the nakago-ana are cut, in a counter-intuitive direction as for strength, on all the Kiri examples, I wonder why? [ is it insulting to have the blade edge pointing away from the old imperial family emblem?] The crane example would probably not work any other way.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

A pair of Mori Nagayoshi's Kutsuwa are on display in Oishi Jinja in Ako. The one top right above also looks like a Mori crest, Patrice.

 

Something I found the other day. Early Edo.

Not quite on topic, but in the same stable.

[Guest]

Hi Dale,

 

Very interesting tsuba, the Go San no Kiri (3 5 3 petal) was not the Imperial Kamon.

 

Prior to the use of the 16 petal Chrysanthemum, Go Schichi no Kiri (5 7 5 petal) was the private seal of the Imperial family.

 

Go Schichi no Kiri is now the symbol of the Japanese Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

From the Ashikaga Shogun to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, no?

[Spartancrest]

Malcom

 

I am learning something new every day! Mon and Kamon very specialized and obviously not my field. 

 

Piers D

The picture is very horse-centric, saddle frames, stirrups and mouth bits. Just 'tack' in the reins and blanket and you can 'horse' around all day! 

[parfaitelumiere]

that tsuba is very nice, dales one.
I really like things made from other things.

[parfaitelumiere]

I just saw this one on ebay, size just under 9cm

For me it's a modified kutsuwa part.

[parfaitelumiere]

Here is the tsuba I received today.

 

[Kurikata]

Patrice,

 

you probably saw this one last year in Paris .....

[parfaitelumiere]

yes it's in my first message, second picture.

[Ray Singer]

Here is a Kutsuwa I shared here on the board earlier.

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/29361-large-kutsuwa-horsebit-tsuba-88mm-x-94mm/

[parfaitelumiere]

first picture, on the middle.

[Kurikata]

Another one sold in Paris in June 2012. Please note the hammer price : 3800 € !!!!

[parfaitelumiere]

Interesting, as the supposed period in added in description.
 

[Spartancrest]

There must be some reason why the designs all have the nakago-ana oriented the same way- the structurally weakest. For a combat weapon this makes no sense. Bruno P. s picture is an extreme example, there is not a lot of metal left to support the back edge of the blade.

[parfaitelumiere]

the reason is when you wear the sword the mon is on the right side, not reversed.
In all case the kutsuwa is terrible for combat, large, with holes to break your fingers, weak, all are defects, but there was fashion and trends in antique Japanese times.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Most of these tsuba were created during the Tokugawa shogunate, when there weren't any major battles. That's why tsuba & swords became more ornate, to catch the attention of Samurai. Otherwise, the tosho would be out of business.

[Spartancrest]

For all those still interested in kutsuwa tsuba you may wish to see one going for auction  https://www.jauce.com/auction/l663585368

The  wisteria mitsu tomoe sukashi doesn't leave a lot of metal around the nakago-ana.

The central area looks similar to a guard from the Ashmolean  Museum.  http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/object/EAX.10192

            

[Kurikata]

Hi, one horse bit tsuba will be sold in Switzerland by Galerie Moenius next September 25: https://www.drouotonline.com/l/15786407-tsuba-japon-fer-16e-s-9-x-85-c?actionParam=listLot&controllerParam=lot&fromId=117518