Utopianarian Posted June 12, 2020 Report Posted June 12, 2020 I am trying to find out more about this Tsuba I recently aquired. It looks like Higo style but not sure. Help would be appreciated. I have limited knowledge in this area. Quote
Fuuten Posted June 12, 2020 Report Posted June 12, 2020 As a complete layman, who knows next to nothing about tsuba schools I would say it does not look sophisticated like Higo. Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Posted June 12, 2020 Thanks for your input Axel. It was on a WW2 Gunto and i thought it was worth looking into. I guess I know second to nothing then Axel!! Lol Quote
Fuuten Posted June 12, 2020 Report Posted June 12, 2020 Hi George, I did not mean to be insulting! Just to take whatever I give with some grains of salt. Most Higo look refined in a way I do not recognize in your tsuba. There are many knowledgeable people here who never tire correcting me. Let's wait for them! Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Posted June 12, 2020 None taken. I know very little and appreciate your take on it. Sorry I have a weird sense of humor. The gold trim looks sloppy compared to other Higo work just looking at other examples online but appear to be sort of the same style like this one for example Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Posted June 12, 2020 Here is the fuchi that it came with that doesn’t appear to match Quote
Curran Posted June 12, 2020 Report Posted June 12, 2020 So so example of Edo Higo? ie. Made in Edo to mimic the Higo fashion. Please don't take too much offense, but I feel compulsed to say it is a mediocre example. 3 Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 12, 2020 Author Report Posted June 12, 2020 Thank you Curran. I am trying to learn as much as I can about it. Just wonder if it’s worth sending it to Shinsa Quote
Curran Posted June 12, 2020 Report Posted June 12, 2020 Just wonder if it’s worth sending it to Shinsa Good lord, a resounding No! NBTHK fittings shinsa is half ass, and will take you most of 1 year for their doofus opinions. They are not what they once were. That is my opinion. 5 Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Thank you Curran. I believe it Quote
Spartancrest Posted June 13, 2020 Report Posted June 13, 2020 George I am not a fan of the hitsu-ana on your guard and the gilding almost looks painted on, any chance of a side view? I am not a big fan of shinsa either - from my point of view it is only a way for dealers to ask for more money, on the opinion of a small select number of 'experts' - and I will go further to say that very little is backed up with what we would call 'proof.' That little piece of paper is just that - a bit of paper. 1 Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Here are some side pictures. Let me know if these are ok or if you need any other info. Thank you Dale Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Another pic. It sort of does look painted on but not sure Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Zoomed in pic with heavy lighting 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted June 13, 2020 Report Posted June 13, 2020 I am sorry it is too hard to judge - I thought from the first pictures there was some casting spurs in the hitsu, but now I am unsure. The decoration looks like overlay not inlay, no evidence of nunome-zogan so it is possible that the design was applied by mercury gilding - a technique used by Higo artists such as Hirata Hikozo. The gilding usually appears dull compared to cold zogan. According to Marcus Sesko's book 'Handbook' p.12 . That is just a guess on my part but it might set you on the right path. If you appreciate the piece that's all that is really important. 1 Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Thank you Dale for your time and wisdom. Very good information to set me on a path to find out more information about it. Very interesting. Thanks again Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Here is the best zoomed clear lighted pic I can get. If it helps to determine overlay versus inlay Quote
Pete Klein Posted June 13, 2020 Report Posted June 13, 2020 Looks to me like it's "pining for the fjords.." 1 Quote
Kurikata Posted June 13, 2020 Report Posted June 13, 2020 Poor quality. Not higo (please refer to hitsu ana) . Sorry for this bad news if any. Quote
Utopianarian Posted June 13, 2020 Author Report Posted June 13, 2020 Thanks guys for your take on it. It definitely doesn’t appear top quality work Quote
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