tsuba school question

[Bungo]

question.............

 

usually we find nanako on soft metal ground which is easy to understand ( tiny punch on relatively softer metal ), but how about nanako on iron ?

 

We don't see nanako on iron tsuba too often, yes ?

I just bought a tanto size tsuba, elongated mokko shape with very fine nanako ( on curve surface , no less !! ). This is not cast and it just boggles my mind how the maker did that.

 

Any particular school specialize in nanako on iron ground ?

 

Milt THE ronin

[John A Stuart]

Hi Milt, I do not know how they would do it except as being cast. When I look at the larger pic I see what looks like imperfectly cast nanako which would be expected with fine casting. Not to say this is the case though just what the appearance suggests. Saying that and not knowing it was not cast I would have thought it a Kagami-shi piece. Not too old you think? Late Edo? It is an attractive tsuba. I hope the experts solve this conumdrum. John

[Bungo]

none of the tell tale signs of casting.....

 

smooth polished ground( no lines/pits ) , the " irregularity among the nanako is result of rust ( or the result of removal of ).

 

Milt THE ronin

[DavidF]

If iron has been properly annealed, doing nanako would no be too difficult especially if a cross-hatch scoring had been done first.

 

DaveF.

[Rich T]

the iron looks very homogonous and my guess would be it is a late piece, so the technologies may have been more advanced then. The Japanese iron workers never cease to amaze me.

 

Rich

[Bungo]

actually the flash pics do not do justice to the actual tsuba .

 

 

the seppa dai and flat area has a very lustrous sheen broken by the nanako ground outer area ( which appears dull on account the nanako breaks the light reflection ).

Most likely late edo but well executed.

 

Milt THE ronin