Looking for a lost post

[Spartancrest]

I read a post some time back dealing with a tsuba that had a hole drilled through the 'jaw' of a rain-dragon or serpentine-dragon, I was hoping someone could steer me in the right direction?

The pictures below are of the type I am looking for -  Also if anyone has pictures of the same style they could donate, it would be much appreciated. 

Thank you.

 

I have noticed that a lot of past posts with links to eBay and others are no longer found because the sites remove them from their data base, I think when linking such sites a copy of the picture should be posted as well, so the link information is not totally lost. It is no effort to 'print screen' and paste to the post.

[Greg F]

Hi Dale this first one is one I own and some others ive found.

[Spartancrest]

Thanks so much Greg, I must admit I have had the image of your guard for a few years now. Out of interest did you pay the asking price? The other examples I have not seen before. At the moment I have over thirty examples as a data base [ four examples of my own ], Although they are all the same general design there are a few anomalies I have found. You will notice one of the curls on this example goes in the opposite direction to almost all other examples [I have found only two like this]. The 'mane' is sometimes thinner and the stalk of the eye ball can stick out at a different angle. A lot are signed Toshimasa but some are signed by other smiths and a number are mumei.

[Greg F]

Dale I cant remember what I paid as it was aprox 5 years ago but Im pretty sure I was happy to pay Grey the asking price.

I saw a black iron daisho of this design on ebay but I must've deleted the image sorry.

 

[Spartancrest]

Greg I have three iron daisho on record, iron examples tend to be in the minority, of the 34 I have, only 12 are in iron and of these, six make up the three daisho. One surprising thing is some of the smaller guards (sho) are not signed, so they may have been cobbled together. Particularly the two from "The Japanese Sword & its Fittings",
Cooper Union Museum N.Y. 1966. The design does not match.

 

[these pictured are both signed by the same artist] 

[cdrcm12]

Hi Dale,

 

I think it may have been the post I submitted in Dec 19. Sorry useless at copying links but search my user name hopefully you'll find it.

 

Attached image.

[Spartancrest]

Thank you so much Colin, I found your post [seems a bit more difficult since the changes] I do recall there was another example that had a round hole cut in it as well but I can't track that down as yet. 

As a bit of fun you could always set a small diamond in your Dragon - it would look like he was crying? 😂 Real Samurai bling!

I must say I love the patina on your guard.

[cdrcm12]

Hi Dale, the patina was one of the attractions for me, image probably doesn't do it justice. Certainly no one has taken Brasso too it!

 

Like the idea of the diamond, certainly would be different!

[Greg F]

Dale the black iron daisho look like they are the iron daisho I was talking about.  I thought about getting them. 

Colin that patina really looks nice.

Ive mounted mine on a nice Ichimonju Wakizashi for now.

 

 

[cdrcm12]

Thanks Greg.

I've not seen another with a patina quite like it, others look similar. Wonder if it's original?