SAOTOME TSUBA

[roger dundas]

Here is a tsuba purchased earlier this year from the NMB For Sale section off Tom (LEPORELLO).

It is not big being only  64 x 60 x 4 and I would have liked a katana sized example but for all that think that this one is a great piece in showing the great skill of the brass wire inlay artisan.

I am interested in the opinions of other members here about these thoughts which are about these great skills and the ability to chisel such fine, convoluted channels, twisting and turning to create this design and then to inlay the fine brass wire into such twisting channels.  Pretty amazing work for mine ? And their regularity and evenness is impressive.

The patience and skill producing well executed nanako is of course possibly the ultimate.

There are so many ways to appreciate the artistry and history of tosogu.

 

Roger j

[Curran]

The tsuba is not Saotome.

Perfectly fine tsuba, but wrong school in your title.

[roger dundas]

Thank you Curran.  It's not the first time my description or heading has been in error. The only excuse I can offer (other than just plain ignorance) for my brain slipping a gear might be age and the onset of mental feebleness. My wife tells me that I'm going ok but I do watch for a smirk .

Now is it HEIANJO ? I think it is. And like you say, it is a perfectly fine tsuba even if miscalled.

Once again Curran and other members, thanks for having me. It's been much appreciated.

[roger dundas]

Oh well, I like it .

A t least it isn't a casting or one of the mass produced tsuba that keep coming up for sale over and over again .

What is comforting for the collector is the intricate work involved which deters (at least up until now) fakers or reproduction workers from banging off quick copies for the hungry marketplace.

That's my take on it plus the never to be known mystery of its history, the 'where have you been and what have you seen ?' story of its existence.

Sorry again for the heading error.

 

Roger j.

[Curran]

Hi Roger,

   I didn't reply simply because I cannot say I know very much about Heianjo tsuba. I owned one and sold it in 2004.

There are a few collectors with stronger interest in this area and maybe one of them can comment.

[roger dundas]

I had no problem with your response Curran other the some embarrassment on my part for my carelessness.

I have seen some of your fine tsuba (and others) on the NMB plus your comments on items where your strong knowledge is offered.

I suppose rather what I was wondering was my inability to stir comments from others who do have knowledge of the Heianjo genre .

Was it the erroneous heading or the way the posting was put out there ? I certainly value the commentary seen on this NMB.

 

Roger j

 

[ROKUJURO]

Roger,

that is a fine TSUBA, and it seems to have some age! I especially like the combination of SUKASHI and HEIANJO technique.

While HEIANJO seems to fit, TSUBA in that style are often made from TSUBA blanks forged by other smiths. At least that is what I have heard. So, I think a cooperation between a MYOCHIN or SAOTOME TSUBA smith and a HEIANJO 'decorator'  is not impossible.

[Tom Lindeman]

It is very cool indeed!  I can imagine the maker fitting the brass wire into the groves "just so".

 

Nice tsuba!

 

Tom

[Kurikata]

For your information, a similar tsuba with same technic is displayed in G.Murtha's book on Heianjo tsuba (page 84)

 

[MauroP]

Another nice example from "Tanoshi Shinchū Zōgan Tsuba: 100 Tsuba":

[roger dundas]

I appreciate very much your responses Curran, Jean (ROKUJURO), Tom, Bruno (KURIKATA), and Mauro plus the illustrations you included.

Could it be that there weren't many inlay artisans bothering to do this sort of design work as there don't seem to be too many tsuba of this inlay type around- at least to me with my limited experience ? Possibly the 'buying public', the Samurai, weren't drawn to the design ?

Again thank you for your replies.

 

Roger j.