Tsuba design help

[Chishiki]

Hi.  I cannot work out what the horizontal structure depicts on this tsuba.   Any help would be appreciated.   Btw.  It is just over 8cm x 3mm thick.  Mark

[vajo]

Hi Mark i have no idea, but i want to say that the picture is very good. A nice tsuba!

[b.hennick]

Two owls!

[vajo]

Haha cool. I see them too! Thanks Berry

[Fuuten]

I was going with simplified birds with connections to give it (some), structural integrity, but now I just see owls😄 

 

Lovely tsuba.

[Chishiki]

Whatever you are smoking or drinking I want some.

[b.hennick]

Hi Mark:
Rotate the tsuba 90 degrees and then to see the other owl rotate a further 180. I did that and cropped the photos so that you will see what I saw.

 

[Fuuten]

Just imagine its claws hidden by plumage.

 

[Curran]

Rear view of someone kneeling?

ie. View from the back row of the temple.

 

 

[Spartancrest]

I also think the design is owls, however, as both hitsu are shaped differently there may be another interpretation of 'masks?' You really must admire the tsuba artists for sometimes keeping us guessing - good art.

[Chishiki]

I see what you mean Barry and thanks for your contribution.   I just have no clue.  Maybe it was something that would have been obvious a few centuries ago but now that ‘thing’ has been lost in time.   

[vajo]

Two nice owles on a tree.

[christianmalterre]

Dear Mark,

 

despite struggeling into "iffs"  , i think, it may be much more fruitful so to discuss your´s Tsuba itself! Not?

 

i dare to see a somehow Nakago-Hitsu-ana from Nambokucho forged Nakago shape here ??? am i right? ( your´s picture is lavish and nobody can  really see decent detail here! ) least not myself.

 

may it cause you some more work and hesitation ? so to maybe post some more detail and close up pictures from various sights of a "viewing-ankle"; and  eventually? some more close-ups from ( it´s Tsuba) wall surface ( maybee?)

 

calling it a Owl is certainly "a Owl" - does but very certainly not help!

 

least, i do think so.....

 

Christian

[Chishiki]

Hi Christian.   If owls, why are they laying on the side?   Why not vertical so they look correct when the sword is worn?   I really don’t know the answer.   This tsuba is not mine but I like it very much but i just don’t understand the design.  Here are more photos.  Kind regards mark.

[DirkO]

stylised usubata? they come in all shapes and sizes

[FlorianB]

There are a lot of Sukashi Tsuba showing a rotation of horizotal ornaments by 90 degrees. It’s the idea of the maker, mostly with regard to geometry.

 

The suggestion of owls is intriguing, but my first impression was some kind of fruit, maybe a persimmon. Just another offer .

 

 

Florian

[christianmalterre]

Hi Mark

 

sorry for my delay in answering you! I just do see you wrote back....

( it is a bit stressy here....)

 

Thank you for those additional pictures!

Yes! definitely!

it seems me to be a very interesting Tsuba indeed!

it looks very healthy, too....

 

You wrote it is not your´s own one ( yet ?)-  so i just recomment you so to hurry about it! ( if it´s price is acceptable of course....????)

 

I do like this design a very lot i just can confess you!

 

 

 

do you know the exact measurements of this Tsuba ?

 

it seemingly least "looks old" ( with old i do speak from Tsuba dating pre Edo )

 

indeed! it is very interesting!

and certainly range out of this generally common to seen stuff....

 

heartly!

 

Christian

[Chishiki]

Hi Christian.  Your comments are very interesting.    Here is the size.

 

ize 
Length: 8.12cm, Width: 8.15cm, Thickness: Approximately 3mm, Weight: 60g 

 

mark

[Spartancrest]

Stephen King [from Western Australia - not the horror writer  ] has sent me a link to a very interesting guard that has strong features of the original posting. https://www.ebay.com/itm/154257121800

I think you would agree that in this case the design looks more like masks rather than owls?

I see the original guard is still listed on ebay  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tsuba-Sword-Guard-Blade-Katana-Samurai-Japanese-Antique-T19/124500597415?hash=item1cfcd05aa7:g:em4AAOSwB8Bf5PQt

 

added to this is another that I just found on  shibuiswords.com   http://www.shibuiswords.com/haynesTsu173.html

67mm x 70.5mm x 4mm.

 

"MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL"

Edited December 26, 2020 by Spartancrest
new data

[Rodenbacher]

I see Geese flying in front of the full moon. If you look at the Form in the blue "circle" (sorry, just a quick try) you will see what I mean. 

[Spartancrest]

There is yet another take on the original design - https://www.jauce.com/auction/o454943394

The hitsu are again the main design feature - just what they represent remains vague.