A very unusual Tsuba.

[peterd]

 

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Omote

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[peterd]

 

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Ura

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[Rich S]

Very interesting and a bit strange to my old eyes. I've never handled a Shingen tsuba, but thought they were "woven" from side to side. ???  I wonder if this tsuba is two separate tsuba layered back to back?? How no idea, just pure speculation.

Rich

[b.hennick]

Here is a Shingen tsuba from the Varshavsky collection. I went looking for a typical shingen and saw this one.

[Spartancrest]

The fukurin probably hides the construction method, not your usual Shingen that is for sure.

Barry that Varshavsky one is a bit rough and ready - plenty of loose wires. He has another one that is dual personality but on the one face.

We can't see the opposite side to see how it is constructed either.

 

Is the double sided from your collection Peter?

[Steves87]

Wow, that is interesting to me for two reasons, the first being I have never seen the "one sided" shingen before, and the other being I had never seen a shingen weave without a lacquer binding? Was this usual? I would have thought the wire would be susceptible to bending and breaking without the binding material. Coming from an actual use point of view here

[Rich S]

Just wondering, is there a possible prank here?? Really two different tsuba. A good one that I feel for , if it is

Rich

[peterd]

Don't blame you for wondering Rich, it is one tsuba ,two separate plates. The Shingen one is only about 2mm thick (approx). Yes Dale it is in my collection.                                                                   I will try to photo the two plates in the seppa.

[rkg]

Peter,

that's pretty wild - I wonder what whoever had it made was going for there.  Obligatory images of similar "basket style" shingen in my collection:

 

Be

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)