identification help, tsuba

[Antonis]

Hey,

I need help dating this tsuba. I showed it to some people and they told me its most probably very late Edo period 1830/70. I wanted to get some more opinions so I could more accurately catalogs my piece.  I was also interned in knowing if the depictions on the item where referring to a specific story or motif.

thanks in advance,

Antonis.

 

[Antonis]

Here is the back

[Tanto54]

Dear Antonis,

 

Most tsuba that have this "Chinese Landscape" scene with a Chinese Sage (with or without an attendant) on a path with a temple/pagoda partially hidden in the mountains are references to Mount Hōrai (Mount Penglai).  Mount Hōrai is a legendary, holy Chinese mountain in the Eastern Sea that is often visited by hermits and is the base for the Eight Immortals.  Legend has it that the Chinese Emperor sent Jofuku (Chinese Xu Fu) to find the elixir of Immortal Life on Mount Penglai, and he found Japan instead deciding that Mount Fuji was Mount Penglai.

Looking at your tsuba, it has a Chinese Scholar with an attendant, sharp mountains with a partially hidden pagoda, a mountain that looks like Mount Fuji hovering above in the clouds and a large lake with boats in front of the mountain that looks like Lake Biwa (famous lake next to Mt. Fuji).  Therefore, I think your tsuba shows Jofuku and Mt. Fuji as Mount Penglai.  I’ve attached a painting entitled Mount Penglai that closely resembles your tsuba.

 

[ROKUJURO]

Antonis,

if you compare your TSUBA to others with the same motive, you will see that there is a lack of artistic execution in yours. The design is a bit 'naive', the gold application seems rather random in places, and it lacks elegance and the artistic (almost impressionistic) 'brushstroke' you can see in KANEIE TSUBA. This is probably a student's work or made by an amateur who wanted to try his hands on that subject. 

[JohnTo]

Thanks for story behind this Kanei style Chinese landscape.  As you say many tsuba have this theme and I have a rusty one on my desk that I use as an experimental piece to test cleaning regimens (see attached).  I can now add the story to my inventory description.

 

Best regards, John 

[Antonis]

Thank you!! I had no idea about this story. 

I am very sorry for my late response.  Yes the poor craftsmanship of my piece was something that bothered me and made me question its authenticity... If this was a student's work then it was most likely never part of a sword correct?

Also, I was also curious if you knew wether the dates I was given about this tsuba are accurate or not.

thanks again,

Antonis