Tosogu and stones

[BjornLundin]

Hi all,

 

After been on the hunt for tsuba and fittings, I started to notice that there are no stones added as "decoration" to the fittings. Is it an unspoken rule to not to use stones fitted, to represent for example stars, or is it just the tradition in Japan that fitting of stones is not seen as decorative as the work in metal.  

 

Best Björn

[Ford Hallam]

This is an early 19th century piece by Horie Okinari. It features coral 'berries' and a malachite inlay representing a mossy rock.

 

The use of gemstones, glass, ivory, lacquer and other such non-metallic materials in tosugu decoration isn't very common but we do occasionally see examples. This suggests that while not unknown it wasn't, evidently, ever a hugely popular feature.

 

Curiously, though, the use of enamels (the Hirata school output being most notable) was highly appreciated. And Murakami Jochiku is celebrated for his creative use of mother of pearly in his compositions.

 

The Tsuba is copied from the "Tosogu, Treasures of the Samurai" catalogue by Graham Gemmell, one of my early mentors in this field.

[BjornLundin]

Wow, that is one good looking tsuba.

 

Ty for the reply! 

 

-Björn

[Spartancrest]

Björn there is a Jade tsuba  [Tremolite white Jade, a variety of Nephrite] in the Metropolitan Museum of Art N.Y.

 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/33387

Though the museum states it is Japanese it could well have been an import from China or from one of a number of Asian countries originally. If you look carefully on the ura side you will see the nakago-ana cuts through an existing design so it is very likely that it started out as something different. Most likely a Chinese Bi disk that has been recut.

https://kojimajade.com/products/white-disc-0021 You will notice that like the Bi disk the pattern of carving is different each side of the 'tsuba' - it wouldn't be the first time a museum has been mistaken in it provenance, it is equally true that a number of tsuba were made by repurposing other objects.

 

[Curran]

They exist, though more of a late Edo thing.

[suketaka]

A Tanto Tsuba in owned....some stones on it.

 

 

[Kurikata]

Another one....

[kissakai]

One of my 'allsorts' tsuba

I bought a coral tsuba from here only a few weeks ago