Koto tsuba?

[Lammi]

Can anyone help me to identify this tsuba? It is signed but unfortunately not easy to see any more.

This came with Mihara ju Masahiro (三原住正廣) katana.

[Brian]

Hi Teppo,

Interesting tsuba design. I don't have anything to back this up at all, besides pure first imression gut feel. But something about this one looks too perfect and geometric. Sun, moon and mountains theme? The lines look very straight, regular and planned to me? Something doesn't give me that antique traditional Japanese aesthetic here. Can't describe it easily, so maybe I am just (hopefully) seeing things here.

 

Brian

[Rich T]

2 things about this I feel that point it to being Edô work. The design is too modern to my eye to make it that old and there is Kuchi-beni 口紅. This is the very circular sekigane that is at the top and bottom of the nakagô ana. This was a common trait in the Suruga school, as well as Tadashige of the Akasaka group and some Kinkô works and a few other workers and schools. It is an Edô thing.

 

As the the mei, not much to read there except the first 2 kanji (ones on the right) might be 伊賀 Iga (伊州 Ishû Province) I wondered if the second last kanji (on the left side) was Mura 村 but I am not have a lot of luck with that thought.

 

This style of sukashi was seen in the works of Sadanaga and the Akao gorup, I would guess mid late Edo. There is some nasty rust damage on the top of the mimi, it looks to have been stored badly for a long period.

 

Just some random Sunday morning thoughts.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[Nobody]

I guess that the mei might be as follows, though I am only 50 % sure.

 

加賀掾 (Kaga no jo)

利貞 (Toshisada)

[Brian]

Glad to be wrong here

What was odd to me was that modern looking design. The moon almost but not quite joining the seppa dai, and the regularity of the lines seemed quite odd. Both sides of the mountain also don't blend well, coming close to the seppa dai and then just being curved abruptly to join.

I guess not a very common theme in its execution. I was pointed to Suruga with the shape of the sekigane.

 

Brian

[Rich T]

I guess that the mei might be as follows, though I am only 50 % sure.

 

加賀掾 (Kaga no jo)

利貞 (Toshisada)

 

Hi Koichi san. This Toshisada exists but is a Kaga artisan. Those who worked in the Edo period all worked in zogan, much like Heianjo work. This does not fir that bill. Having said all that, the mei looks like it fits that reading. I have yet to find a listed match for it and the work style though.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[Pete Klein]

I've had the same issues in trying to figure this one out. It appears to be Suruga work but the mei doesn't fit. The kanji for 'ga' in Suruga is different. This one is that of ga in Kaga. I haven't been able to find anything in any of my books to help. Oh well, this happens, especially when you have the key kanji missing (first kanji of name). In any case just an observation: When you see rust on the observed upper right hand corner of a tsuba it often is from the samurai resting his hand on the tsuba for long periods of time. The sweat corrodes the iron in this pattern. It is also why that area is the first place to look for tekotsu 'bones' as it is where the wear opens the tekotsu up to the surface first.

[Lammi]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. This tsuba is still a little "mystery" but I´m glad that you were interested.

That was a rational explanation why there is rust - it´s been used.