Katchūshi (armorsmiths) Tsuba

[Soshin]

Hello everyone,

 

Just wanted to share a preview of a tsuba that I am photographing and writing about for my personal collection website: Tsuba Otaku | Reflections of a Not So Empty Mind. This tsuba is part of personal collection and not for sale therefore the propose of the is new topic is to just promote the education and learning of our shared hobby of collecting Japanese sword fittings.

This is a Katchūshi (armorsmiths) tsuba from the collection of my late Japanese sword teacher Kunio Izuka of the New York Tōken Kai. It was purchased via auction from Bonham Auction House New York in Nov. 2020. More information about Kunio-sensei can be found here. I think it dates from the late Muromachi Period comparing it to similar tsuba I have had. I have found this tsuba published in a Japanese book about tsuba that I purchased from Grey Doffin years ago at the Tampa Japanese Sword and antiques show. My wife Tamaki is helping me with the translation of the few pages of this book regarding this tsuba and more information about the book itself. I will share more details on April 1st when I update my personal collection website. I find it interesting that the raised rim of the tsuba a separate piece of iron, feels hollow, and that plate of the tsuba retains much of the original black lacquer applied to the surface. This is more visible in the second photograph. This a small tsuba relatively speaking and likely made for a wakizashi and measures 7.4 cm wide by 7.6 cm high. Feel free to politely discuss and ask questions. Thank you for reading.

 

 

           

Edited March 22, 2021 by Soshin
Added an edit second photo that shows the black lacquer on the surface of the tsuba much better.