A Tsuba from the Metropolitan Museum of Art

[Rodenbacher]

Dear fellow Board members, today I want to discuss this Tsuba from the collection of the MMoA:

 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/34423

 

Unfortunately the MMoA collection does not give any further information about the Signature, school or the topic shown here etc. I guess it's a depiction of the four seasons: the peony blooms in summer and bamboo survives winter, the plum for spring - but what's that flower for the fall? 

 

What do you think about this one? 

 

Regards

Peter 

[Bugyotsuji]

Peter, I can see a chrysanthemum top left 菊 Kiku

A camellia top right 椿 Tsubaki

An orchid bottom left? 蘭 Ran 

[PietroParis]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Gentlemen

[Rodenbacher]

Ah, yes, an orchid! Thank you very much, Pietro, you are a Gentlemen, too! And no Peony but a Chrysanthemum, right (I don't own a garden...).

 

I find this Tsuba really stunning! The idea to use 4 Metals in the Background is rarely seen. here or there you might see two metals, but 4?

 

[Spartancrest]

Peter you have given me a heart attack - I compiled a two volume book on the public domain tsuba in the Metropolitan Museum in 2019, now I see the museum is adding little pieces of information  that were not available then [in this case the provenance] so looks like I have to go through about 800 items and update - oh joy!

I do agree with you that four alloy surfaces is very rare, there are quite a few with different colour plates each side, the Met has several, but not four on the one guard. 

 

[Rodenbacher]

[Rodenbacher]

Another one with a two-tone background. You will see these more often: one side is the day-side, the other represents the night:

 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/34452