Tsuba Kantei Fun

[Justin]

Kantei time!!

 

This is a tsuba I’m selling at auction here in Melbourne, AUS on May 24th.  I have NBTHK and NTHK papers attributing this tsuba to ................... ?

 

Dimensions: 7.2 cm x 6.8 cm x 0.6 cm.  Round mimi.

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Justin, 

 

Tosa Myochin is the first thing that came into my head so I’ll go with that. Looks a bit Akasaka but not...

 

Thanks for posting! 

[Japan2112]

Higo Kamiyoshi. Although the Akasaka/Tosa Myochin is a valid thought. The motif, I think, is originally from Hayashi Matashichi - twofold hiki bar and Kiri, so any three schools would be suspect.  Fun.

[MauroP]

The keshō-tagane finish and the round shape of hitsu-ana make me lean toward Akasaka (or Shoami )

[FlorianB]

The motif points to Nishigaki, Kamiyoshi and Akasaka, even Shoami, but I’m puzzeled by the somewhat sunken bars with the structure on them. Unususal for those.

 

But I remember I’ve seen something similar on a Tosa Myochin Tsuba so I vote for this school.

 

Florian

[hobnails]

Although i am a total novice  i will go with Akasaka, i have seen a very similar one recently on a Japanese site

With NBTHK papers as well.

The hitsu-anna was also the same shape.

[Justin]

Thanks for the guesses.  My thought when I first saw this tsuba was Higo Kamiyoshi.  The previous owner also thought it was Higo.  He submitted it to NTHK and received something else, so he submitted it to the NBTHK, but received the same attribution as NTHK.

 

Both attributions came back as SHOAMI.

 

By the middle of the Edo period the Shoami style had lost much of its popularity.  The rise of Bushu and Choshu tsuba, as well as the new kinko schools further reduced the prestige of the once great Shoami.  They ended up copying the style of more popular schools and this is perhaps where the Higo influence came from (or Tosa Myochin or Akasaka perhaps).

 

I enjoyed reading your comments and would like to put up another tsuba for kantei  if you’re interested.

 

 

 

[Japan2112]

Hi Justin,

Here is the origination of this design - Hayashi and Akasaka. The Shoami attribution must have something to do with the elaborate ground of the tsuba and shape of the hitsu ana. Even yondai Akasaka doesn't have a hitsu ana so rounded. I call it a "D" shape.

[Bugyotsuji]

https://funbid.com.hk/yahoojp/auctions/item.php?aID=g512290548

Description: Famed Higo work! Nishigaki Kanshiro, Nihiki Hana Kiri no Zu

肥後の名品！　西垣勘四郎　二引花桐図

 

 

[Justin]

Hi Piers,

 

Hope you’re well.  Unfortunately I cannot see the link.  I receive an error.  Can you please repost this.

 

Thanks

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Strange, still works for me on my pc and smart phone. Get a page like this:

 

[PietroParis]

I too see an error page

[John A Stuart]

It worked for me. John