Favorite tsuba gallery - feel free to add to the list

[GRC]

I searched for it but didn't see an existing thread and figured we could benefit from a little eye candy.

There are so many tsuba that I think are spectacular but I'll try to refrain from going overboard, so I'll just post one  

This one is a kawari (irregular) shape made by the Tenpo/Tembo school.

Everything about this makes me think "wow".  The overall balance of the irregularity, the relative shapes of the sukashi cutouts balanced with the one hitsu-ana, the surface texture and the raise lip of hammered rim, as well as the one sukashi cutout that was filled with an intricately textured shakudo plug. 

 

I realize that everyone will appreciate different design elements of the nearly infinite variety of tsuba and that not everyone's favorite will be favorited by all.

My intention is NOT to identify "the best tsuba", but just see a variety of tsuba that make us all say "wow", or maybe call attention to something that someone may not have considered before.  

Feel free to post a tsuba that you admire and maybe a little blurb about what exactly made you pick that particular piece. 

 

[Vermithrax16]

I came across this one in a book, it just strikes me as powerful with the imagery and motion depicted:

 

[GRC]

That's one heck of storm. I like it when they put rain lines across a tsuba. 

And is that a mountain goat up on the cliff above the water?  No problem for the goat but a nightmare for the sailboats...

[GRC]

didn't realize the Image i posted was of such poor quality... here's a better version (hopefully)

[Curran]

edit

 

[Curran]

Just now, Curran said:

Kanshiro.

 

 

[Kurikata]

Tanaka

[kissakai]

Isn't the shape of your tsuba Kobushi gata (fist shaped)?

 

[GRC]

Bruno, I'm also a fan of so many of the Higo school tsuba, including these elegantly "simple" ones from Hirata Hikozo,

as well as these ones from Kamiyoshi, and Jingo: 

I also really like some of the elaborate Hayashi tsuba:

 

[GRC]

sorry, that was Curran who posted the Higo. My apologies

 

[GRC]

Bruno, the Tanaka school produced some amazing work.

I really like the yin yang aspect to the light and dark birds in the one you posted.  

[Toryu2020]

I feel like we had another thread like this going already but...

[GRC]

2 hours ago, kissakai said:

Isn't the shape of your tsuba Kobushi gata (fist shaped)?

 

Hi Grev, I've seen both terms Kobushi-gata and Kawari-gata to describe similarly drawn outlines of irregularly shaped tsuba.

Is there a difference in their use, or are the two terms interchangeable? 

[Vermithrax16]

Biased clearly, but one of my favorite tsuba is one I am lucky to have:

Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvnRoOgsOaM&ab_channel=FordHallam%27sJapaneseMetalworkChannel

 

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nRMl8sKZHg&ab_channel=FordHallam%27sJapaneseMetalworkChannel

[kissakai]

Hi Glen

Kobushi-gata = fist shaped and Kawari-gata = irregular shape.
So I would say if it is not fist shaped (kobushi gata) then it is kawari gata

My tsuba example of a kobushi gata shape

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by kissakai
Image added

[Rich S]

Love those irregular shaped Tenpo tsuba. Just wish I could find one.

rich

[rkg]

In keeping with abstract tsuba...

 

 

 

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

 

[GRC]

Oh wow, Richard (RKG), that's one of your tsuba that I posted as my favorite! 

I hope you don't mind me posting an image of it. I left the copyright line on it so credit would go your way.

Those are some fantastic tsuba you have... when are we going to see a published book of your collection? I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see detailed images of them all.

I particularly like the one on the bottom right. I think it's now a close second favorite behind the one I posted at the start of the thread.

Richard, can I ask what the dimensions are on these two tsuba? The one I posted looks like it's quite tall relative to the nakago-ana.

Also, If I may ask, what is your absolute favorite tsuba of any type of metal and any school?

 

Rich S, I'd love to get one of these Tembo tsuba too, but it's starting to look like Richard (RKG) already owns them all!

 

Grev, thanks for clarifying the difference between Kobushi and Kawari. Much appreciated. 

The one you posted is really nice. The shape is beautiful and I like the carefully placed punch work.

[rkg]

9 hours ago, GRC said:

Oh wow, Richard (RKG), that's one of your tsuba that I posted as my favorite! 

I hope you don't mind me posting an image of it. I left the copyright line on it so credit would go your way.

Those are some fantastic tsuba you have... when are we going to see a published book of your collection? I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see detailed images of them all.

I particularly like the one on the bottom right. I think it's now a close second favorite behind the one I posted at the start of the thread.

Richard, can I ask what the dimensions are on these two tsuba? The one I posted looks like it's quite tall relative to the nakago-ana.

Also, If I may ask, what is your absolute favorite tsuba of any type of metal and any school?

 

<snip>

 

Glen,

I generally try and support education about this stuff, so reposting is fine as long as you aren't trying do do something fraudulent (photo credit appreciated :-) ).
I've actually posted images of most of of my collection on Rich Turner's Kodogu no sekai page on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Kodôgu-no-Sekai-小道具の世界-266005023454853

You gotta put up with the occasional "streaming consciousness" and rant posting, but.... 

Unfortunately facebook seems to be working hard at making cross posting stuff harder, so its not as useful as it used to be.

Not sure what to say about a publication - they're a lot of work, and after seeing really top end stuff, I'm not sure I've got enough pieces that are publication worthy to do much of one....  Besides, I'm always trying to do better imaging, and an electronic format is more amenable to adding better images, 360 image sets, etc as I get more interesting images of stuff, discover things later, etc.

The "amoeba" piece on the lower right is actually pretty big, measuring 81.2mm (H) X 77.9mm(W) X 3.60mm (T, seppa), 5.40mm (T, mimi).  The one of mine you reposted measures 111.1 mm (H) x 79.8 mm (W) x 4.2 mm (T, mimi), 3.6mm (web)

 

On my most favorite piece, I actually posted some images of my most favorite tsuba ever on the fb page above:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=266005023454853&set=a.2863362817052381

Its a pretty atypical Nobuie, but in hand it blows me away - surprising, as I'm not normally a huge Noubie fan, but I digress...

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

[GRC]

I see why you like it so much. That's a really nice effect, almost like you're standing high up on a cliff edge, looking down onto the turbulent waters swirling among the rocks in a cove below. 

Definitely something to appreciate up close.

 

And ummm, on a general note regarding favorite tsuba...

it seems to me that all I had to do to start this thread was to post that facebook link belonging to Rich Turner, and voila!

another lovely piece...

 

Don't sell yourself short Richard...I think your collection is spectacular and would certainly buy that book. Especially with your image and shot quality!

Thanks for sharing all that info and those links.

I have great admiration for what you have put together.