Lost Tsuba, only one ude-nuki hole...

[Bugyotsuji]

This Wakizashi tsuba has lost its history. It measures 7.2 cm in height and 6.5 across, and is about 4mm thick throughout. Good iron with silver droplet zogan. Copper Sekigane in the Nakago-ana, and in the Kozuka-hitsu. Mumei.

 

I picked it up at an antiques stall this morning, but know nothing about it, other than the above.

 

Questions in my brain.

1. Why does it have only one Ude-nuki hole? I have never seen this before.

2. The Kozuka-hitsu and Kogai-hitsu are slightly different designs. What does this suggest? The rather large Kozuka-hitsu was altered/refashioned at a later date?

3. Would anyone be able to venture anything else about it? Area of manufacture, date???

 

Thanks in advance.

 

PS They are in the wrong order. Apologies. Re-editing hasn't solved it!

[Aloof Pegasus]

Piers

 

Nice find. Very attractive little tsuba. Do you mind a guess this lazy Sunday afternoon? From the plate quality and the motif I would like to say Nara.

 

However I know nothing about tsuba ( not being "Japanese" here, I really know nothing).

 

Philip

 

Cud the hitsu-ana be the later addition since the incision parallel to the blade seems too long?

But no that's not right either, now I look again they are both like that so it's not a 'mistake'!

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks for the thoughts, Philip. So maybe Nara?

 

Just noticed from your comments, that the copper/brass? Sekigane in the kozuka hitsu should also be repeated in the kogai hitsu, but it's missing. The cut, what you call 'the incision parallel to the blade' seems to be similar to the one on the other side.

 

Have to admit that I bought it as a) I liked it, and b) the price was right after a little haggling. I usually rely too heavily on my instincts and occasionally get burned, but I feel fairly confident today. (Must look through my books and try to find some examples of single Ude-nuki hole tsubas.)

[Brian]

Yep, the insert is missing on one side. Often see this added..maybe to protect the kozuka/kogai or tsuba..or maybe to better position them.

Not sure if this is an udenuki hole, or just part of the design. Something about it makes me think that it was altered, could be that both kogai and kozuka bitsu were added later?

 

Brian

[Bugyotsuji]

Hmmm... there's a thought Brian. Not sure if I like that thought though! :lol: I suppose it's all a record of history, though.

 

Many thanks for the input.

[Aloof Pegasus]

Duz the kozuka ana seem better cut/placed somehow?

 

S'one went to the trouble to make the dimples either end of straight line cut to help the sekigane fit securely.

 

Philip

[Henry Wilson]

The plate makes me think early to mid Edo period. It is nice but quite flat and does not appear folded or worked that much. Are there any folds in the mimi? (a sign of folding)

 

Also I have the same feeling as Brian:

 

"Not sure if this is an udenuki hole, or just part of the design."

 

It could be the moon amongst the stars? and the hitsu-ana could represent the black empty vastness of of the cosmos...... Just Sunday night thoughts.....

[Bugyotsuji]

I see what Brian and you mean... yes, the moon is on top in the drawn position. Ha, good!

 

No, it's not folded or worked, but quite flat as you say, Henry, and the mimi are simply smoothed off.

 

I might ask a friend to replace the Seki-gane for it ...

[Brian]

Btw..I note from Rich T's page that those inserts are called Ategane (当金) or Ume

Try and match the other one with shakudo.

 

Brian

[Martin]

This kind of Mokko shape as well as the shape of the Hitsu-Ana makes me think of Higo (Shimizu). There are several quite similar examples (with only one bigger hole at the bottom) in the Shimizu book of Mitsuru Ito.

 

Just an alternative thought here...

 

Best,

[Mike]

Yes, my guess was Higo as well. The hole is probably part of the design, usually it comes for either the sun, moon or a star, sometimes it come for a water drop. I have seen that before.

Mike

[Bungo]

Bugsy,

I see mr bill saying............. " oh no "

 

Milt

[Bugyotsuji]

Btw..I note from Rich T's page that those inserts are called Ategane (当金) or Ume

Try and match the other one with shakudo.

 

Brian

 

Martin and Mike, thanks for the input. Very good. It's like an inner eye is seeing something.

 

Brian, come to think of it, I have heard people using both ume-gane and ate-gane, but last night I couldn't think of the word and looked it up in an old Tsuba book! Never heard Seki-gane before, but that's what the book said, in tiny Katakana that needed a magnifying glass to see! 責金 .... However, I much prefer the sound of your two candidates so I am happy to go with them. The other one has gone a deep green colour (hard to see in the photos) may be difficult to match. The colour reminded me of old Shinchu, but if it's Shakudo I will be pleased.

 

Milt, no I don't think so. This one cost me very little. Or do you mean the cost of the implant?

[Bungo]

" Milt, no I don't think so. This one cost me very little. Or do you mean the cost of the implant? "

 

I mean the tsuba looks like Mr. Bill.

You see the two eyes and the mouth ?

 

Milt

[Bugyotsuji]

" Milt, no I don't think so. This one cost me very little. Or do you mean the cost of the implant? "

 

I mean the tsuba looks like Mr. Bill.

You see the two eyes and the mouth ?

 

Milt

 

OK, gotcha! We don't get Mr Bill in Japan, and I had to go on Google to find out what he was!

[Bugyotsuji]

Just checked with a friend in the trade and he assures me that Sekigane is the correct term, and that Ume-gane would not be appropriate here. He seemed to go distant on Ate-gane, so I will double-check on that...

 

Several hours later Went round to see him on a different matter. He showed me his stunning collection of tsuba. He says Ate-gane is also not the correct term!!!

 

So Brian, you owe me a pint of dry cider. (Do you do cider in SA?)

[Brian]

Piers,

Maybe it is your friend who owes us all a cider

As far as I know, ategane is correct. Sekigane are the spacers in the nakago ana.

Not sure about umegane..used more frequently on blade inserts to cover flaws.

Anyone shed more light on whether these are all interchangeable?

 

Brian

[John A Stuart]

I think in this case 'ate' would mean 'appropriate' as in metal for the appropriate reason. 'ume' means to fill 'umeru', so 'filling metal. Not sure of 'seki' but, could relate to 'foundation'. I'm not sure, but, this may mean all use of additional metal for fit or repair etc. is ategane while sekigane and umegane are more specific. They do not come up in normal conversation, so, someone who discusses swords in Japanese could tell us more. John

[Bugyotsuji]

You met this guy when you were over, Brian. He is a Shirogane-shi by profession and makes Habaki as his main job. He is also president of the local NBTHK. I checked my three trusty Tsuba books last night and they also call it Sekigane, and the arrows point to both the fillings in the Nakago-ana and the wedges in the side Hitsu as Sekigane.

 

I do accept that their functions were different. I believe that the Hitsu-ana strips were to protect the Kozuka and Kogai from hitting the edge of the iron tsuba and getting damaged. In this sense it would make sense to call them Ate-gane. Ateru can be either 'bump/hit against', as well as 'fix/allot/apply/lay', so it would be a good generic cover-all word. (But this is my imagination and logic at work, and based on nothing else.)

 

I suspect that these terms are possibly used loosely and interchangeably, but when the purists step forward we may have to bow.

 

I am in the middle here and I can see our ciders being passed backards and forwards, but they're losing their glass frostiness. AAAaaarrrggghhhh...........hurry up before it gets warm!

 

PS Seki is Semeru, to blame, accuse, torture or force into admitting. It implies pushing something with a sharp object into an uncomfortable space.

[Bugyotsuji]

Having sent this tsuba for refurbishment I had a call to say it is ready. The missing Hitsu-ana strip has been replaced.

 

(The other tsuba is a large Heian-jo wheel tsuba which had been badly damaged by someone with a rough file in an attempt to remove rust and dirt. Much of the Shinchu zougan was removed; the steel was showing brightly and scores/scratches ran across both faces of the tsuba. This one is not ready yet.

See jpegs 842 & 843 in the middle of this page.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2499&start=15

When it is, I should be going to collect them both, probably early next week.)

[Bugyotsuji]

Awright already folks! Here she is with her extra bit replacement in Shinchu, hot off the workbench. (Usual apologies over photo quality.)

[Stephen]

looks good are you going to darken it?

[Bugyotsuji]

looks good are you going to darken it?

 

Dunno, Stephen. I could wait for it to go dark green like the other one... brass goes dull pretty quickly, doesn't it? Gold to smoky gold to bright green to dull red to dull green.

 

Might take a century or two, though. :lol:

[Stephen]

liver of sulfer will speed it up LOL

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/l ... sulfur.htm

[Bugyotsuji]

liver of sulfer will speed it up LOL

http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/l ... sulfur.htm

 

Hmmm... well, there is something! Thanks for the link.

[Stephen]

bottom line

 

egg yokes will work in a pinch

[Bugyotsuji]

bottom line

 

egg yokes will work in a pinch

 

Stephen, does the brightness bother you? I really like it, and am planning to enjoy it for a few days, hehehe Might as well enjoy it while you have it!

[Brian]

Bothers me :lol:

I am used to them being dark shakudo. It looks too new, and doesn't match the rest of the tsuba.

Just my 2 yen.

 

Brian

[Bugyotsuji]

Bothers me :lol:

I am used to them being dark shakudo. It looks too new, and doesn't match the rest of the tsuba.

Just my 2 yen.

 

Brian

 

OK, OK, got the message............... grrrrrrrrrrr ........ I'll ask the wife to make my egg runny tomorrow morning!

[Aloof Pegasus]

That looks very nice now, doesn't it. Makes them both look the same age(?) What do you reckon? To my untrained eye anyway.

 

I like it shiny, it'll darken up soon enuf, why splatter it with okonomiyaki?

 

Is that ude nuki hole really a design (moon reflected under Mt Fuji ?)

 

'nother good one Piers. Have a you earned and one for yr friend

 

Philip