Information on first antique tsuba

[Haon]

As my other thread about my tanto and kogatana, I recently got myself my first old tsuba. Had to get myself something nice after finishing my goldsmith exams and thougt that a tsuba might be fitting. I'm sorry for the pun. However, I know nothing about this piece, except that it has a diameter of 69,4mm x 67,3mm and a thickness of 5mm at the rim. Is there any meaning behind the dragon and the (I guess" vajra, maybe especially in this combination? Can the age be guessed and might it be worth sending it away for a professional examination?

 

Best regards

 

Derek

[GRC]

It's got a definite "Nanban" style to design and look of the dragon and the background. Nanban tsuba were made by many schools and smiths, with some for export and some for domestic use.

However these type of tsuba often have un unusually shaped seppa-dai (area around the cutout in the center) that often have patterns carved into them in relief, as well as a scalloped or lobed treatment to the mimi (edge).

 

Yours was probably a late Edo version, made in Japan (because it has more Japanese features to the overall design) that was made for a Japanese blade (because of the flat seppa dai with an oval outline, as well as the clear outline for the hitsu - bean shaped cutout).  

 

Yours is unusual in that the seppa dai and hitsu are raised up higher on only one face of the tsuba. When present, it's usually raised on both faces.

 

A quick search for "nanban tsuba" on ebay got me to this one, which is strikingly similar to yours:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/294677383500 

 

Nanban tsuba are rarely signed by the smith, and are rarely attributed to a specific school, so it's pretty tough to go beyond saying it's a "Nanban" tsuba.

 

Hope that helps. 

[Spartancrest]

This may be just a design coincidence - https://www.jauce.com/auction/s1030120689  but the open ended 'Vajra' caught my attention. This one not namban.

[GRC]

I actually didn't know what that shape was Dale, thanks  

[Bugyotsuji]

They both have elements of Jingo... Jakushi tsuba.

[roger dundas]

And brass overlay not copper but does it matter ?

Roger j

[Spartancrest]

Some information on Vajra here.

https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/electric_universe/thunderbolt16.htm

[GRC]

Just for comparison, 

Here are some other Nanban dragons that are on solid plates (rather than on their more commonly seen tsuba that are highly pierced):

 

Here are some Jakushi dragons that have a pretty consistent look to them: always heavy on the chin hairs, and have long tendrils from the snout, and antlerlike horns. The overlay always covers an entire component in the design, like a whole cloud, or whole portion of the design in the background, or the horns or claws on the dragon:

I had a look through the 24 images of Jakushi dragon tsuba in my files, and they all show these characteristics.

 

[Haon]

Thanks a lot. Knowing it could be a jakushi piece is already something. The possibility that it was used on a blade makes it a bit more special to me.

 

These are some really nice pictures of tsuba you posted here.

[GRC]

Derek, your dragon has a healthy pile of "hair" or a "mane" on the top of its head.

I have never seen a Jakushi dragon with hair on its head, but Nanban dragons often do.

 

Yours is also a nice tsuba, congrats on the purchase 

 

[Haon]

Oh ok, in that case I propably misread something. Thanks for the clarification, and the congratulations :D