Tsuba Info Requested

[Ratill]

Hi All,

 

I just posted a mystery sword in the military forum. I am posting the tsuba here in hope of more information on it. I will also post the entire sword just for context. Save for the fuchi, the hilt is certainly Philippine work. I am sure that the fuchi and sheath are from a shin-gunto but the blade may or may not be a shin-gunto. The tsuba certainly isn't shin-gunto and the workmanship is simply stunning (or any other superlative that you would care to use). The lines of the intricate and precise geometric pattern cut in the steel are about a hair in thickness. These lines were originally filled with some sort of gold colored alloy (I would love to know how they did that). Each side has three five-pointed stars. All three of the stars and much of the inlay are present on the hilt side but only one star remains on the blade side and most of the inlay is missing.

[Spartancrest]

The tsuba is Heianjo style with asanoha or 'hemp' pattern decoration with the addition of five pointed 'stars' or more likely 'apricot blossoms' ? [Signaling the arrival of Spring.] The guard is genuine, perhaps the 'flowers' added later?

 

[Ratill]

Spartancrest,

 

Thanks for the info. I suspect that my tsuba was was black like the two you show with the blossoms. Is there any way to restore this color and also restore the gold colored metal of the pattern?

 

Sincerely,

RTillman

[Spartancrest]

I think a lot of handling and rubbing with a soft cotton rag [or putting it in your pocket for an extended period will get the dark patina back- called tsuba fussing!] I doubt you could get a colour match to the inlay and it would no doubt be expensive - I personally think it looks age appropriate and shouldn't be tampered with. There are some links here and other threads can be found with NMB searches.

Welcome to the world of tsuba.

 

[Spartancrest]

I am surprised no one else has replied to this thread - I came across a 'recipe' if you like, of how, supposedly, Kinai was able to patinate their iron guards. Though the exact manner of how it was managed is elusive. 

 

CATALOGUE OF SPECIMENS

OF

Japanese LACQUER & METAL WORK.

EXHIBITED IN 1894

Part II.

THE FURNITURE OF THE SWORD.

[Note : This extract is pertaining specifically to Iron tsuba]

A few words concerning the iron so often employed for tsuba (and indeed for other accessories of the sword, and for many ornamental and useful objects) may here be introduced. As no analyses of this metal were available at the time, the writer asked an expert metallurgical chemist, Mr. Arnold Philip, then (1889) of the Royal Engineering College, Cooper's Hill, to examine chemically three typical guards. Mr. Thomas Turner, of the Mason College, Birmingham, was so good as to determine their degree of hardness. The percentage results, with estimations of specific gravity, are given in this table:

To these processes must be added the various methods in use by Japanese craftsmen to produce surface colorations and effects upon metals. These have been already described. One such process has however not been recorded hitherto, namely that by which a lustrous black coating of the magnetic oxide of iron was formed. This was produced by heating the iron object with a limited supply of air in the presence of water-vapour and of the products of the imperfect combustion of vegetable matter. The dark and glossy patina thus produced has generally resisted the destructive influence of moisture, so that after the lapse of a century or more the surface remains intact, as in many of the guards made by Kinai of Echizen.

A. H. CHURCH.

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Dale,

very interesting, but not applicable to this TSUBA (if at all for TSUBA with soft metal inlays). There is a lot of brass inlay missing, and as long as this is not restored, there is no way of re-patinating other than exposing the TSUBA to the atmosphere for about 300 to 400 years, but with regular and careful rubbing with a cotton rag as you recommended above.

Stylistically, I would not call this a typical HEIAN-JO TSUBA, while the bell-flowers might ideed be a later addition in that style, as you assumed.

[Ratill]

Spartancrest,

 

Please forgive my tardy response. I just removed the Philippine hilt (very happily without damage to hilt, blade or tsuba) so I can now follow your advice. Your solution of handling to restore patina appeals to me greatly. The tsuba has a great tactile feel, much like a worry stone and time isn't an issue with beautiful historical objects.

 

Sincerely,

RTillman