Tsuba - “Grass script” and Kao

[Grevedk]

Dear NMB specialist’s,

 

I need to tab into your experience and knowledge in regard to the use of “Grass script” in Mei, and the use of personal seals (Kao) on Tsuba. I have just bought the pictured Tsuba as a small study project. It came without any background information except measurements.

 

Tsuba measurements:  

 

74 mm x 71 mm x 4 mm (seppadai) x 3 mm (rim)

 

Mei:

 

Beautiful  cursive Sosho script (“Grass script”) and a golden “inlaid” or painted seal. I have made a few comparisons to other and identical Mei, and believe that the artist could be - Seiryuken Eiju which is the art name of Tetsugendo Toryuken, Osaka, Kyoto and Edo between 1775 - 1800, (student and adopted son of Okamoto Harukuni, master craftsman and founder of the Tetsugendo School). But - that is just my initial hunch as I can’t read Sosho script 🤔 Furthermore I’m equally puzzled by the personal seal as the school probably had many craftsmen working beside each other. So I need your specialist knowledge in regard to:

 

1. Is the maker Seiryuken Eiju?
2. Can you decipher the seal?
3. Is the Tsuba made for either a Wakizashi or a Katana?
4. Your general comments on design and craftsmanship 

 

In the hope you can help 🤓

 

Best regards 

 

Soren

[Grevedk]

[Grevedk]

[Grevedk]

[Grevedk]

And the last pictures..

 

[kissakai]

I wonder if the kao has some of the character of the kanji mei - just a thought

[Brian]

There are a LOT of Eiju tsuba on the forum, just do a search for that name.

Here's an example.

 

[MauroP]

The kin'in (the golden seal is not exactly a kaō) is consistent with Seiryuken Eiju.

 

[Spartancrest]

These three turned up on Worthpoint and another from a recent auction. I have noticed the 'seal' or Kao can vary amongst examples, this may have indicated specific makers who all signed the same way?

As a side question we all know what a Daisho is, but what is the name for three guards in the same 'set' Tanto, Wak and Katana size? You could also include a Nō-dachi [or if you prefer Ōdachi] making it four of a kind?

 

[Grevedk]

Thank you all 👍

 

Brian - I did the search through NMB, and you are more than right about have many questions and citations there are on “Eiju”. This site is a treasure stove of information when you know how and where to look 😂👌

 

Mauro - what is the difference between kin’in and Kao? 
 

Dale - the attached is something I owe you from last time. Front page, example and citations 🤓

 

 

[Grevedk]

[SteveM]

10 hours ago, Grevedk said:

Seiryuken Eiju which is the art name of Tetsugendo Toryuken,

There is some confusion in this sentence. 

Seiryūken (成龍軒) is the art name of Eiju (栄寿). Seiryūken is written to the right of the nakago-ana of the tsuba in the original post, and Eiju is written to the left. Eiju was a student of Okamoto Naoshige, who himself uses the art name of "Tetsugendō".

 

Regarding the kin'in (the gold-inlaid symbol), I have been looking at it and digging around in books and on the internet and I haven't been able to figure it out yet. On some of his tsuba he uses a kin'in of just the character 成 (Sei - as in Seiryūken). In other tsuba, he uses a two symbol kin'in of 成栄 (Seiei, incorporating one character from his name, and another character from his "art name"). And in a number of other tsuba, including the ones in the thread that Brian linked to, he uses the symbol that is on your tsuba. I haven't been able to identify it, but I believe it might be a variant of 岡 (Oka) which is maybe borrowed from his teacher's name "Okamoto", or maybe it was a symbol that was granted permission to be used by Okamoto once the student had achieved a certain proficiency. I say this because the same symbol appears on tsuba made by another student of the Tetsugendō school, namely Toryūken Shōyū. If this is correct, i would say this is an early work of Seiryuken Eiju. 

 

 

https://www.trocadero.com/stores/timelessantiques/items/824939/Antique-Japanese-Tsuba-Signed-Toryuken-Shoyu-Edo-Period/enlargement1

 

 

As a side note, in the Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue, there is a typo when they say the seal in their catalogue is inscribed "Sei-si". It is in fact Seiei.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grevedk]

Thank you Steve,

 

Your knowledge and comment’s are more than appreciated 👍 The NMB site is a marvelous place to search for information, but the real “magic” lies in the comments and insights that learned people like you share. Thank you - I have just learned quite a few things 😎👍

 

Best regards 

 

Soren

[Kurikata]

Similar Kin'In but without a signature. Tetsugendo school ?

[SteveM]

Yes I would say its the same one. It almost looks as if a signature has been filed off.

Great example of the sudare (bamboo shades) and hollyhock theme that we were talking about in another thread.