Tsuba no naka no tsuba

SalaMarcos · July 12, 2022

Dear colleagues, today I want to show you one of the latest pieces that I have added to my collection, with a curious story.
It is the work "tsuba no naka no tsuba" performed by the tsubakō Ōkawa Chikō, 18th generation of the Būshū Edo Itō school under the name of Itō Masanori, and which also has the gō of Masami Tōhōsai.
In November 2019, we invited Mr. Ōkawa to Spain for tsuba exhibitions, lectures and gin zōgan and nanako tagane demonstration workshops, in one of the few such visits to Europe and the first time in Spain. During this trip, I took Mr. Ōkawa to the Prado Museum, and there, looking at the painting "Las Hilanderas" by Velázquez, we talked about the concept of the work within the work (as Velázquez depicted in this painting the paint "Europe's kidnapped" by Rubens) In this sense, I told Mr. Ōkawa that I had seen tsuba with many decorations, including nakago decorating, and nihontō-shaped menuki, as well nihontō in suemon zōgan in tsuba and fuchi-kashira, but I had never seen a tsuba inside a tsuba, and I told him that it would be a piece very interesting for me as an art historian. So, he accepted the commission, and after the years of the pandemic, I have been able to travel to Japan and collect this wonder in his own atelier. It is a tetsu tsuba where he has applied sukashi to recreate not one, but two tsuba within the same tsuba. The recreated tsubas add up to four because they represent the omote and ura sides. The tsuba chosen to represent belong to the first generations of the Akasaka school, the other being from the Owari tradition, although with a design also seen in Kyō-sukashi. I hope you like this piece as much as I do, and, of course, if you know of another tsuba that has a tsuba inside it, it would be very interesting to see it.
Best regards,
Marcos.

C0D · July 12, 2022

Interesting concept and execution, among fittings i saw only menuki depicting tsuba before

Spartancrest · July 12, 2022

Marcos, there are a number of tsuba on tsuba already known - but Mr. Ōkawa has not wasted his time, his is a beautiful piece of workmanship.

There was a thread earlier in the year on NMB on this very subject -

Brian · July 12, 2022

Dale is our master researcher for tosogu, much as Jussi is for swords. :-)
But yes...this is a lovely piece, and one you should really enjoy owning. I like it a lot, composition is great. Well done.

SalaMarcos · July 12, 2022

On 7/12/2022 at 10:10 AM, Spartancrest said:

Marcos, there are a number of tsuba on tsuba already known - but Mr. Ōkawa has not wasted his time, his is a beautiful piece of workmanship.

There was a thread earlier in the year on NMB on this very subject -

Expand

Dear Dale,

Thank you very much for your post and pics! Certainly I saw it on menuki, fuchi-kashira...but never in tsuba. All the examples you showed are very interesting, specially the first one.

Maybe Ōkawa's work is first one in sukashi? Didn't know, but I'm very happy with my piece as well see all other you posted.

Thanks again!

Spartancrest · July 12, 2022

Marcos I have seen two guards with four tsuba depicted on them [one was a modern fake or copy] unfortunately I can't lay my hands on the images. Both were certainly not as detailed as your superb sukashi - you should be justifiably proud to own it.

Also I have seen some examples of tsuba on kozuka so it looks like almost all types of fittings have been decorated in this way - with one certainty - they are still pretty rare!

Kurikata · July 12, 2022

Some other menuki mixing Tsuba and Fuchi Kashira

Spartancrest · July 13, 2022

Hi Bruno, I have a single katamenuki same pattern as your fist image - you don't happen to know where your example lives?

Spartancrest · July 25, 2022

Tsuba on tsuba, I will try and keep this one secret - [small hope!]

Steves87 · July 27, 2022

That looks great Marcos, congratulations!

My Iaito has modern reproduction menuki (which I specifically requested). TSUBA is a great theme, as well as an item!

MauroP · July 27, 2022

Hi,
another "tsuba in tsuba" piece, attribution to Kanayama (from https://eirakudo.shop/tosogu/tsuba/detail/323113)

Spartancrest · July 28, 2022

I found an old image from 1902 - formerly from the Tadamasa Hayashi collection - sold at auction as "Chased and openwork, Six saber guards. By Umétada.- number 112"

Spartancrest · August 13, 2022

Marcos. This modern copy has just reappeared (mentioned July 12 above) - the design is similar to your fantastic piece, but obviously simpler and crude. [where do they find the designs to start with?] https://www.jauce.com/auction/m1059093133 [At least I will know where to look for the images now - here!]

81 mm × 81.5 mm × 4.5mm Wt.85

Spartancrest · October 3, 2022

Glen GRC found this one - https://nihonto.com/11-14-14/

Spartancrest · October 3, 2022

Spartancrest · January 8, 2023

Ten tsuba on one side - this is a collection in itself!

Sorry no image of the ura.

SalaMarcos · January 11, 2023

Thank you very much for all the interesting pictures!!

Spartancrest · January 14, 2023

Well not a tsuba but a Kozuka decorated with them : https://www.jauce.com/auction/l1078554647

Unfortunately I think it has seen better days.

rematron · January 14, 2023

I came across this one while browsing eBay tonight. I like how, when mounted, the relief tsuba would peek out from underneath the seppa/habaki. Also the relief appears to be a smaller version of the tsuba on which it sits.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275391340868?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=BC2wevW5Qx-&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=teIJusuOQ82&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY