Thoughts on a tsurigane (?) tsuba

[Ron M]

I recently picked this up from off of a gunto with an older blade (pics coming on another thread) and was wondering what the consensus may be on age. It’s been weathered deeply I think and it’s more of a brown than anything else.

65mm x 74mm

regards

[Spartancrest]

Old, very old. At some stage of a remount it looks like the tagane-ato has caused a 'Hagiri' [crack] from the nakago-ana through to the hitsu.

It is possible that originally the guard did not have a hitsu and could have been cut sometime after the first mounting and the refit. [?] Kamakura [?]

 

Bonshō (梵鐘, Buddhist bells), also known as tsurigane (釣り鐘, hanging bells) or ōgane (大鐘, great bells) are large bells found in Buddhist temples - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonshō

 

[ROKUJURO]

Dale,

to my old eyes, the defect does not look like HAGIRE as the other side does not have the same issue. Instead, it might be a FUKURE that was blown up by corrosion.

I agree that the technique looks like KAMAKURA BORI.

[Spartancrest]

Jean you could be right, I did spot this thin line on the omote side at the same spot but it might just be a rust flake mark. It is something we can't be sure of unless it is in hand and not that important, it is not a fatal flaw and would be hidden by a seppa. I rather like the whole guard, not sure I have seen one like it before, most "Bell" guards are either sukashi or in the outline shape not carved into the plate. 

[Ron M]

5 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Dale,

to my old eyes, the defect does not look like HAGIRE as the other side does not have the same issue. Instead, it might be a FUKURE that was blown up by corrosion.

I agree that the technique looks like KAMAKURA BORI.

Yes it is a fukure and not a crack.

thank you, gentlemen. 

[Ford Hallam]

I'd have to agree with the assessment that is is probably an older piece, perhaps even just pre-Edo.

 

As Jean points out I too thing the flaw is merely an area of delamination, nothing to be overly concerned about imo.

 

Looking at the size, a little small for a Kamakura bori style piece, and the way the design at the bottom appears to have been 'nipped ff' on the corners, I'd suggest it's been cut down.

Kamakura bori guards tend to be more round and/or 'grand' in the the way they fill space. This present shape is much more reminiscent of Edo period style so my feeling is that it's an older piece later modified to suit a later fashion/

 

The kozuka hitsu looks like an older shape, to my eyes anyway, possibly added after manufacture but still quite early I think.