2 new tsuba. I hope interesting...

[GoldenDrachen]

Hello everyone

 

Start of the month and I have my tsuba allowance spent. I hope I didn't waste it.

As always, I will be grateful for any input regarding design, schools, motif etc

1. Really would like to understand the motif on this one ( hieroglyph?)

 

 

 

2. I just couldn't resist on this one

 

 

Thank you in advance

Regards

Vitaly 

[ROKUJURO]

Well done Vitaly!

I like both a lot! The first one shows a KANJI, possibly 乃. Very elegant!

[GoldenDrachen]

52 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

Well done Vitaly!

I like both a lot! The first one shows a KANJI, possibly 乃. Very elegant!

Hi Jean

Thank you! I always value your opinion!

Could you elaborate on that kanj? Possible meaning?

[ROKUJURO]

Vitaly,

I believe this KANJI was chosen for its form only; it just fits well on a TSUBA. Besides their meaning, KANJI can have a decorative or artistic value.

This kanji "乃" means "of", "namely"
Meaning: of, namely

Reading Ondai (ダイ) nai (ナイ) Kunsunawa-chi (すなわ-ち) nanji (なんじ) no (の)
2 strokes
Radical:丿 (no・haraibo)

I found the information on  https://jitenon.com/kanji

[MauroP]

Hi Vitaly, nice catches. No idea about the meaning of the 乃 kanji, but I suspect some meaning, since I saw it on several tsuba (sometime associated with a monkey). Here below an example in iron, ji-sukashi, attribution to Shōami.

The kanteisho of the second tsuba is quite poor in useul informations. Here a tsuba of similar design attributed to Myōchin school.

[Spartancrest]

Hi Vitaly, there is a close example to your second guard in Gary Murtha's book  "Japanese Sword Guards - Art of War"  page 261 the only difference is the mon is a Mitsudomoe (三つ巴) - his attribution is Saotome. [Sorry about the image, cheap and nasty camera.]

[Larason2]

I think 乃 means "to be." This is based on how it's used in both Mandarin and Japanese, but mostly the Mandarin meaning. It must have been picked up from China. It's sort of a poetic/literary way of thinking about being. The other meanings are very similar between the two. In Mandarin it's nǎi. 

[Deez77]

Hi Vital here's a similar theme kanji piece, but also with a monkey. 😁

 

 

Damon

[Geraint]

Dear Vitaly.

 

I really like the second tsuba, whether Saotome or Myochin, at least we are in katchushi territory.  Attribution apart I find it a very pleasing tsuba; the iron, the asymmetry of the shape and the sukashi make for an appealing tsuba.

 

Good catch indeed!

 

All the best.

[GoldenDrachen]

Thank you all, gentlemen for very informative comments!

It really helps to improve my understanding of the subject.

So, to summarise:

First tsuba, with Kanji motif, either Shoami or has Shoami influence. 

The second one, is definitely katchushi, more likely Myochin. Motif is, I guess, waves, cherry blossom and chrysanthemum.

 

Regards

Vitaly 

[Bazza]

23 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Well done Vitaly!

I like both a lot! The first one shows a KANJI, possibly 乃. Very elegant!

Shooting from the (not so well informed) lip - the first one with the kanji is indeed elegant, also possibly quite old and quite possibly of shakudo that the finish has been polished off.  See the remnant colour clinging to the hitsuana and nakago ana outlines.  However, the reddish present surface colour is lovely and best left unmolested, I think.

 

BaZZa.

[GoldenDrachen]

34 minutes ago, Bazza said:

However, the reddish present surface colour is lovely and best left unmolested, I think.

Apart from the design, colour was the second thing that I liked in this tsuba.

There's no way, I will play with this one ...

[ROKUJURO]

I am an iron guy, so not sure if it might be YAMAGANE. I like the colour also.

[Spartancrest]

I found another Myōchin/Saotome look a like: From the Klefisch auction archives. https://klefischauktionen.wordpress.com  No information was available.

It could be the same guard as Mauro posted above. 

[GoldenDrachen]

5 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

I found another Myōchin/Saotome look a like: From the Klefisch auction archives. https://klefischauktionen.wordpress.com  No information was available.

It could be the same guard as Mauro posted above. 

Thank you, Dale.

Yes looks similar to mine. I also tried to look something up, but found nothing,  apart from the examples already present in this topic.

Unfortunately papers issued to mine tsuba do not contain any attribution. 

I guess it will remain mystery for now...and we shall call it Myōchin/Saotome.