Opinions on Nobuie mei kakugata

[Izumi]

I have this ryū no zu kakugata with nunome zogan and a Nobuie mei.
Any and all opinions on this piece are welcome, thank you.
 

[Izumi]

[Izumi]

[Izumi]

[Spartancrest]

Nobuie must have been an Egyptian.   I love the shape. 

[GRC]

Hi Andrew,

The gold nunome work is definitely done by "Hizen"... the dragon chasing the sacred "tama" jewel, as well as the silver nunome scroll-work "karakusa pattern" on the seppa-dai (that is mostly rubbed off now).

 

And that chiseled X shape formed by what looks like a crossed ribbon is a "kamon" or family crest.

Someone posted the same kamon from a print source earlier this year I think... can't remember the thread or who identified it though... it may have been @Bugyotsuji (Piers)?

 

 

The plate shape and thickness looks more like a Shoami piece though...

Aizu Shoami made this shape the most.

I can't say that I've seen any Hizen work on this shape tsuba before... or at least it's not triggering any memories of specific examples

I guess those Egyptians were getting creative! 

 

All in all, it's definitely not your typical combination of features.

It's possible that someone back in the day, had a Shoami tsuba and sent it off to be "dressed up" by some nunome workers from Hizen... maybe just keeping up with changing fashions and trends?

[Spartancrest]

Never take a mei at face value - too many later additions or outright fake signatures, aimed at parting a Gaijin from his money.

Judge the work.