Tsuba school Nami with waves and cleaning.

[dimitri]

hello everyone, I found this Nami school tsuba with waves in an uncleaned state (photos 1 and 2), I started as always to clean it with soap and toothbrush, copper dots appeared ( pictures 3 and 4). Today I continued cleaning, I try with my ivory punch but I'm afraid to make a mistake, there is better (photos 5 and 6), I oiled a little to see. Tell me if it's worth leaving like this or if I can continue.
Thanks in advance.

 

PS: I hope not to have the same surprise as the other Tsuba.....

[ROKUJURO]

Dimitri,

the photos are very foggy, and I can't see details with my old eyes. 

When copper dots with metallic surface become apparent, it was probably too much cleaning as soft-metals are always patinated and should be left that way.

[dimitri]

Thank you Jean.
When I received it, there were like dots that appeared. Tomorrow I will take more precise and closer photos. I hope I didn't go too far, I was so excited 😐😐. 
Thank you so much in the meantime.

[vajo]

The dots could be cooper (gold?) and silver? Take a magnifiying glas Dimitri. You rub a lot of shakudo patination away on the closed hitsu ana.

Such a tsuba i would only washing with a very mild soap and a very soft tothbrush only to remove the dirt. After drying oil it with choji from time to time. Store it dry. It will get better but It needs a long time (years) to improve the surface. 

 

[dimitri]

Thank you Chris, yes just Broosse with soft tooth and "Dove" soap stolen from Madame when I read here that it was the simplest, most effective way and without too much damage. I'm going to take pictures and look under the magnifying glass at the famous points. Otherwise I'm going to do this long process but no big deal, I was looking for a tsuba with waves, an Omori school tsuba would have been great but not for my purse, but I fell for this tsuba especially after my adventure with the mass production tsuba . Thanks for all the advice, you all help me a lot.

[dimitri]

  On 6/21/2023 at 9:54 PM, vajo said:

 You rub a lot of shakudo patination away on the closed hitsu ana.

 

 

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On the closed hitsu ana, I barely put the toothbrush on it when everything came off! I didn't understand. On the other side, no worries, but don't go over it.

[dimitri]

  On 6/21/2023 at 7:44 PM, ROKUJURO said:

Dimitri,

the photos are very foggy, and I can't see details with my old eyes. 

When copper dots with metallic surface become apparent, it was probably too much cleaning as soft-metals are always patinated and should be left that way.

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@ROKUJURO and @vajo, Here are closer photos, I hope I haven't gone too far in my cleaning but it's strange, there are like buttons that they are made of copper, but there are also incrustations, I surrounded them only them are like gold color or brass or a copper but it is strange. Thank you gentlemen. 

 

[vajo]

The waterdrops are mostly fire gilded gold, silver and copper patinated. 

 

Yours is a typical edo period moko Bushu tsuba in takabori. 

 

[dimitri]

Thank you very much Chris 🙏

[ROKUJURO]

Dimitri,

if it were my TSUBA, I would not invest too much work. On the photos, it does not look like TAKABORI or EDO period to me. To be sure, you should show it to an expert for in-hand inspection.

[Spartancrest]

Compare it to this one http://nihonto.us/NAMI DM114.htm

[Bugyotsuji]

木瓜（もっこう）の意味・使い方をわかりやすく解説 - goo国語辞書　'Mok-kō'

 

Nice!

[Steves87]

I find it odd that the patina of the ategane came off so easily.... if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was not an original patination, or it had been "coated" with something to simulate a shakudo patina. In all my years of "Tsuba cleaning", I have never seen a proper shakudo patina wear off from a light soapy brushing. 

I like the guard in general, but I personally wouldnt make a comment on anything else based off the photos. 

[dimitri]

@Bugyotsuji I can not understand the link, where you are coming from, there is a kamon, I apologize in advance.
@Steves87, yes it is strange indeed, on the other side nothing is gone. When I received it it was very dirty and it looks like there was old oil on it. there it is oiled, dry in a piece of furniture and next week cleaning with a soft cloth and re-oiled again. Is this the right technique? There are so many.
I will show it to someone to see, but the weight is good I think and there are similarities with the link of another Nami tsuba @Spartancrest, maybe that of a student or less expensive order. 
@ROKUJURO It would be a shame if my second tsuba in a row is not yet a true quote. Go a little depressed there.

[Bugyotsuji]

Apologies, Dimitri, I was only commenting on the pronunciation of the shape, (木瓜mok-kou or 木瓜型mok-kou-gata) which is difficult to express in English or French.

[dimitri]

  On 6/23/2023 at 12:54 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

Excuses, Dimitri, je ne commentais que la prononciation de la forme, (木瓜mok-kou ou 木瓜型mok-kou-gata) qui est difficile à exprimer en anglais ou en français.

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Ah yes, and which looks like the Kamon indeed. Thank you for that clarification.