Excellent Owari tsuba, 17th c

[Marius]

Gents, I have chosen a neutral title for this post, because I didn't want to scare you with the name of the maker of this fantastic Owari tsuba. I didn’t want you to confuse him with one of the greatest masters of the Owari tsubako. Reading this big big name you might have automatically assumed it is a fake, a gimei tsuba. 

 

But this tsubako has nothing to do with his famous namesake. 

 

I am talking about a master who has been described in the fundamental work on Owari tsuba - Okamoto's "Owari To Mikawa No Tanko". Okamoto has named him "Owari Nobuie", to make sure he is not confused with the great Nobuie.  

 

The „Owari Nobuie”  was active between 1655 and 1673 (Meireki to Kanbun) and his favourite motives seem to have been butterbur leaves (as in this tsuba), gingko leaves and kasa (hats). His tsuba are powerful, have very good iron and tekkotsu on the rim. 

 

Interestingly, Okamoto writes that some of this master's genuine tsuba have been confused with cast copies. I think it is becase his iron is so sandy (for lack of a better expression) and his signature (信家) appears crude, like in cast tsuba. I think it is due to his style, as simple as that. And he was certainly not trying to use a signature similar to the great Nobuie’s. Yes, it looks thick and unsophisticated, but it is his mei.

 

I will give you measurements later, but they should not deviate greatly from a very similar example in the Owari To Mikawa No Tanko:

 

7.8 x 7.8 cm with 6.3 mm thickness.

 

This tsuba reflects the sensitivity of Owari tsubako - it is powerful, yet has subtlety resulting from its imperfection. It radiates freewheeling creativity, very much like Japanese pottery from the 17th century. It is a guard whose maker was steeped in the chanoyu ideals of the great tea masters like Sen No Rikyu, Furuta Oribe and Hosokawa Tadaoki. It is one of the last of this kind - later tsuba, despite their artistry and perfection never attain this aesthetics, instead conforming to the rigidity of the Tokugawa rule. 

 

This rare tsuba is for sale for only:

 

$600 (incl. priority shipping to EU/US)

 

 

[Marius]

Come on, guys, here is an opportunity to buy a real early Edo. Owari tsuba, vastly superior in quality to most of the stuff you see that is sold as Owari (in most cases these are just random sukashi tsuba).

 

Don't hesitate, as after a while I will just withdraw this piece. Make me an offer if you like it.

 

You know, tarts and all 

 

 

[Marius]

On HOLD.

[Marius]

SOLD