Looking for the thread on this tsuba design

[Spartancrest]

 

I recall seeing a thread which featured a tsuba design like this and some family mon of the same type - But I can't track it down, any help would be appreciated.

 

 

Another in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery [from Grev Cooke's book.]

[Kurikata]

Hi Dale,

 

I didn't find a thread on this specific tsuba design in this forum. I have two tsuba with the same design in my collection  (please find a picture of one of them). As far as I know they represent one of the Ikeda Clan mon and also Tachinaba family crest. It is called Gion Mamori . I have also read that it is the Mamori Shogunate crest with two scrolls sent to Hideki Mamori when he was made shogun of the Mangolian territories. 

 

I hope it helps.

[Kurikata]

and I have just found this: https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/43894-kogai-motif-plus-hidden-cross/#comment-456536

[Spartancrest]

Thanks very much Bruno, that gives me lots of information to work with. 

I am glad you found that thread - I thought I had imagined it! 

[Deez77]

Hi Dale,

 

Here's another example with a nice description (translation below). Hope it helps.

https://www.choshuya.co.jp/senrigan/祇園守透図鐔　銘　越前住記内作/鍔/記内

 

"The Gion Mamoru crest is the design used for the amulet of Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto. It is said that Christians used this crest as a cover because of its cross structure. The author is a master among the various generations of Kinai, who are honorably called Nikunai. The densely packed iron ground without clumps is made into a meat carving, and the surface is given a change in inflection and fine stone joints are applied to give it a moist texture. A cross is formed in the center and a pattern is arranged to hide it."

 

Damon

[Spartancrest]

Thanks Damon, a great find. I found this link https://en.wikipedia...ki/Kakure_Kirishitan  It shows the crest and explains some of the 'hidden Christian' information - I am not totally convinced as the 'crossed' elements do look like scrolls and are at an angle not 90 degrees. This hidden Christian theme is becoming a conspiracy with little foundation - If you can plainly see a Christian cross it can't be hidden can it?

 

So Shoami or Kinai? Did more than two schools make this design? - 

This one from  https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/43894-kogai-motif-plus-hidden-cross/#comment-456536  I can't read the Kanji but it looks like Kinai?

[Geraint]

Hi Dale.

 

That one is indeed signed Echizen ju Kinai.  One of mine.

 

 

 

 

This one attributed to Shoami and came with a story from the previous owner. "About a week after I’d purchased it, I went on a trip to Kumamoto to visit s resident swordsmith, Matsunaga Kiyotsugu.  We started out in his forge, where he demonstrated the fundamentals of sword forging, and after we went to another building which is used for iaido training and tameshigiri.  Displayed on the wall was a massive Tachibana kamon and when I enquired was told that the iaido club he belongs to was granted the use of the kamon by the descendant of the last Tachibana daimyo.  I then showed him a picture of the Tachibana tsuba and his response was, “I’m jealous, I want it.” 

 

As is so often the case the design seems to crop up in more than one school, rule of thumb might be Shoami unless signed Echizen.  I have seen the design elsewhere attributed to Northern Shoami.

 

All the best.

[Spartancrest]

7 minutes ago, Geraint said:

“I’m jealous .."

Me too! The one I just won is not in as good a shape as yours Geraint - lets face it not as good condition as any of the other examples - but with a tight budget and limited availability I will take what I can get.

Having looked at the kamon I notice that everyone has displayed their tsuba image the wrong way around - not that it really matters but I just found it curious.

 

Thanks for the translation, the story and the extra image. 

[Spartancrest]

Interesting . . I just found the same design listed in the Ashmolean Museum as Ito school - so far it is the only one 'oriented' in the right direction - http://jameelcentre....ection/7/10237/10355    (EAX.10653)

 

 

[Geraint]

 

 

Ha!  I shall immediately turn mine over in its box!

 

 

 

All the best.