Looking for feedback on a tsuba that I’m working on

[Teddy2808]

Hello everyone,

 

Recently, I’ve been working on the tsuba pictures below. I’m looking for feedback on the Omote which has the bulk of the work completed. I still have a few more hours of smoothing out the surfaces carved out from raising the depictions. I’m looking to see if there is anything I’m missing or should add, as once I’m working on something for long enough I don’t have an objective viewpoint anymore and it can be easy to miss simple flaws. Overall I feel as the piece is coming along well and I’m pleased with the omote , although it will be adding to my pile of unmounted tsuba lying around. My plan for the ura is to have an another lying below a willow tree. Hopefully I’ll be more efficient in the carving for it. This piece was my first time experimenting with raised depictions and I’ve learned a good deal. This reminds me I’ll have to make some more scrapers for the ura as I’ve been trying to get by on only one, but it’s starting to become a little troublesome. Thanks for reading, I’ll post when I’m done.

 

[ROKUJURO]

Teddy,

perhaps it would be a good idea to ask Ford Hallam for his opinion. He could certainly help with advice about design, execution and tools.

....."My plan for the ura is to have an another .......lying below a willow tree...."   (Seems a word is missing) 

[Teddy2808]

Jean,

 

I’ll think about reaching out to him. Although I feel somewhat bad considering his recent health issues. I’m a member of his patreon and his used to do weekly q and a’s before he had his recent complications. Maybe I’ll wait till those start back up.

[Spartancrest]

Hi Teddy, isn't it usual to sign a piece after it is finished? Strictly from a perspective stand point the grooves cut into Fuji-san should tapper thinner towards the top, not be the same width. JMHO

[Teddy2808]

Thanks Dale,

 I hadn’t thought about having them taper near the top. I’ll do that later Regarding the signature, I felt a had a steady hand and was in a good mindset to sign so I did. I think Ford talked about it being in the right mindset in one of his videos. 

[Spartancrest]

7 hours ago, Teddy2808 said:

I felt a had a steady hand and was in a good mindset to sign so I did.

Sounds good to me - keep at it - beyond my talent for sure! 

[Geraint]

Dear Teddy.

 

You have taken an unusual decision in having a significant proportion of the major design element, the bird, obscured by the seppa when mounted.  Was that a conscious choice?

 

All the best.

[Teddy2808]

Geraint,

 

Having the bird obscured by the seppa was a conscious choice. The reason is I wanted the bird a certain size so it could be the focal point, and at that size, I couldn’t shift it over any more to the right without hitting the rim. I’ve put a seppa over it and it only obscures the beak of the bird so I think it’s fine. Lots of tsuba have designs that go into the seppa dai. Also this tsuba wont be mounted as I don’t even own a katana.

[vajo]

Very good Teddy.

I like the motif too. Different to the normal stuff. Did you make a flying one on the backside?

 

 

Btw a Godzilla Tsuba or a Godzilla complete fitting would be really cool.

[Teddy2808]

2 hours ago, vajo said:

Very good Teddy.

I like the motif too. Different to the normal stuff. Did you make a flying one on the backside?

 

 

Btw a Godzilla Tsuba or a Godzilla complete fitting would be really cool.

It’s supposed to be a heron and Mount Fuji😬, but it’s open for interpretation and it’s an I testing way to look at it. As for a Godzilla tsuba, that would be quite interesting and I feel like making one would be a fun journey. I probably wouldn’t make one unless someone wanted to me to though as I have a long list of ideas I want to execute. I like hearing that some people are open to modern designs on tsuba, and soon I might play with that idea. I saw a video of a horimono artists talking about engraving anime designs on katana once and found it interesting that he did modern motifs.

[vajo]

Oh sorry that i saw a pteranodon and vulcano on this. My fantasy is sometimes strange.

Maybe you can change the shape a little bit.

 

Overall not bad. I couldn't do that.