Can anyone tell me more about this tsuba

[Yves]

Hi,

 

Attached a photo of the Tsuba. Anyone can tell me more about it?

[GoldenDrachen]

 

I like this type very much.

Daffodils?

I see Bushu/Choshu style in this tsuba.

But I have very little experience yet. Just testing my eyes here...

 

Regards

Vitaly 

[SteveM]

I think Vitaly is correct. 

Image of daffodil/narcissus (水仙 - suisen). 

My guess would also be Bushū school. Mid-to-late Edo. Can't quite read the gold seal. 

[Bugyotsuji]

The treatment of the leaves and the surface finish make me think of Chōshū, but if Bushū did this type of work too then I’m willing to learn! 

[cdrcm12]

Could be Tetsugendo Seiryūken?

[Yves]

Maybe a dumb question but which craftsmen in tsuba's used a golden seal instead of a regular signature? Does such a seal contain words or is it an image of sorts. 

It bears some resemblance to this one that is aparently choshu den, Kawaji Han

[SteveM]

The tsuba in the first post is the one below. 

http://www.touken-ma...uct/shousai/TSU-2417

 

The gold seal presumably contains the artist's name, but nothing on the NBTHK paper indicates what that name might be. 

[Spartancrest]

The Daffodil is called Suisen 水仙 or Secchuka [Setchuka?] 雪中花 (a flower blooming in snow) in Japanese. [the "Herald of Spring"]

An iris or narcissus in the same layout in the Cleveland Art Museum by Tomonobu  https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1915.93

6 hours ago, cdrcm12 said:

Could be Tetsugendo Seiryūken?

Most Tetsugendo also have a 'grass script' mei  - [some show signs of erasure] https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/38984-tsuba-“grass-script”-and-kao/

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/37409-seiryuken-eiju-tetsugendo-school/#comment-387794

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/45100-seiryuken-eiju-design-tsuba/#comment-468449   - Possible erasure

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/41370-seiryuken-eiju-tsuba-again/#comment-425205  - lots of seal examples some close but none exactly like the first post.

 

[Nobody]

I think that the gold seal reads 谷双 - Tanitomo (reading?).

Howeve, I could not find such a name among metalworkers.

 

 

[Kurikata]

11 hours ago, cdrcm12 said:

Could be Tetsugendo Seiryūken?

+1

[Yves]

7 hours ago, Nobody said:

I think that the gold seal reads 谷双 - Tanitomo (reading?).

Howeve, I could not find such a name among metalworkers.

 

 

Tomonobu?

[Bugyotsuji]

20 hours ago, Yves said:

Maybe a dumb question but which craftsmen in tsuba's used a golden seal instead of a regular signature? Does such a seal contain words or is it an image of sorts. 

It bears some resemblance to this one that is aparently choshu den, Kawaji Han

Here is a tsuba with a gold seal in a pot, also reading 谷 Tani, (Koku?) I think, possibly referencing the artistic works of Tani Bunchō rather than being the tsuba maker’s mark per se.

 

 

[Spartancrest]

https://www.bonhams....-early-19th-century/  same style.

One in the Ashmolean Museum http://jameelcentre..../7/10237/10352/19763  I can't see the signature very well but it is described as Chōshū school

http://jameelcentre....0/EA_X_10342-a-L.jpg

 

One in the Metropolitan by Tomonobu - but the style and seal are very much different so it could be a different person - https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/25711

 

Two with gold seals from a Christies sale - the images don't allow a good view of the signatures or seals unfortunately. https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-4870271

THE DAI SIGNED TETSUGENDO OKAMOTO NAOSHIGE AND SEAL, THE SHO SIGNED SEIRYU KEN EIJU (NAOFUSA) AND SEAL

The closest I can find to the seal on the original post is this one - https://www.bonhams....arly-19th-century-2/   Attributed to Tetsugendo Shoraku (Naofusa) - if true it means Naofusa used several slightly different seals over his life time. 

 

 

[Yves]

I have bought it as I'm really in love with this tsuba and it's waiting to be fitted onto a new sword (nihonto) I have made. The smith will make the tang fit this tsuba. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Chōshū, but similar to your design. The leaves go onto the mimi too.

 

 

 

 

[Northeastern Port]

I love this work Yves!

I have a similar tsuba which started me on a journey to find any info relative to this style.  I believe mine was made by Takahashi Masatsugu.  I am going to make a post about this tsuba asking for information regarding it.  The gold seal is called a “kao“ and is a stylized signature that an artist would use to label their work.  Also used by other powerful or notable figures throughout the hierarchy of Japanese life in those times.

[Shugyosha]

On 8/20/2023 at 7:19 PM, Yves said:

Maybe a dumb question but which craftsmen in tsuba's used a golden seal instead of a regular signature? Does such a seal contain words or is it an image of sorts. 

It bears some resemblance to this one that is aparently choshu den, Kawaji Han

Hi Yves,

A bit of a long shot maybe, but could the seal be that of the guy who added the gilding? I have a Kaga tsuba with only a seal on and I’ve long suspected that the Kaga zogan was added to embellish an already forged plate. 

[Yves]

1 hour ago, Northeastern Port said:

I love this work Yves!

I have a similar tsuba which started me on a journey to find any info relative to this style.  I believe mine was made by Takahashi Masatsugu.  I am going to make a post about this tsuba asking for information regarding it.  The gold seal is called a “kao“ and is a stylized signature that an artist would use to label their work.  Also used by other powerful or notable figures throughout the hierarchy of Japanese life in those times.

Hi, that is also a briljant tsuba and I agree. However it seems that in this style the tsuba are quite small and around 65-70 mm meaning they are more for wakizashi, which kinda defeats the reason why I bought it in the first place. I will however keep it as I really like it. 

[Yves]

1 hour ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi Yves,

A bit of a long shot maybe, but could the seal be that of the guy who added the gilding? I have a Kaga tsuba with only a seal on and I’ve long suspected that the Kaga zogan was added to embellish an already forged plate. 

I wouldn't know. I posted that photo but it is not my tsuba. 

[Ed]

There were several schools which made tsuba in this style. This one looks like "Bellflowers" to me. ??

 

This a Choshu school depicting a crab and Ran (orchid).

 

Sunagawa Masayoshi Irises

[Yves]

On 8/21/2023 at 4:31 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

Chōshū, but similar to your design. The leaves go onto the mimi too.

 

 

 

 

In my search for information i found a couple of this type for sale. 

[Northeastern Port]

Yves!  This is a window I’ve kept open in my browser.

https://www.touken-m...uct/shousai/TSU-2417
Lots of good stuff on here!

[Yves]

7 hours ago, Northeastern Port said:

Yves!  This is a window I’ve kept open in my browser.

https://www.touken-m...uct/shousai/TSU-2417
Lots of good stuff on here!

Yes, I bought it from them. Very good and high quality items. Price is likewise. They are also very good to deal with. Unfortunately it turns out the tsuba is a tad too small for the katana I wanted to have made. (ca. 7 cm) and originally more likely to be intended to be used on a wakizashi. I had bought it anyway because the tsuba is elegant and subtle. 

[GoldenDrachen]

7 hours ago, Northeastern Port said:

Yves!  This is a window I’ve kept open in my browser.

https://www.touken-m...uct/shousai/TSU-2417
Lots of good stuff on here!

It says that tsuba in question attributed to Bushu. I am quite happy that I could recognise this style 

[Spartancrest]

A fresh from the factory repro - https://www.jauce.com/auction/r1004740173

  Watch out the paint is not dry yet! 

[Spartancrest]

On 8/20/2023 at 10:46 PM, Yves said:

Anyone can tell me more about it?

Alva museum replicas has a similar style guard. https://www.ebay.com/itm/313858134566  These date from the 1980's

[Yves]

Any idea what a tsuba like this might be worth (70 mm in diameter and intended for wakizashi)

[Bugyotsuji]

On 8/21/2023 at 2:53 PM, Yves said:

I have bought it as I'm really in love with this tsuba and it's waiting to be fitted onto a new sword (nihonto) I have made. The smith will make the tang fit this tsuba. 

Are you asking about this one, Yves?

 

And originally did you mean they will make the tsuba fit the tang?

[Yves]

I'm talking about the tsuba on the first post. Untouched btw. 

[Deez77]

Here is a somewhat similar example with some (what seen to me to be) very unusual signature markings.

https://www.ebay.com...r=artemis&media=COPY