Iron sukashi tsuba, clouds, moon, geese. Opinions welcome

[Matsunoki]

Hello from the UK

This is another recent acquisition and one where I really like its delicate design/composition.The collectors label describes it as Akasaka late Muromachi and I have no reason (nor knowledge) to doubt that. Any views or comments most welcome. 
Thanks for looking.

Best. Colin

H 7.1cm

W6.8 cm

T 4mm

[BIG]

Tsuki ni kari..

 

https://www.samuraim...samurai-sword-t-565/

 

Best

 

PS and the clouds..??

[kissakai]

One of my favourite designs

 

[FlorianB]

Hello Colin,

 

Akasaka and late Muromachi? To my mind the Akasaka were founded in early Edo-period, even with the mystic Kariganeya Hikobei at it start it would be late Momoyama at the earliest.
Furthermore Your work looks not like Ko-Akasaka but a later generation. So it would be safe to place it into Genroku or middle Edo-Period.
However, a wonderful piece! I often wonder, why the angles of the mist are different and not continuous horizontal…

Best,
Florian

[paul tsubadotinfo]

Really hard to say from the pictures but the patina looks really good and I like the design! How thick is it?

[Matsunoki]

37 minutes ago, paul tsubadotinfo said:

How thick is it?

Hi Paul

Approx 4mm at rim.  Patina is a bit thin on seppadai but otherwise a natural black with slight old rust pitting. Looks like it’s been on a few swords.

I like the way the geese are graduated in size as if flying at different distances. Conjures up a cold winters night for me.

Thanks for looking.

Best. Colin 

[GRC]

Nice cloud work on that one Colin. The geese presented to convey different distances is a nice touch too.  

 

...and Mr Big comes in with a link that gets us another Ukiyoe reference for tsuba designs 

[BIG]

And the clouds could be HAZE..

 

https://www.touken-m...uct/shousai/TSU-2630

 

Best

[Spartancrest]

On 8/30/2023 at 2:09 AM, Matsunoki said:

recent acquisition

A beautiful piece Colin, you are a lucky guy!

 

  https://www.ebay.com/itm/144816698560 

I am not sure if the birds represented are geese, the wings are very curved, unless this is a convention?

 

  One from the Met. The long necks sure look like Geese.

 

   https://tsuba.info/akasaka/    A different type of bird depicted here, maybe a seagull? 

 

 

On 8/30/2023 at 2:56 AM, BIG said:

Tsuki ni kari..

 

https://www.samuraim...samurai-sword-t-565/

I would take exception with one part of the description from this rather nice piece -  "This Tsuba was sold as each antique Japanese Tsuba is one of a kind."  Well we all know this is not always the case. But it no doubt it helps with the sale. 

 

https://tsubakansho.com/tag/tadamasa/

[Stephen]

Sorry I missed this. I like it very much Colin. 

[paul tsubadotinfo]

12 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

Hi Paul

Approx 4mm at rim.  Patina is a bit thin on seppadai but otherwise a natural black with slight old rust pitting. Looks like it’s been on a few swords.

I like the way the geese are graduated in size as if flying at different distances. Conjures up a cold winters night for me.

Thanks for looking.

Best. Colin 

Yes, I feel so too about the design, quite charming! The iron does not strike me as Akasaka from the pictures, but would have to see it in hand. Are there linear forging lines on the inside or the rim visible? The Kozuka hitsu looks like Akasaka but one would expect a slightly smaller Kogai hitsu. Maybe the attribution refers to the origins of the Akasaka school in Kyoto. Also the overall thin execution of the design and the plate would rather point to Kyo-Sukashi. Whichever attribution is right, it is a nice old Tsuba!

[Matsunoki]

5 hours ago, paul tsubadotinfo said:

Are there linear forging lines on the inside or the rim visible?

Paul, thanks for further comments. Yes there are very clear forging lines in the rim. Images attached.

Also re clouds vs haze, I think that, as we are looking up into the night sky, they are clouds. Haze does not look this striated when looking through it but clouds can?.? …..just an opinion, I’m no expert!

Also….thanks to everyone for chipping in. 
Best. Colin

 

[Matsunoki]

7 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

A different type of bird depicted here, maybe a seagull?

Dale….to me it looks more like a swooping hawk or falcon and it did cross my mind whether the clouds on the one you show could be interpreted as a hawk flying through trees? Dunno.  I’ve seen similar in woodblocks I think. 

[FlorianB]

Colin,

I won’t adhere too strichtly to reality. Many objects have been conventionalized i.e. depicted birds = karigane, and fog ( 霞 kasumi ) on Akasaka Tsuba, too.
Here’s a contemporary icon of cloud and fog:

 

Akasaka design was ahead of the times!

 

Florian

[Curran]

Mid Edo Akasaka.

Probably later half of the 1700s. Tsuba is probably about 4mm thick.

I am not sure how they produced it, but those grainy waves in the mimi are a kantei point I have seen many times.

  

Akasaka location and designs of the school became popular purchase for samurai on the processions to Edo and then back to their home province.

Somewhat = proof you'd been to the big city.

 

[Matsunoki]

It looks like the original attribution that came with it  got the school right and the date a bit wrong. Sincere thanks for all your help guys.

I’ve got  quite a few more if you can all put up with me?🙂

Best. Colin

 

[Geraint]

Keep 'em coming Colin!

 

Looking forward to it.

 

All the best.

[paul tsubadotinfo]

On 8/31/2023 at 8:59 AM, Spartancrest said:

 

 

   https://tsuba.info/akasaka/    A different type of bird depicted here, maybe a seagull? 

 

 

 

This Motive is called Kasumi Karasu which can be translated as 'Crow in the mist'