Subject Identification

[Tsuba gardener]

Hi Group, my first post. What could this subject be please? There are similar designs in Haynes Catalogue nos 9 ; 1 from the Yagua Tsuba design book and another of an actual tsuba. Neither feature the crossed strands. In hand some of the strands appear to represent cord or rope. I will try adding additional photos from the  Haynes Catalogue. Thanks in advance.

[Geraint]

Dear Neil.

 

I like it.  My immediate thought is that I have seen images of samurai/ashigaru with strings of rice balls around them, MREs if you get that.

On another thread there was a reference to small balls of rice fastened to thin twigs.... 

 

I am sure others will add to this.

 

All the best.

[Curran]

This theme has been debated as long as I can remember.

From one rendering to another:  ricecakes, dried persimmons, etc.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

I think you have to consider also rusu-moyo for Raijin, the thunder god.

雷神 絵 - Bing images

Raijin - Wikipedia

[Spartancrest]

Welcome Neil.

 

    This one is found in an old thread  2012  - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/9973-another-possible-yagyu-tsuba/

 

It seems much 'heavier' than yours and the detailing is not as clear. Would you say the objects strung on your example are hexagon shape? You can also pick out the 'orange peel' texture on some of them - very detailed.

One also appears on the cover of this book: https://thumbs.worth...e50e8e68d2205d8b.jpg   likely the same guard as illustrated above.

 

 

 

[Tsuba gardener]

Thank for the reply Spartancrest and the link. Interesting point, l hadn't paid much attention. I assumed the 'balls' were something's soft that's been compressed and the edges were because of the joints. But yes hexagonal could be feasible.

[Tsuba gardener]

Bugyotsuji, Thanks for the links. Yes a very strong possibility.

[Tsuba gardener]

Thanks for the reply Curran

[Tsuba gardener]

Geraint, Thankyou for the reply. I will look into that, l think that's a strong possibility.

[Stephen]

14 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

I think you have to consider also rusu-moyo for Raijin, the thunder god.

雷神 絵 - Bing images

Raijin - Wikipedia

For what it's worth I agree with bugs

[Curran]

On 11/6/2023 at 10:05 PM, Spartancrest said:

Welcome Neil.

 

    This one is found in an old thread  2012  - https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/9973-another-possible-yagyu-tsuba/

 

It seems much 'heavier' than yours and the detailing is not as clear. Would you say the objects strung on your example are hexagon shape? You can also pick out the 'orange peel' texture on some of them - very detailed.

One also appears on the cover of this book: https://thumbs.worth...e50e8e68d2205d8b.jpg   likely the same guard as illustrated above.

 

 

 

 

Ah, yes. Well done Dale.

 

I forgot to mention that this design is often associated with the Yagyu school as one of its designs. Of course, it would go on to be copied by other schools.

Yours is not Yagyu. I don't claim to know what it is.

 

[Tsuba gardener]

On 11/7/2023 at 12:00 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

I think you have to consider also rusu-moyo for Raijin, the thunder god.

雷神 絵 - Bing images

Raijin - Wikipedia

 

On 11/6/2023 at 9:35 PM, Curran said:

This theme has been debated as long as I can remember.

From one rendering to another:  ricecakes, dried persimmons, etc.

 

 

 

On 11/6/2023 at 9:17 PM, Geraint said:

Dear Neil.

 

I like it.  My immediate thought is that I have seen images of samurai/ashigaru with strings of rice balls around them, MREs if you get that.

On another thread there was a reference to small balls of rice fastened to thin twigs.... 

 

I am sure others will add to this.

 

All the best.

 

On 11/9/2023 at 2:44 PM, Curran said:

 

Ah, yes. Well done Dale.

 

I forgot to mention that this design is often associated with the Yagyu school as one of its designs. Of course, it would go on to be copied by other schools.

Yours is not Yagyu. I don't claim to know what it is.

 

 

[Tsuba gardener]

5 minutes ago, Tsuba gardener said:

 

5 minutes ago, Tsuba gardener said:

 

 

 

Hi Curran, thanks for your information . The dealer who sold the tsuba stated Robert Haynes considered it to be Ko-Shoami. I am aware Owari and Ono were the main areas/schools of manufacture. I am happy the design is Yagua influenced. One detail not clear in my photo are prominent iron bones.

[Spartancrest]

I can see why the guard could be based on a Yagyu design. This one is from the "Moon Tsuba" thread from Ed  Sept 3

I don't think the themes are the same however.