Thoughts on Tsuka. Age?

Tensho · March 15

Picked this up a while ago. I thought in place of samegawa it was just carved wood. Turns out its copper sheets that is blackened with gold accents. The menuki appear to be dragons with 4 toes. Black lacquered ito which is evidently worn from use and holding.

Someone has attempted to "pin" the kabutogane on, but "inside" is also a detailed piece of hammer sheet. Fuchi is unfortunately missing, and I'm not sure what would have been in its place as the bare wood is a height of 20mm.

Tsuka is 30.6cm long.

Tensho · March 15

Ian B3HR2UH · March 15

I doubt that this is Japanese

Ian Brooks

Matsunoki · March 15

Tsuka maki does look Japanese and seems to have some age. Meiji Tachi “fantasy piece” for eager gaijin at that time?

ROKUJURO · March 15

To me, it looks older (early EDO ?) and authentic, but it may appear different in hand.

EdWolf · March 15

I also doubt Japanese origin. No mekugi-ana?

Matsunoki · March 15

Some Meiji stuff was glued together but??

Matsunoki · March 15

55 minutes ago, EdWolf said:

also doubt Japanese origin. No mekugi-ana?

????

EdWolf · March 15

A mekugi-ana only on one side of the tsuka? Never seen that before. How could the mekugi be removed?

Grey Doffin · March 15

I once had a real Nihonto katana on which the tsuka had a mekugi-ana on one side only and the katana had no mekugi-ana. Best guess was that the katana was a gift to a shrine and thus no ana. As for the tsuka: no idea why an ana one side only but it can happen. The only rule is that there are no rules.

The tsuka in question, to me, looks to be real Nihonto.

Grey

Brian · March 15

I agree with Grey.
Have recently seen an entire tsuka that was made of metal....wrap and all, all in one. They played with many different styles, you can't discount it because it's odd.

Tensho · March 15

My pictures aren't very good. I'll try to take some better ones later today. It looks much nicer and aged in hand.

Yes, I agree it is strange and there is only one mekugi-ana. I could've sworn I have seen another tsuka with metal panels that only had one as well.

I can't see it as being a tourist piece only because the ito is worn from the palms by the menuki and the fingers on reverse. To me it definitely seems to have been mounted for some time.