A strange and very thin tsuba - opinions please

[Jorgensen]

Hello,

 

I have this tsuba that I find very unusual and stumbles me some bit. It looks to have some age to it, but on the other side... copy?... modern made?

 

Your opinions will be appreciated. Measures are 8.35 cm x 8.05 cm x 0,20 cm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Soshin]

Jimi-san,

 

I am longer in business as a Japanese antiques dealer and the business Rain Dragon Fine Arts is permanently closed. I have no commercial interests. Looks like a nice modern tsuba in my opinion done in an older Edo Period style. I was not sure from the photos (nakago looks strange like it has not been mounted on a sword), but the video confirmed it for me. It would look nice mounted on a modern Japanese sword in my opinion.

  

[Jorgensen]

@Soshin

Thanks for your opinion, much appreciated. I believe you are right and also believes this tsuba are not very old, however the quite nice patina and the obvious signs that it surely do have some age, combined with the thickness of barely 2 mm and the knowledge that this tsuba comes from a collection where it have been within for the at least 35-50 years was confusing me, despite for the many years I have been collecting myself. Although I think its a strange and charming little fella.

[Soshin]

Jimi-san,

 

Well even if it is technically a modern made tsuba, it still could have some age to it. Thinking about Japanese history the modern period began in 1868 with the Meiji Restoration. I once had a nice Shinto wakazashi in a younger handachi koshirea that dated from the very end of the Edo Period to early Meiji Period. The tsuba it had was thin at the rim thickened nicely toward the seppa-dai and was made of very well forged iron. Tsuba had only been mounted once on the sword it was currently on. The other fittings were matching and made of iron as well except the menuki.

 

On a side note, I have a few modern but all excellent quality and traditionally made tsuba in my collection.       

[ROKUJURO]

This looks like a KACHUSHI inspired TSUBA, possibly MEIJI or younger.