Ko Akasaka

[Henry Wilson]

I got this recently. It is Ko Akasaka with a nice black / brown patina and depicts a crane, turtle (that looks a bit like a dinosaur) and bamboo. 8cm x 7.8 cm x 0.5cm

 

I don't think it is the 1st generation because of the shape of the seppa dai and the kebori. Leaves only the 2nd or 3rd. Can anyone help me?

[ottou812]

Maybe it's an alligator snapping turtle.

[remzy]

At first i thought it was a rooster, but there were too many heads, so the turtle sounds more like it.

[Curran]

Henry- I recognized this tsuba from the koshirae listing it was with. I like the longevity theme and would have liked to owned this tsuba.

 

My opinion is that it would most likely currently just paper as 'Ko-Akasaka', but I would place it as 2nd gen or by student of 2nd gen perhaps later in the career.

Second gen seemed to be fond of the squiggly versions of rendering grass and branches. Not very scientific, but that is by first impression without looking it up more in the few references I have.

[Brian]

Lovely tsuba Henry. Since the Japanese turtle is often depicted this way, let's all discuss the tsuba and not the turtle too much

Have you dropped Fred an email about it? He seems the expert on these. I don't know enough to make an educated guess, so hopefully others can chime in.

 

Brian

[Martin]

Hi Henry,

 

what does the Mimi look like? Does it show any linear Tekkotsu (Senkotsu) or evidence of folding?

This would not be an indicator for any specific generation, but would be a nice feature to study.

As for the generation - I think this is hard to judge because there are so many exceptions from the rules...

The shape of the Seppa-Dai created by the first generation tends to be elongated, narrow and gets pointed towards the "Ha"-side. This is due to the geometry of earlier Saya that broaden towards the Mune of the blade.

The connection points of the Sukashi usually get wider when they meet the Mimi.

 

From the second generation onwards the Seppa-Dai tends to get wider in shape.

The thickness of 0.5 cm fits to the early masters but the majority of the early pieces is quite thick (> 0.6 cm). I have also seen a Ko-Akasaka which was 0.4 cm in thickness but then had a diameter of more than 9 cm.

 

As for the Kebori, we can observe many, fine and well preserved carvings. Pieces of the first generations of the Akasaka school usually show a rather faint Kebori.

 

My guess would therefore be second/third or later generation Akasaka.

 

Hope, my thoughts help a little...

 

Cheers,

[David Flynn]

Garuda/Phoenix

 

 

David

[Henry Wilson]

Thanks for the replies. The tsuba is of a koshirae set I bought a while ago. Have a look.

 

http://www.yamabushiantiques.com/KOSHIRAE16.htm

 

It is a beautiful set and much much better than in the pictures.

 

Also Martin, there are no clear folds along the mimi, however sometimes I think I see them and sometimes I don't. Could be wishful thinking on my behalf

 

Merry Christmas all

[Michael 101]

Hi Henry,

 

Beautiful tsuba you have, completing a very impressive koshirae.

 

The seppa dia shape and thickness (or rather thiness) make me think 2nd generation work. However their is a lot of kabori work for the early school which is fairly rare so it could be a 5th gen work going back to an earlier design. Which ever - its in top condition with very fine jigane and really rather special.

 

Thanks for sharing

 

Seasonal regards to all

 

Michael