Any info on this tsuba?

[Mario B]

Hello, 

I got this tsuba from an online auction and it was shipped to me from Japan.

It just said "Edo period" and the description stated "monkey with flowers and mountains"... and the fact that it was damaged with rust.

Pretty sure something went wrong with the translation there (monkey - monk) 

It didn't cost very much but shipping and import doubled the price.

 

Some information would be greatly appreciated. Was it cast or carved? Time period? Fake?

 

 

[Kantaro]

Seems OK, not a fake.

[Dan tsuba]

Hey Mario!

Welcome to this great forum!

I agree with Paris, your tsuba is not a fake!

It looks good to me and was hand carved, not cast.

Time period is hard to ascertain.  But my opinion is it was made sometime in the Edo period for sure.

The fact that one of the hitsu-ana (slots or holes to the sides of the middle slot on the tsuba) has been filled in with some sort of metal shows that someone liked this tsuba and it was probably mounted more than once (they did not need that extra hole!).

 

Just my opinion!

 

 

[Matsunoki]

Subject is Gama Sennin and his three legged toad. Google that name and you’ll find out all about him! He is quite a character. 

[Spartancrest]

  two examples of Gamma Sennin and the three legged toad/frog from the Cleveland Museum of art.

 

https://art.thewalte...mmortal-gama-sennin/

https://collections.mfa.org/objects/10064

https://www.nihontoc...t.com/Frog_tsuba.htm

 

[Mario B]

Thanks for the replies. 

 

I didn't know who the figure was and what the hitsu-ana were. I thought perhaps the empty hole had lost it's filling

 

Perhaps not in the best condition but most old tsuba's are unaffordable for me, so I'm quite happy I got one I like for 70 euro. 

I did some research on restoration and I was able to remove the thick rust in the photo's with vinegar, a toothpick and cotton swab. Then I gave it a coat of Renaissance Wax.

The filled in hitsu-ana did become a shiny bright copper color from the vinegar and I was kind of disappointed because I lost the patina.

But to my surprise it went back to it's original dark color in about 8 days !

 

Here's the backside photo. 

[Bugyotsuji]

It's not a monkey but Gama Sennin as Colin says, and they are not flowers but sasa (low- growing bamboo leaves) and a pine tree. One typical depiction of pine trees will show a variety of pine with rounded needle bunches.

[zanilu]

Never use vinegar when patinated copper alloys and brass are involved you can destroy the patina for good! You very quite lucky that you recovered the patina at all. In most cases it is lost forever 

In general never apply chemicals at all.

 

Regards

Luca

[Jake6500]

The style of the Tsuba and theme reminds me of this thread from a while back:

 

I have seen a couple Tsuba of this sort with the sages/immortals as the theme floating about over the past 6 months or so.

 

They all appear to be authentic Edo Period pieces.