KungFooey Posted November 14 Report Posted November 14 Hi everyone, Was thinking of bidding on this guard but it looks kinda sandcast - what do you think? Thanks, Dee Quote
Grey Doffin Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 I think mid to late Edo and a real tsuba, not cast. Not a treasure and you can do better but not a fake either. Grey 5 Quote
KungFooey Posted November 15 Author Report Posted November 15 4 minutes ago, Grey Doffin said: I think mid to late Edo and a real tsuba, not cast. Not a treasure and you can do better but not a fake either. Grey Thank you, Mr Doffin! Quote
KungFooey Posted November 15 Author Report Posted November 15 Does anyone know the meaning? it looks like an iron cross or radiation symbol to me! 😅 Quote
Dan tsuba Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 Hey Deanna. Welcome to the forum. This is a great forum and a wonderful place to learn. About that tsuba being sand cast. That is an insighful and relevant question. By the texture of the surface of that tsuba, it may actually be sand cast cast-iron. But who knows? The only way to know for sure is to subject the piece to non-invasive metallurgical testing. But who has the money to afford that! I like that tsuba. Whether it ever turns out to be sand cast cast-iron or not. If you win the bid, just enjoy the piece and learn from its history and motif. Although I don’t know what the motif represents. There are extremely knowledgeable members on this forum who I am sure will help you with what the motif is. Onward! 1 Quote
Spartancrest Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 3 hours ago, KungFooey said: what do you think? I think the guard is genuine with a nice stone finish surface. There is evidence of fitting to a blade, the tagane-ato [punch marks] at the top of the nakago-ana [tang hole] with copper sekigane and it looks like there may have been sekigane at the bottom at one time. A similar designed one here but not as nice as the one you are looking at. I think the design may be a cart wheel which has to do with Buddhist belief "wheel of life." https://www.ebay.com/itm/204747571320 A variation where the opposite elements are positive. 5 Quote
KungFooey Posted November 15 Author Report Posted November 15 1 hour ago, Spartancrest said: I think the guard is genuine with a nice stone finish surface. There is evidence of fitting to a blade, the tagane-ato [punch marks] at the top of the nakago-ana [tang hole] with copper sekigane and it looks like there may have been sekigane at the bottom at one time. A similar designed one here but not as nice as the one you are looking at. I think the design may be a cart wheel which has to do with Buddhist belief "wheel of life." https://www.ebay.com/itm/204747571320 A variation where the opposite elements are positive. Thanks so much, Dale! That's really great info! Quote
Dan tsuba Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 Hey Deanna, Just wanted to include some pictures for comparison. Included below are pictures of a sand-cast cast-iron bottle opener that I have (crafted in Japan by a current 16th generation kettle maker using the old methods). Information about that kettle maker can be found here- https://www.teadeale...KAejtyYoyaYoX2QOILTX and here- https://craftland-ja...zuki-morihisa-studio You will have to excuse some of the wear on my bottle opener because I have used it to open several bottles of beer! I have also included the pictures of the tsuba from your post. I am not saying that the tsuba shown in your pictures is sand cast cast-iron. What I am saying is that my bottle opener is sand cast cast-iron! Onward! Quote
KungFooey Posted November 15 Author Report Posted November 15 7 minutes ago, Dan tsuba said: Hey Deanna, Just wanted to include some pictures for comparison. Included below are pictures of a sand-cast cast-iron bottle opener (crafted in Japan by a current 16th generation kettle maker using the old methods). Information about that kettle maker can be found here- https://www.teadeale...KAejtyYoyaYoX2QOILTX and here- https://craftland-ja...zuki-morihisa-studio You will have to excuse some of the wear on my bottle opener because I have used it to open several bottles of beer! I have also included the pictures of the tsuba from your thread. I am not saying that the tsuba shown in your pictures is sand cast cast-iron. What I am saying is that my bottle opener is sand cast cast-iron! Onward! I was outbid, Dan. I need the beer opener now! 2 Quote
ROKUJURO Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 12 hours ago, KungFooey said: Does anyone know the meaning? it looks like an iron cross or radiation symbol to me! 😅 Yes, it is a variation of the radiation symbol: 3 Quote
Robert S Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 I don't know for sure whether that tsuba was sand cast or not, although I agree with Dan Tusba's observations. I will say that that surface texture would be a lot easier to achieve with sand casting than in any other way. But Japanese craftsmen are amazing in their ability to painstakingly achieve textures and effects. Robert S 1 Quote
Dan tsuba Posted November 15 Report Posted November 15 Thanks Robert, for your support! You stated that- “But Japanese craftsmen are amazing in their ability to painstakingly achieve textures and effects.” Yes, that is very true as can be seen by all the different surface textures that the master craftsman have achieved on tsuba. But why would a master tsuba craftsman that made a hand forged tsuba want to make the surface texture of that tsuba appear as if it was sand cast? I mean the master tsuba craftsman must have known that a hand forged tsuba would fetch a much greater price than a tsuba that appears to be sand cast. Maybe a tsuba surface texture that appears as sand cast, is actually a sand cast tsuba? I need to invent a cheap non-invasive metallurgical test to discern the difference between forged iron and cast iron! Yeah, right! Like that will ever happen! Ha, ha, ha, ha, etc! Onward! 1 Quote
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