Tsuba Identification Help

[bleiid]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for help identifying this tsuba regarding, age, school, style, etc. Any information or resources would be greatly appreciated.

Recently purchased in Kyoto but didn't receive much info about it.

Thank you

[ROKUJURO]

Tom,

welcome to the NMB forum!

To prevent a guessing game, please give us some information on material, dimensions, and what you got as info with it?

[MauroP]

Welcome Tom, I'd suggest a Hizen (肥前) attribution for your tsuba, early to mid Edo age.

 

 

[bleiid]

Dimensions are 770mm long, 700mm wide, 60mm deep.

I believe its iron.

As far as other information I was just verbally told it was 300 - 350 years old. Nothing tangible unfortunately.

[ROKUJURO]

Tom,

with these measurements, it would not be a TSUBA, and you would not be able to lift it from the ground. Maybe it is 77 x 70 mm with a thickness of 6 mm? It looks like a TSUBA with 'normal' dimensions.

On the images, the SEPPA-DAI looks like copper in places. Did you test it if it is magnetic? If not, it is not iron.

[bleiid]

@ROKUJURO
LOL my mind was somewhere else when I wrote those measurements clearly.
I tested to see if it was magnetic and it is.

Thanks for the correction.

I was told it was believed to have been created during the Edo period, possibly based on designs from the Chinese zodiac, in laid with gold inlays.

 

[ROKUJURO]

Hi Tom,

we are getting closer now, and with the help of one of our experts, Mauro, you now have a realistic time frame for your TSUBA's manufacture. EDO period was almost 300 years, so the positioning in the first half of it means it was probably made in the late 1600's or early 1700's. It does not show the NANBAN (Portuguese) influence of many other HIZEN TSUBA.

The dragons are famous symbols in China and Japan, and your TSUBA is stylistically influenced by Chinese mythology. Concerning the decoration, we can assume that the dragons are not inlaid in gold but probably applied in IROE-ZOGAN technique. This is an onlay-technique.  

The TSUBA plate may have been treated with an etching technique to produce this special surface structure, but this has to be seen in-hand.

It is an interesting TSUBA in obviously good condition, and other members may be able to tell you much more about it.
 

[Spartancrest]

Rain dragons, with Ho-ou [phoenix], Cranes + possible other animals? Dote-mimi or Kan-mimi.

As Mauro has said Hizen or even "Canton"? Or Chinese working in Japan?  https://jssus.org/2018V50_2_Namban.html

  Auction piece  "an iron mokko plate carved with a slightly recessed web banded by a linked border decorated in silver nunome-zogan and decorated with stylized dragons and clouds in gold"  Nunome is also an onlay technique. Tom your guard may be constructed with the mimi added rather than the inner border carved down like this example. Something to judge in hand. [Speculation at a distance ]

[bleiid]

@ROKUJURO @Spartancrest @MauroP 

Hey guys, I really appreciate all the feedback, it means a lot

I've taken some more images which may give you a better idea of the mimi and perhaps the possible etching technique?
https://imgur.com/gallery/tsuba-TmbOINp

 

Is there something I should be doing to care for this properly? e.g. not me touching it with my oily hands haha. Any up keep or cleaning maintenance I should be doing?

Thanks again!

[ROKUJURO]

Tom,

the photos are upside-down. Better upload them here as we all do.

The TSUBA seems to be in quite good condition, and touching it with bare hands is quite o.k. for iron TSUBA. Keeping it dry will be all that is needed. 
Wiping it with a fabric is always a risk for the gold onlay (whatever that is, NUNOME or IROE), so it's better to avoid it. 

[bleiid]

@ROKUJURO

Thanks Jean,

Regarding the photos I was just trying to get the best angle to show the mimi and if it was added after instead of being carved as you can see gaps, though I'm not sure if it's just damage or because it was added as @Spartancrest suggested.

I'm in Australia so it's pretty dry generally here! But I might try and find a nice glass/plastic box I can display it in.

I'm not sure how much more information I will get but what you guys have given me means a lot Thank you

 

Edit: I tried to upload to photos here but they were about 10 times the upload maximum.
 

[Spartancrest]

         

[ROKUJURO]

Tom,

"adding" a DOTE MIMI is probably less work than cutting it out from a thick plate! It is standard work for a good TSUBAKO, and in your case, it looks quite well made.