Efu no Akao Yoshitsugu tsuba

[KungFooey]

Hi all,

 

Well, one recent purchase was cast but I think I got it right with this one.

Everything I buy In Japan goes to my brother first (because he's based over there) so I rely on his pictures - but this is looking good so far I think.

 

Please let me know your opinions

 

Thanks as always!

Dee

[KungFooey]

3 more.

 

[BIG]

Hi Dee,

here is a Hozon tsuba..

 

https://sword-auction.com/en/product/23034/af24257-tsubakofu-ju-akao-yoshitsugu（nbthk-hozon-tosogu）/

[BIG]

Mei looks strange ??

[KungFooey]

1 minute ago, BIG said:

Mei looks strange ??

Hi Peter,

 

Your example is on shakudo which I agree shouldn't make a difference to the signature but I believe there were several generations who signed this way.

This is another example also with Hozon papers. If you compare these signatures they look pretty close:

https://tsubashi.com...chool-w-nbthk-hozon/

 

Thanks!

Dee

 

(Hozon left, mine right)

 

[KungFooey]

Hi again Peter! @BIG

 

This is a really interesting thread on this school from way back in 2011. There's a couple of guards which are way more beautiful than mine but have that same signature.

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/8808-akao-school-maybe-similarly-constructed-but-different-motif/#comment-88789

 

I'm still trying to find another NMB thread where I found the following quote from John L. while I was researching my tsuba: 

"Haynes lists no fewer than five artists, working in Edo between the second half of the seventeenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, whose mei was AKAO YOSHITSUGU. Most of the work of this school is in the soft metals, but the early masters, living in Echizen, worked in iron, as did occasionally later artists.

It is difficult to attribute a particular artist to Mike's tsuba (six of these artists' mei are illustrated on pp.609a-610b of Kinko Meikan) but it probably dates to the eighteenth century - H 12227.0 or H 12228.0?

John L."

 

 

[BIG]

In my old eyes kanji looks „poor“, but  Steve and Dale will give us advice..

 

Best Peter

[KungFooey]

2 minutes ago, BIG said:

In my old eyes kanji looks „poor“, but  Steve and Dale will give us advice..

 

Best Peter

Thanks Peter!

 

I trust your 'old' eyes. 😊

 

If it's gimei, I can live with it because I buy a design not a signature and I never send anything for papers anyway.

 

However, when something is wrong I'm happy to hear about it - just like my cast tsuba which didn't turn out to be the great bargain I thought it was! 🤣

 

Dee

[BIG]

Construction, see the nakago ana does not really match, see the other examples where the ana is more a center of the tsuba..

[KungFooey]

5 minutes ago, BIG said:

Construction, see the nakago ana does not really match, see the other examples where the ana is more a center of the tsuba..

I can see mine has sharp angled 'lower walls' the others don't (if that makes sense)?

[BIG]

There is an „inner arch“ on the second part of the ana. The proportions do not fit. 

[KungFooey]

55 minutes ago, BIG said:

There is an „inner arch“ on the second part of the ana. The proportions do not fit. 

Mmm. What about these examples from the same school in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford England?

(Oh, I know the last one has decorative punch marks but it's exactly the same shape.) 

[Dan tsuba]

Hi Dee, can't help with the mei or the museum stuff.

 

But this may be an interesting thread for your consideration on another subject-

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/47395-tsuba-purchasing-for-new-collectors/

 

Onward, to more tsuba collecting!  Hurrah!

[Jake6500]

13 hours ago, KungFooey said:

I can see mine has sharp angled 'lower walls' the others don't (if that makes sense)?

 

I am in agreement with Peter on this... The mei to me seems too different from some of the other examples and the angled Nakao Ana does not seem to match the other examples shown from the artist in question (even if there are examples from the same school). This does not necessarily mean the tsuba is "fake", it could very well be an Edo Period piece by a less renowned artist with a gimei signature.

 

I also think it's striking that you yourself have identified there are examples from the artist in question that are *way* more beautiful than yours. This is usually a good indication that the quality of workmanship isn't on the same level and that your tsuba is probably by another artist. Imitation mei were pretty common in the Edo Period, especially with surviving signatures of significant/skilled artists.

 

I'm not really into openwork pieces however, so I'd be interested to see what more knowledgeable members think. 

[KungFooey]

4 hours ago, Jake6500 said:

 

I am in agreement with Peter on this... The mei to me seems too different from some of the other examples and the angled Nakao Ana does not seem to match the other examples shown from the artist in question (even if there are examples from the same school). This does not necessarily mean the tsuba is "fake", it could very well be an Edo Period piece by a less renowned artist with a gimei signature.

 

I also think it's striking that you yourself have identified there are examples from the artist in question that are *way* more beautiful than yours. This is usually a good indication that the quality of workmanship isn't on the same level and that your tsuba is probably by another artist. Imitation mei were pretty common in the Edo Period, especially with surviving signatures of significant/skilled artists.

 

I'm not really into openwork pieces however, so I'd be interested to see what more knowledgeable members think. 

Hi Jake!

 

Many, many thanks for taking the time to chime in - that's very much appreciated.

 

Taking on board your observation that I had said other examples were way more beautiful than mine, this is absolutely true. But other examples of this school are just 'meh' - so mine wouldn't be the first not to shine. 
Actually, I had never even heard of this school until I got this guard - but then my tastes often run contrary to the mainstream (for example, I think Goto, however finely made, just looks like 'rapper bling' and I wouldn't touch it even if I could afford it)

I'm still trying to find the thread I copied and pasted this from but I think this quote about the Akao metalworkers is interesting: 

"Therefore their work was rarely, if ever seen by the general public. This isolation resulted in the public never becoming familiar with the school, which in turn prevented them from being desired by the masses or widely copied by other schools."

So why bother gimei for something not even in popular demand?

 

Anyhow, this very interesting discussion has really piqued my curiosity so I've told my brother In Japan to hold onto the guard and we'll try and submit it into the next NBTHK shinsa.

If they say it's wrong, I will accept it without a murmur and let all you guys know immediately. If however, they pass it, I sure hope I don't start hearing the common complaint nowadays that "the NBTHK fittings shinsa is no good anymore"! 😉

 

Dee 

 

PS: I managed to get slightly better shots of the Hozon piece's signature (left) next to mine (right). Yep, there are small differences - but hell, there are differences every time I sign something in pen and these were both chiselled on steel. Otherwise, I still think they look pretty darn close.

[Jake6500]

7 hours ago, KungFooey said:

Hi Jake!

 

Many, many thanks for taking the time to chime in - that's very much appreciated.

 

Taking on board your observation that I had said other examples were way more beautiful than mine, this is absolutely true. But other examples of this school are just 'meh' - so mine wouldn't be the first not to shine. 
Actually, I had never even heard of this school until I got this guard - but then my tastes often run contrary to the mainstream (for example, I think Goto, however finely made, just looks like 'rapper bling' and I wouldn't touch it even if I could afford it)

I'm still trying to find the thread I copied and pasted this from but I think this quote about the Akao metalworkers is interesting: 

"Therefore their work was rarely, if ever seen by the general public. This isolation resulted in the public never becoming familiar with the school, which in turn prevented them from being desired by the masses or widely copied by other schools."

So why bother gimei for something not even in popular demand?

 

Anyhow, this very interesting discussion has really piqued my curiosity so I've told my brother In Japan to hold onto the guard and we'll try and submit it into the next NBTHK shinsa.

If they say it's wrong, I will accept it without a murmur and let all you guys know immediately. If however, they pass it, I sure hope I don't start hearing the common complaint nowadays that "the NBTHK fittings shinsa is no good anymore"! 😉

 

Dee 

 

PS: I managed to get slightly better shots of the Hozon piece's signature (left) next to mine (right). Yep, there are small differences - but hell, there are differences every time I sign something in pen and these were both chiselled on steel. Otherwise, I still think they look pretty darn close.

 

You make a good point with that quote and admittedly I am not familiar with the school. If it was a lesser known school there is less motivation to forge the signature and therefore the possibility of the tsuba being gimei is seemingly less likely.

 

You won't hear complaints about NBTHK shinsa from me. No appraisal service is infallible but it is the best we have after all.

[BIG]

Hi Dee, no CATCH 22, here is an old German saying: Alles wird gut !!

 

Best

 

PS Waiting with eagle eyes for the next one..

[ROKUJURO]

Deanne,

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/50790-caveat-emptor-buying-tsuba-from-Japan-on-ebay/#comment-529294

 

[KungFooey]

8 hours ago, ROKUJURO said:

Deanne,

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/50790-caveat-emptor-buying-tsuba-from-Japan-on-ebay/#comment-529294

 

Dear Jean,

 

As always, you give me great encouragement.

Thank you so much!

 

Dee

[KungFooey]

11 hours ago, Jake6500 said:

 

You make a good point with that quote and admittedly I am not familiar with the school. If it was a lesser known school there is less motivation to forge the signature and therefore the possibility of the tsuba being gimei is seemingly less likely.

 

You won't hear complaints about NBTHK shinsa from me. No appraisal service is infallible but it is the best we have after all.

Hi Jake,

 

I really appreciate the follow-up!

 

I tracked down the original thread and can give due credit for that quote to @Ed.

 

Thanks!

Dee

[KungFooey]

10 hours ago, BIG said:

Hi Dee, no CATCH 22, here is an old German saying: Alles wird gut !!

 

Best

 

PS Waiting with eagle eyes for the next one..

Thanks Peter!

 

I'll try hard to get this into next February' shinsa - after all, Wer rastet, der rostet!

 

Dee

[BIG]

Hi Dee,

 

AOI auction..

 

https://www.aoijapan...u-ju-akau-yositsugu/

[KungFooey]

3 hours ago, BIG said:

Hi Dee,

 

AOI auction..

 

https://www.aoijapan...u-ju-akau-yositsugu/

That is amazingly beautiful, Peter!

I love it! 😊

 

Dee

[Itomagoi]

Dee, I was wondering what motif the AKAO TSUBA tsuba represents? Is it nagekiri plant?

[KungFooey]

I felt an obligation to make a final comment on this thread as I promised to submit this tsuba to the NBTHK.

My brother, who is based in Japan and still has the tsuba, attempted to submit to shinsa online yesterday. However, all available slots were filled within 14 minutes.

So I guess we'll never know.

 

Best wishes for 2025.

 

Dee

 

PS: Want to know why I quit the forum? Look at the emoticon responses to each of my comments on this thread alone. REALLY encouraging for a newbie. 

[1kinko]

That's only 1 idiot. Most if the rest are open to knowledge and serious students.

[Itomagoi]

I think it is oak as motif.

[zanilu]

8 hours ago, KungFooey said:

PS: Want to know why I quit the forum? Look at the emoticon responses to each of my comments on this thread alone. REALLY encouraging for a newbie. 

Please do not judge the forum just for the childish behavior of one person. He do not represent our community! Not at all! 

 

Luca

[ROKUJURO]

To me, the leaves look like those of chrysanthemum:



which would correspond with the shape of the HITSU-ANA

[Itomagoi]

Oh, yes Jean. Now I see it. Thank you.