Trying to find info on some edo period tsubas I inherited.

[angeloch]

Hi I'm trying to find some info on 2 tsubas I inherited. I was told this is the best place for info? Thanks for the help!

[KungFooey]

I can see a war fan (the violin looking thing) in the second design but there are many experts here who will undoubtedly weigh in with far more useful observations!

All I can say is they both look real to me, in great condition and with a beautiful patina. 
Congratulations!

[Shugyosha]

Hi Iansa,

Both are Edo period tsuba. The design of the first one is fairly typical for those originating in Kaga province in terms of its overall shape (slightly dished around the seppa dai, the area immediately around the hole for the sword's tang) and the gold inlay (Kaga zogan). I think that you would describe the theme as "autumn grasses and insects" and I had a very similar one also signed just with a single kao (artist's seal) and, whilst I'm relying on memory, I think it was the same one. Unfortunately, I could never pin it down to a specific individual. See my first post in this thread with a (hopefully) a picture of mine attached.

 

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/23518-unusual-tsuba/#comment-238881

 

With regard to the second one, as Dee says it has a war fan, a banner and the other item might be a representation of the cloth screen used by Japanese commanders to create a private area around their pavillion but I'm guessing there. I'd guess that it was perhaps from the Bushu school (working within the province of Bushu or related to it) given the carved iron and openwork design but that's not unique to that school and without a signature it's hard for me to be more precise. If you google Bushu tsuba you'll get a feel for what I'm talking about.

 

I hope that gets you started and I'm sure you'll get some more information soon.

[zanilu]

I agree with John.

The first one is definetly Kaga zogan. The base plate looks like iron, this will place it to the early production of the school. The later production is mainly with a shakudo plate.

 

You can find more information here:

 

I hope it helps.

 

Regards 

Luca

 

 

[Kanenaga]

Your tsuba #1 is a very typical example of this maker's work, both in terms of the plate shape and the characteristic flat-inlay gold decoration of grasses and insects. Instantly recognizable. Regrettably, I can't recall his name, but hopefully one of the tsuba collectors here will. He sometimes signed his full mei, but often just the kao. Dale, where are you?

[MauroP]

I regret to disagree on the attribution of the first tsuba to Kaga school. Maybe I'm unable to see properly the pics, but my guess is nunome-zōgan. Kin-nunome-zōgan on iron makes (more probably) Kyō-kenjō school.

[MauroP]

[KungFooey]

49 minutes ago, MauroP said:

Extremely similar workmanship and subject matter in direct comparison.

[Shugyosha]

It's an easier mistake to make than you might think - tsuba with this very overdone inlay style are fairly representative of what I'd always considered to be Kyo kenjo tsuba:

https://www.aoijapan...suba-mumeikyo-kenjo/

 

See the post by David Stiles (Soshin) on a different thread for a Kaga tsuba of similar style to that of the OP:

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/27077-kaga-zogankaga-school/

 

When I was researching my own tsuba I came across a Kyo kenjo tsuba in the style of that on the Aoi website with a similar kao, but the workmanship was so different and the kao was slightly off so I discounted it. Anyway, everyday's a school day...

[zanilu]

10 hours ago, MauroP said:

I regret to disagree on the attribution of the first tsuba to Kaga school. Maybe I'm unable to see properly the pics, but my guess is nunome-zōgan. Kin-nunome-zōgan on iron makes (more probably) Kyō-kenjō school.

You are right Mauro!

My mistake!

 

Bravo!

[angeloch]

Oh wow MauroP that looks almost identical to the first one I posted!