Who is copying who?

[Spartancrest]

Two museums with very similar tsuba of Yoshitsune & Benkei at Gojo Bridge, both signed Kaneie - Are they real Kaneie or copies? Do we know if Kaneie made daisho? [these two are almost the same size] 

[Brian]

I would think these are mass produced Saga Kaneie works.

[Franco]

Cannot speak to the genuineness or authenticity here.  However, it is not unusual to see the same design with slight differences and variation by the same artist or even across schools. Over the years it was always of interest to run across drawings of fittings including tsuba, and then at some point actually running across and seeing the actual exact piece made.  

[Spartancrest]

29 minutes ago, Franco said:

it was always of interest to run across drawings of fittings including tsuba, and then at some point actually running across and seeing the actual exact piece made.  

 

 

[Jake6500]

29 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

 

 

 

Wow, this is interesting Dale. I purchased a high quality Yanagawa school kozuka just a couple months ago with basically this exact tanuki and moon design...

 

Had never thought it might show up on a tsuba or other tosogu!

 

 

[Deez77]

Not related to this Kaneie at all, but sharing a piece from my collection with the same story (motif)...by Echizen Daijo Nagatsune Minamoto. 

Damon

[Spartancrest]

4 hours ago, Jake6500 said:

Had never thought it might show up on a tsuba or other tosogu!

There are a few more Tanuki in the Chōsen Gafu book - One looks like a Kashira design you will have to look out for?

 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/24642   I also did a cleaned up copy of the book 154 pages of tosogu designs.  https://www.amazon.com.au/Album-Designs-Metal-Carving-Chōsen/dp/1034179020  - Amazon and others want way too much, I can get soft cover copies for around $40

[Kurikata]

Sold yesterday at a french auction for 1820 €.

https://www.tessier-sarrou.com/lot/163317/28349451-japon-ecole-haruaki-epoque-meiji-1868-1912-sumi-kiri-gata-en?sort=num&

[Jake6500]

On 4/2/2025 at 7:32 PM, Deez77 said:

Not related to this Kaneie at all, but sharing a piece from my collection with the same story (motif)...by Echizen Daijo Nagatsune Minamoto. 

Damon

 

Hi Damon, be aware that this tsuba is doubtful to be a genuine Nagatsune Minamoto piece and is most likely gimei.

 

In general the majority of pieces floating around out there with this mei are gimei pieces.

 

Here is an authentic Ichinomiya/Minamoto Nagatsune tsuba. The quality should be apparent at a glance...

 

 

I myself have a fuchi signed "Echizen Daijo Minamoto Nagatsune" in my collection though it too is likely gimei...

 

[Spartancrest]

5 hours ago, Jake6500 said:

Here is an authentic Ichinomiya/Minamoto Nagatsune tsuba

https://art.thewalters.org/object/51.111/   The Walters like many Museum collections have rather dark images - maybe the lighting bills are high? 

 

The Walters has seven examples of Ichinomiya Nagatsune's work  https://art.thewalters.org/browse/creator/ichinomiya-nagatsune/

 

[Jake6500]

3 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

https://art.thewalters.org/object/51.111/   The Walters like many Museum collections have rather dark images - maybe the lighting bills are high? 

 

The Walters has seven examples of Ichinomiya Nagatsune's work  https://art.thewalters.org/browse/creator/ichinomiya-nagatsune/

 

 

True, their photographs are clear but very dark. I have had the same thought hahaha

[ZH1980]

On the topic of tsuba with same/similar design, here is one motif that I see a lot - the so-called “daikon” (radish) tsuba. This specific design appears to have been quite popular.