Tsuba for decoration

[Exclus1ve]

Greetings to all! 
In a later Meiji or Showa, there are often tsuba for decoration or tsuba that are not intended for a sword. I'll post an example of such a tsuba, I don't understand one thing, why couldn't a proper seppa dai be done?

 

One of my favorite tsuba made by Ford Hallam:

This tsuba also has an inlay in the place of the seppa dai, but this does not prevent it from being installed on the sword. Ford himself said that practical importance comes first.
 

So why did the craftsmen make decorative tsuba, if it would be possible to take into account the practical application?

 

Kind regards,

Viktor

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

They don’t. Those are mass market cast pieces 

[b.hennick]

Ford's Ginkgo is not a cast tsuba. 

[Exclus1ve]

12 минут назад Infinite_Wisdumb сказал:

Они этого не делают. Это массовые литые предметы

Is this a modern casting of the 21st century? If so, there are no questions.
 

I also find the following tsuba interesting:

 

High art, but also not for sword?

[Exclus1ve]

22 minutes ago, b.hennick said:

Ford's Ginkgo - это не литая цуба.

Obviously, it wasn't about Ford's job. I've already found a similar item in a different design

[Spartancrest]

Viktor, have you noticed the two main designs of these "Fallen Liondancer"?   One lot has bare feet like your last example and the other are wearing 'tabi' shoes as in your first one.

 

Nice paperweights - now obsolete even for that purpose!

  Ebay junk   

      https://www.eldreds.com/auction-lot/inlaid-shibuichi-presentation-tsuba-with-high-rel_10B489BA6A    [expensive auction junk]

 

   https://www.ebay.com/itm/285283666195   [worse than junk!]

 

   https://germaniainternational.com/Japan.html    Dragon High-Art    []  Tsuba (signed) (Item Japan 1-14)  DESCRIPTION: Here is a very fine bronze Tsuba. PRICE: $485.00 

 

   Christies sale - at least his tabi are clean 

 

 

[Exclus1ve]

6 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

 

Распродажа Кристи - по крайней мере, его таби чистые

 

 

I compared all the small details, scratches and stains. This is this object, the photo of which I posted in 1 post. Specifically, it doesn't look like a cheap cast copy.… 

 

6 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Nice paperweights - now obsolete even for that purpose!

That's right, it fits)

[vajo]

If a tsuba contains different metals and sharp lines, it is not a cheap one.

Cheap mass soft metal tsuba are mostly painted and blury.

 

 

 

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

Believe what you want.  I dont personally care.  I would never buy the one in question.

And yes, I was not referring to Fords Utsushi as cast, clearly.

[Exclus1ve]

10 hours ago, Infinite_Wisdumb said:

Believe what you want.  I dont personally care.  I would never buy the one in question.

And yes, I was not referring to Fords Utsushi as cast, clearly.

Likewise)) The topic itself was about something else, and certainly not about the purchase. The theme is about decorative tsuba and their meaning. It was just an example, and not the worst one. I don't really care what you buy)

[Matsunoki]

14 hours ago, Exclus1ve said:

High art, but also not for sword?

The tsuba you show is an example of Meiji period pieces that indeed were never intended to be mounted although some crop up on swords where the entire koshirae was fashioned in a similar manner and again never intended to be viewed as anything other than a pure work of art aimed at the foreign wealthy market. 

They are generically termed “Shibayama” which refers to the family of craftsmen that originally perfected the technique. Other manufacturers followed suite under different art names but again, all lumped together into “Shibayama” for descriptive purposes. 

The plate on these is wood covered with luxurious gold lacquer and using many varieties of seashells, horn, stained ivory, coconut shell etc to create the stunning inlays. Sometimes silver or shakudo metal ana liners and mimi.
Some are found with an ivory plate but similar with inlays in the same style. 

Highly sought after and if in good condition, very expensive. I used to restore these for some of the big boys. The London dealer Kevin Page has a few on his website.

[Exclus1ve]

Colin «Matsunoki», thanks for the detailed answer!