Tsuba

[cisco-san]

Dear all,

 

Sorry for this stupid question but I have this question since a long time in my head........ :?

Which site of a tsuba is the side which shows to the Tsuba resp. the Kissaki and on which side is the side with the mei?

Additionally it would be very interesting why there is on some tsubas this "grooving" - sorry I don´t know the exact name (but see the picture).

 

Many thanks in advance.

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Those marks are called yose-tagane, they are made to fit the nakago-ana onto the nakago,

[b.hennick]

The mei side is usually facing away from the tip towards the tang end of the blade. The hole for the kozuka is on the left when the blade is held cutting edge up and looking from the tang. Consider the tsuba on the right.

I copied this image from another thread. It shows the correct position for a tsuba on a blade. The tsuba as shown on the right would then have the second seppa (washer) added and the handle reattached. The tsuba on the left does not have a hole for a kozuka. Not the difference in shape of the hole for the kozuka (left) and for a kogai (right).

In general the side with more decoration faces outward. That would be the side seen by people facing the person wearingthe sword.

If you look in the for sale section at tsuba in general they are shown in the same position as the ones above. Tachi tsuba have the hole for the blade with cutting edge facing downward. This contrast the katana, wakizashi or tanto tsuba which have the hole with cutting edge of blade facing upward. This general practice also holds for swords placed on a rack.

[watsonmil]

Hello Klause,

You are not stupid, ... you have a desire to learn and boy you'd better enjoy learning ! To elaborate a wee bit further on the groves or " yose-tagane ", ... they often help anchor the small copper fillers that are hammered into place and then filed to fit a specific blade. See the illustrated tuba that Barry shows on the left. You will note the copper fitted into and somewhat anchored by the yose-tagane. Katana, Wakizashi, and Tanto tsuba are always pictured cutting edge up, while the older Tachi type sword tsuba are pictured cutting edge down.

The side groves or punch marks simply served to narrow the opening of the tang hole ( Nakago-ana ). Kind regardsm, ... Ron Watson

[cisco-san]

Dear all,

 

many thanks for you explanation

 

Just to double check if my understanding is right:

  b.hennick said:

In general the side with more decoration faces outward. That would be the side seen by people facing the person wearingthe sword.

This means the side towards the end of the tang?! And the mei would be seen by people facing the person wearing the sword is on the left side - even the Japanese start writing on the right site?

 

[Curran]

Mei can be on the left or right side, more depending on the wish of the artist (or forger) signing it.

Yes, it is usually on the side with the predominant art facing outward for show- ie. toward the tang so the external observer can see the artwork when sword is worn. Signatures on the seppa dai (central oval support area) are hidden be the tsuka (handle) mounting the sword and not generally seen when the sword is worn.

 

Sometimes a tsuba will be signed on the opposite side (less artistic side facing the blade), but this is the exception to the general rule: most often seen in late period Edo tsuba. I have one tsuba with a dedication covering the seppa dai of the front, so the artist signed it on the backside. To illustrate the Late Edo fact: that tsuba is dated 1856 in the dedication.

[kuromido]

Hello guys, I also felt dumb as a post when I first asked the question.

My friend told that "the mie and or the More artistic face faces the tsuka because when being worn the viewers will be seeing it from the handle side. He also mentioned that most later swords have the kogai-ana to the same side as the mei.

Not just to be agreeable did I repeat the wiser ones response but because I now find myself in a quandry. I took this sword apart when I first bought it and did not make a point of the location when I dissmantaled it. Not noticing the tsuba's one little irregularity.....Now I am not totaly sure of how it should be. My guess would be the side "A" is the one with the yose-tagane but I would like to hear any thoughts on this.

 

I am also curious about the 2 kogai-ana What do you make of this? Is it a rarity or not so uncommon? and is there a reason for it?

Thanks,

PeterD

[Curran]

Nice Higo or Edo Higo tsuba, and koshirae from the looks of it. Two matching ana are rather common among the Higo design.

 

Curran

[David Price]

Question...with a tsuba like one in the post by PeterD above where the art work is the same on the omote and ura, I have been told to assume that the omote is the the side with the yose-tagane. That way the narrower habaki is fully supported and the yose-tagane is under the wider fuchi which does not need as complete of support area.

 

Is this correct or just an "old samurai" tale?

 

Dave P

[John A Stuart]

Correct. John

[cisco-san]

Dear all,

 

many thanks for your very useful comments

[kuromido]

Hello, Many thanks for the replys as well.

I also thank klaus for asking the question , allowing me to confirm something I have been curious about.

Cheers once again,

PeterD

[Andi B.]

...here is one piece with yose-tagane where you can see how the groovings are chiseled: