Another mokume tsuba

[andreYes]

Hi!

 

Please help me to attribute this tsuba.

 

I think it's late Edo. A simple plate made of layered iron, with inscription:

重治作 - Shigeharu saku

 

I've heared that such kind of tsuba are usually associated with Myochin school.

In Haynes I've found several Shigeharu, but none of them is from Myochin.

 

Thank you in advance!

[ottou812]

I bought a very similar tsuba. It's by Shigemitsu and it's very heavy.

 

Picture is from the seller.

[Stephen]

I really like this/these style of tsuba, both are very nice

[andreYes]

Very nice tsuba, James!

By the way, what is inscribed to the right of nakago ana?

 

 

Conserning Shigeharu... What is more probably: that my Shigeharu is from Myochin school, but not known by Haynes, or he is listed by Haynes, but he is from Shoami, Umetada or any other school?

[Lorenzo]

That's very beautiful. Both are

 

Thanks for sharing.

[raven2]

Two great tsubas, I love them both and since we are talking mokume, I will add my own smiley fave here. Ono school, early Edo

[ottou812]

Very nice tsuba, James!

By the way, what is inscribed to the right of nakago ana?

 

Thanks!

 

"Kofu ju" is what's inscribed on the right of the nakagoana.

[Jason K]

I love this style of tsuba. This one I believe is Edo period Myochin. I foget his name but I want to say that he was the 29th of his line.

 

Jason

[raven2]

Another very nice piece, Jason. I really love the mokume in all of these.

[Marc BROQUIN]

Hello all :D ,

 

Related to the subject tsuba, I found in the Haynes book several Shigeharu with the specific kanjis . 2 of them may fit the aforementionned pictures.

 

I discarded one Ishikawa, one Morioka, one Shoami, one bushu and one Hayashi.

One concerns an UMETADA SHIGEHARU H. 08224. Could be possible but there is no more description than "made tsuba around 1800". :?

 

The other one is an ISSHINSHI SHIGEHARU living in Nishijin (Kyoto), Yamashiro around 1850, H. 08225 : description is given of an iron plate irregula plate tsuba with wood grain surface and some inlay.

 

Except the lack of inlay, there is a serious potential this artist be this one.

 

Any comment welcome.

Friendly

Marc

[k morita]

I love this style of tsuba. This one I believe is Edo period Myochin. I foget his name but I want to say that he was the 29th of his line.

 

Jason

 

Nice tsuba!

Myochin Munetane.

[andreYes]

Hello, Marc!

 

I thought about ISSHINSHI SHIGEHARU (H 08225), and there is an example of his inscription in the Haynes book.

Besides, I've found examples of two Shigeharu (Isshinshi and Shoami) inscriptions in Joly's "Shosankenshu".

 

Here is a picture of these examples side by side with the inscription on the tsuba. I'm not sure, could it be the same artist? What do you think?

[Jason K]

Myochin Munetane.

 

Thank you Morita-san. I really don't have a head for names.

 

I would also like to thank everyone for posting pics of their mokume tsuba. All of them are very nice indeed. In fact, I love the color of the patina! The pic I posted is washed out by the flash on my camera but the color isn't far from what is shown, a black/gray. However, the brown(er) color of the other tsuba is quite pleasing!

 

Jason

[Mike]

Speaking of mokume tsuba, here is mine. I love the pattern and the fans design. It is mid-Edo Kii-Myochin, I couldn't read the tsubako name.

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Marc BROQUIN]

Hello Andrey,

 

I checked several books and found out some more info.

 

if I consider your message containing the 4 signatures pic. The 3rd one you mention as JOLY ISSHINSHI, due to this particular HARU appears to be related to H 08220, ISHIKAWA, DEWA AKITA JU SHIGEHARU.

This signature figures in the 3vol. WAKAYAMA with the same particularities. So i would not consider it as the reference for your tsuba signature. For Haynes he has not described it with this artist name of ISSHINSHI so if Joly gives this combination, I would not consider it as right (cf WAKAYAMA and HAYNES).

 

(Another SHIGEHARU is from Nara H. 08222, but there is no ressemblance in the signatures, even if the top key of the SHIGE could fit).

 

The 4th signature of your table seems effectively from H. 08223 SHOAMI SHIGEHARU (AKASHI, HARIMA province) according to Joly's SHOSANKESHU with this typical HARU ,

 

but neither WAKAYAMA nor KINKO MEIKAN mention this signature. This type of so simple tsuba IMO doesn't fit, also in general, with shoami work.

 

For the second signature, I must admit there are differencies in the kanji writing.

 

So it could be another SHIGEHARU ca. 1800, H. 08227 for which Haynes gives : From a tsuba with a 2 kanji signature. The source is WAKAYAMA Kinko Jiten W-266-L-9.

 

Haynes cites also a SHIGEHARU named MITSUSHIGE H. 05404 but in the lineage of HAYASHI MATASHICHI and working in this style : nothing comparable.

 

I do not have the Kinko Jiten, So I would suggest you to look to this track with a 2 kanji signature.

 

Sorry for not helping so much...

 

Friendly.

 

Marc

[andreYes]

Dear Mark,

 

Your posts are a great help for me! Thank you very much for your comments!

[ottou812]

Just got this back from Patrick Hastings for some patina work. Tsuba was purchased from todd from this board. Also thanks to Ford for pointing me in Patrick's direction for the patina work.

 

Can't quite make out the mei. This looks like mokume but pattern could be carved. Very unusual tsuba imo.

[cabowen]

Mei is Tsuguhira. Possibly one of the shinto swordsmiths who used that mei...