Interesting tsuba for sale

[Wickstrom]

Found this one on e-bay today. Not sure if its real or not, I don't really know much about tsuba. Although it does look pretty if anyone is interested.

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-katana-swo ... 45f2fab22c

 

Yoroshiku,

[Mark Green]

Gotta love that Nakago ana :lol:

Not for use with a sword. I doubt if cloisonne (glass) would hold up to real use. I have seen some very nice cloisonne works though.

A novelty at best. Some of his other tsuba are nice.

[reinhard]

  Wickstrom said:

I don't really know much about tsuba.

 

No need to tell.

 

reinhard

[Wickstrom]

I thought cloisonne would have been some kind of special tsuba design. :lol:

 

What would be the point of even having a glass tsuba...so much for a sword-guard.

[sanjuro]

Glass tsuba...... Very popular on Muromachi period light sabers!!!! All Jedi know that.... Sheesh! what planet are you guys from anyway? :D

[Pete Klein]

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/2

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/1

 

Some examples of masterwork cloisonne' kodogu.

[Mark Green]

There were quite a lot of these made in late period. For export I would think.

The glass is powdered and painted on the steel/whatever and baked in a kiln. A type of enameling.

Much like stained glass of Europe. I would think the Japanese may have picked it up from them.

Most were likely made after the time of the Samurai.

Many masters did play with it some.

[Pete Klein]

"The art of enamelling in Japan may date back to the 7th century. One enamelled metal piece discovered in a tomb near Nara, probably from the 7th century, seems to be of Japanese origin. The civic Taihō code, compiled in the 8th century, provides one official to be in charge of founding metals and “painted glass decoration.” Subsequently, however, this art seems almost to die out until the 17th century. When Dōnin Hirata I (1591–1646) made enamelled wares, having learned the technique from Koreans, his art was highly appreciated by Tokugawa Ieyasu, then the shogun of Japan..."

source http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/top ... =ref600928

 

This might be of further information: http://tsuba.jyuluck-do.com/HirataSchool.htm

 

Interesting read on cloisonne' history and it's movement from Europe to China: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonn%C3%A9

 

Very nice bibliography: http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/asia/a ... index.html

 

The Hirata family founded by Donin should probably be differentiated from that of Hirata Hikoza of Higo (Hosokawa Sansai) as they seem to be separate in origin. The family under Donin created many masterworks throughout the Edo Jidai which are today some of the most relished by advanced collectors. There are also cloisonne (referred to as shippo in Japanese) works of lesser quality which seem to be primarily from Nagasaki which are more readily seen. I hope this helps a bit.

[Wickstrom]

  sanjuro said:

Glass tsuba...... Very popular on Muromachi period light sabers!!!! All Jedi know that.... Sheesh! what planet are you guys from anyway? :D

 

LOL , Jedi samurai with light-saber katanas, that just might be the most epic thing I've ever pictured in my head. :lol: