What are your favorite fittings?

[raven2]

In response to Robert's suggestion, I am opening this thread. Please show us your favorite fittings here. Will post some more when I get better pictures.

[Brian]

Moved from Izakaya, since this is on topic.

 

Brian

[Rich S]

For me, it's Saotome and Ko-Nara style tsuba. I'm much more into iron than soft metals. Some of my tsuba are on my website.

 

Rich S

[paulb]

not a fittings person but three favourites at the moment

1. Akasaka geese under clouds

2. Nobuiye water pitcher

3. Peasant and fighting cock (a makes you smile compostion

[cspage]

Hard not to show off some stuff. My 3 favorite tsubas.

 

Colin

[Pete Klein]

A recent acquisition which I really like but have yet to have papered:

[raven2]

Here is my favorite pair of menuki:

[Henry Wilson]

Nice tsuba Pete

 

Here is mine. Not quite tosogu but close enough.

 

The kozuka is here

http://www.nihontomessageboard.com/nmb/viewtopic.php?t=6014&p=46643&sid=dbba854e0b93a5964aed805493bf0bb7&sid=dbba854e0b93a5964aed805493bf0bb7#p46643

[Thekirsh]

I really like these, unpapered round menuki (only have sale page photo at present)

Simon

[Curgan]

My avatar tsuba is my favourite, in fact because of it I entered the nihonto world.

[Soshin]

Here are three of my favorite tsbua I own as part of my tosogu collection. Included are some breif write up about each tsuba.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David S.

[Brian]

You guys have some beautiful stuff. It is also great to be able to see the contrast between the "in your face mind-blowing" kinko stuff and the subdued great iron more "plain" works. Keep them coming.

 

Brian

[Curran]

My personal favorite 4, as of 3 years ago.

 

Slight change since then. No photos yet.

To emphasize the idea behind the thread-

often favorites are not those of particular value to others.

 

One of my current favorites is a simple iron tsuba by a samurai who retired and made arrowheads afterwards. Only made a few tsuba, and is relatively unknown.

[ububob]

Ahhhhhhhhh, Curran you are sooooooo fickle. That being the case I shall sit quietly and wait for you to tire of that Ko-Akasaka.

I'll post my favorites of the moment after the Chicago show.

[Veli]

I only have a few fittings, mostly of low quality, but this is my absolute favourite:

 

 

BR, Veli

[Marius]

A recent acquisition which I really like but have yet to have papered:

 

Pete,

 

What do you think it is? The motif taking up a large part of the seppa-dai.... ?

[rkg]

For me lately its been mostly iron 'tea taste' tsuba - here's a few from my collection - probably my favorite of all time I is one I shot for somebody a year or three ago, but I can't post that, so...

If this is tooo many, I can pull a few off...

[Jean]

These ones (Tsuru) and this futatsu koromono though Gimei , This is very good nanako

[raven2]

These ones (Tsuru) and this futatsu koromono though Gimei , This is very good nanako

 

Indeed it is Jean, I really like the tsubas also. Very nice.

[Marius]

Just to break the monopoly of iron tsuba in the thread - here is a soft metal tsuba, which is on of my personal favourites. Not a great work, just an ordinary tsuba for the ordinary samurai...

[paulb]

This is a small unassuming tsuba I bought many years ago. It was my first purchase from Aoi Art back in the mid 90's. Since I bought it I have traded it with someone and then by pure chance had the opportunity to buy it back last year. When I originally purchased it it was the cheapest tsuba I had ever bought.

When showing it on another forum some of our US colleagues described the design as "Mickey Mouse" which not being from that great nation and without the exposure to one of their most famous exports I failed to understand

I cant explain why, or offer any deep or profound reasoning as to why I like it so much but like most subjective art the proportion, colour and composition just seem to work for me.

[reinhard]

When showing it on another forum some of our US colleagues described the design as "Mickey Mouse" which I failed to understand

 

reinhard

[BMarkhasin]

I love these two tsuba which are likely both Odachi tsuba of the Nanbokucho to early Muromachi periods. The large koTosho is 10.1 cm x 10.1 cm x 0.35 cm seppadai. The 'steering wheel' tsuba is 11.5 x 11.7 cm x 0.4cm seppadai. They are both very large, totally ubu, simple, with exceptional metal and deep patina.

 

Best,

Boris

[fritaly]

Nice thread.

 

My 2 cents.

 

 

 

 

 

[Pete Klein]

Mariuszk, the design was first done by Hayashi Matasichi of Higo and can be seen in the Higo Kinko Taikan. The design was also mimicked by Nishigaki Kanshiro. I am not certain where this example lies, if it is Hayashi School or possibly Suwa School of Higo. At some point I will send it for shinsa.

[Marius]

Mariuszk, the design was first done by Hayashi Matasichi of Higo and can be seen in the Higo Kinko Taikan. The design was also mimicked by Nishigaki Kanshiro. I am not certain where this example lies, if it is Hayashi School or possibly Suwa School of Higo. At some point I will send it for shinsa.

 

Pete,

 

many thanks, again I have learned something :-) Great tsuba

[drbvac]

Love iron and carving - no other metals or applique . Kinai - hard to beat.

 

 

 

Love dragons - born in the year of the dragon - while ago !

 

 

 

ANd this is on my NaoeShizu blade!

 

[raven2]

Love iron and carving - no other metals or applique . Kinai - hard to beat.

 

Well Brian, if you love iron and carving I think you will like my newest (and favorite) piece. A thick and heavy plate with deep carving.

Btw I REALLY like the wave Kinai.

[ububob]

I also have a preference for pigiron. Here are three of my current group.

[Clive Sinclaire]

These are 2 of my favourites, the square iron one is signed Nara Saku. I think this may be a standard design for a certain Nara group as I have seen it elsewhere. The small shakudo tsuba is mumei and depicts a "Dutchman" I believe. I do have a good iron piece of 2 tsuru "suivant" which is signed Miochin Yoshihisa and I believe this is Echizen work. I will try to dig it out tomorrow.

Clive Sinclaire