Soshin Posted May 9, 2011 Report Posted May 9, 2011 Just wanted to start this thread about sharing your favorite Nanban tsuba for discussion. If you don't like Nanban tsuba then please just ignorer the tread. To start the thread I will offer a Nanban tsuba I recently purchased. My new Nanban tsuba has a clear Chinese influence but lack the typical dragons chasing a diamond style motifs. In my tsuba the dragons are replaced by lazy Chinese lion dogs and diamonds are replaced by peonies. Here is a writer-up up I am doing about the tsuba. This is a large tsuba at 8.5 X 8.0 cm. This is a large katana sized Kanton type of Nanban tsuba. The tsuba has a nice blackish patina characteristic of all iron Nanban tsuba with some minor rusting but no pitting. The detail of the Nanban bori style craving is remarkable. The Chinese lion dog (獅子 shi shi) and the peonies (牡丹 botan) were very popular motifs during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) in China. The peony became poplar in Japaneses art during the late Edo Period by the ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川 国芳) depictions of Chinese legends of the Song Dynasty (960-1276). These are photos provided by the dealer who might be on the forum. I haven't had a chance to photograph the tsuba as the difference in height of the craved surface makes it hard to scan. Information, comments, and discussion about my favorite or your favorite Nanban tsuba are welcome. :D Yours truly, David S. Quote
Ludolf Richter Posted May 10, 2011 Report Posted May 10, 2011 Hi Thierry,your Tsuba 72 is showing a very poular theme.I own a nearly identical one and have seen a third one on an auction.My pic one from my Tsuba (sorry the patina is not to be seen,because I just made the pic with my scanner) with an article from a Japanese magazine:the writing is to be seen on my pic 2.I am sorry that I couldn't read the text.Ludolf Quote
Soshin Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Posted May 10, 2011 I was thinking the star consolation was more of a Japanese then Chinese theme as I have seen it in non Nanban tsuba before but it is likely part of the common folklore system that the two cultures share. Much like the Chinese Lion dogs (don't know the Chinese) called Shi shi in Japan which are featured on my Nanban tsuba. Thanks again everyone for taking the share and discuss their favorite. I came across some really nice examples in the NBTHK monthly magazine (Issues# 646-648). When I get a chance this evening I will post some scans for discussion. Yours truly, David S. Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted May 10, 2011 Report Posted May 10, 2011 Bought this one and only some years ago, but having seen the examples above, am now wishing I had studied a little more first. Quote
Marius Posted May 10, 2011 Report Posted May 10, 2011 Information, comments, and discussion about my favorite or your favorite Nanban tsuba are welcome. :D David, your Namban has a Bushu feeling to me... Quote
Soshin Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Posted May 10, 2011 David, your Namban has a Bushu feeling to me... Hi Mariuszk, I would agree the low relief craving does remind me of the Ito school of Bushu (i.e. Bushu/Ito). Although the scroll work between flowers and shi shi, seppa-dai shape, and kaku-mimi rim are clearly of Nanban design. Another interesting aspect of the tsuba is that the mimi show some fine granular tekkotsu. I think this was likely unintended and caused by natural inconsistencies in the relative soft iron used to make the tsuba. I hope to take some photos of the rim under good light this coming Saturday. Yours truly, David S. Quote
Mark Posted May 10, 2011 Report Posted May 10, 2011 Went through the tsuba i took to Chicago for sale and found these. Not my favorite as i dod not collect them but i think they are Nanban. Comments welcome Quote
Soshin Posted May 10, 2011 Author Report Posted May 10, 2011 Thanks everyone for sharing some examples. Nanban tsuba are one of those type of tsuba that has a complete range in quality from very great to poor made all during the Edo Period. Here are some fine examples likely paper at Tokubetsu Hozon level and above provided by the NBTHK. Sadly I don't own any of these. But they do provide a reference point for what good Nanban tsuba look like. Yours truly, David S. Quote
Lorenzo Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 Hirado Kunishige for the first; I own a fuchi kashira set of the man (likely nidai) in the same style of this tsuba. Quote
Lorenzo Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 Ian, the first of the pair look like it's made in soapstone Quote
Ian Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 Ian, the first of the pair look like it's made in soapstone Just the scanner, it's quite brassy! I do love the way the dragons are weaving in and out. Quote
Soshin Posted May 11, 2011 Author Report Posted May 11, 2011 Ian, the first of the pair look like it's made in soapstone The color and contrast of the scan looks kind of strange. A photo might be much better. The red color does remind me of soapstone but the tsuba is likely made of a soft metal such as copper or brass with a reddish patina applied to it. The carving on the tsuba is remarkable and I like it. Yours truly, David S. Quote
Lorenzo Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 Sorry I should have made clear that I was only saying the colour reminded me soapstone and not that I was saying it wasn't metal. I say it now, this tsuba is truly wonderful, certainly for my tastes the best nanban tsuba I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing it and sorry for the bad impression I might have gave you. Best, Lorenzo Quote
Lorenzo Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 And if I can dare to ask... Would you please show more pictures of it... Quote
Akitombo Posted May 11, 2011 Report Posted May 11, 2011 This is one based on Spanish leather work designs David Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted May 12, 2011 Report Posted May 12, 2011 Mmmm... some of the above very nice. I particularly like Ian C's first 'soapstone' copper one for the delicate tracery. Quote
Ian Posted May 12, 2011 Report Posted May 12, 2011 And if I can dare to ask... Would you please show more pictures of it... and I might sell it soon on the board! Quote
Soshin Posted May 14, 2011 Author Report Posted May 14, 2011 and I might sell it soon on the board! Its a really nice kinko Nanban and would make a nice addition to the collection of anyone who likes Nanban tsuba. On a related note here is some good photos with flash I did of my tsuba that I started the the thread with. The third photo shows the thickness of the rim and the 3D nature of the low relief carving that is wonderful executed. Also some fine granular tekkotsu can also be observed along the rim but I don't have the camera to capture it. I don't think the tekkotsu were intentional by the artisan and is likely due to just natural variations in the forged iron. I came across this recent book on Amazon about Nanban tsuba: http://www.amazon.com/Namban-Group-Japanese-Sword-Guards/dp/1554043654/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3EVL67AM8RHJ1&colid=ANXGUP86KQV6. Has anyone ever read it? Thanks again everyone for the discussion. Yours truly, David S. Quote
John A Stuart Posted May 14, 2011 Report Posted May 14, 2011 Dr. John Lissenden is a member of this board and I guess probably the most erudite on Namban tsuba in the west. His book is a requisite for those who want to know more about this type of tsuba. John Quote
Soshin Posted May 14, 2011 Author Report Posted May 14, 2011 Thanks John for the information. I should pick this book up some time soon as I have a deep interest in learning more about Nanban tsuba and collecting them. The three issues of the NBTHK Token Bijutsu magazine I have about Nanban tsuba hasn't been translated by Markus S. of the NBTHK-EB yet. Yours truly, David S. Quote
Thierry BERNARD Posted May 14, 2011 Report Posted May 14, 2011 another book about namban tsuba Nanban Tsuba - - Yearning Design - Yoshimura Shigeta Quote
Bugyotsuji Posted May 14, 2011 Report Posted May 14, 2011 Looking at the various shapes of the seppa-dai, I wonder if the seppa were also specially shaped...? Quote
Ian Posted May 14, 2011 Report Posted May 14, 2011 Looking at the various shapes of the seppa-dai, I wonder if the seppa were also specially shaped...? Good question, I can't ever recall seeing one! Anyone else? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.