Kyo Shoami Tsuba...?

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here is a new tsuba I am doing some research on as well as a write up about. Here is the information I have now:

 

Item Name: ?

Japanese Title: ?

Material: Iron (tetsu 鉄)

Age: ?

Size: 8.8 ✕ 8.8 cm ✕ 0.40 cm, rim (0.50 cm, seppa-dai)

Signature: mumei (無銘)

Shape: Tate kaku-gata （竪角形）

Openings: Ryohitsu ana (両櫃孔)

Surface Finish: Tsuchime Ji (槌目地)

Attachment: None

 

The shape of the rim is kaku-mimi (角耳). The kozuka-hitsu ana looks much larger then the kogai-hitsu ana. The tsuba was once part of the Skip Holbrook collection. Here is what I have in terms of his hand written notes.

  Quote

Kyo Shoami, Well Frame, Momoyama Period

I am not sure of the Kyo Shoami attribution comparing the tsuba to other identified Kyo Shoami tsuba from the Momoyama and early Edo Period found in issues #642 and #643 of the NBTHK Token Bijutsu magazine. To be honest I think this tsuba has more in common with the Ko-Shoami tsuba listed in issue #640 of the magazine. I would like other members feedback about the tsuba in terms of school attribution as well as what the design motif could be. Thanks for taking the time to help me with my research.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Henry Wilson]

Hi David

 

This might sound like stating the obvious but the metal and possibly the hammer work is what Skip sees as Kyo Shoami as nothing else seems to point in that direction.

 

I don't know very much about the said group but to me the name suggests a mixture of Kyoto characteristics and other characteristics that don't fall in line with classic groups like Kyo sukashi.

 

I hope others with more knowledge add a few comments.

[Soshin]

Hi Henry,

 

Thanks for the reply and the help. I really don't know about this tsuba. The bold abstract geometric design doesn't look Kyo Shoami to me as they would often make designs that were much more naturalistic. Searching the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website http://www.mfa.org/ for "Kyo Shoami" and you would get more of what I am talking about featured in the two issues of the NBTHK monthly magazine discussed above. The author of the article in the NBTHK magazine classified the Kyo Shoami into two major groups a early group from the Momoyama Period and early Edo Period that didn't sign their work and a later middle Edo Period group that would sign their work. This transition with the school lead the designs to me more and more refined and naturalistic with increased use of gold and silver nunome-zogan "fabric inlay".

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[christianmalterre]

Dear David

 

and how about to range it rather into this direction here?

 

 

There are some similarities in mine eyes...

Head an bit earlier i would tend to say....

An interesting Tsuba-i think you made good in purchasing it!

 

Christian

[Soshin]

Hi Christian,

 

Thanks for providing a similar example. I would agree about dating my tsuba to a earlier period possible as early as the Late Muromachi Period to the Momoyama Period. Stylistically I would include it in the Ko-Shoami school. There are medium sized concave shaped tekkotsu along the rim as well. A interesting note about the ura side of the tsuba is that there are three places that look like there are are some very old sword cut damage to the rim. Here is a photo with the damage highlighted with black arrows. Additional comments are always welcome.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles