any ideas on this tsuba?

[Ford Hallam]

greetings all,

 

Just wondering if onyone had any thoughs on this tsuba. The edge seems to exhibit layering/tekkotsu (?).

 

thanks, Ford

[Mike]

Hi, see this thread http://militaria.co.za/nihontomessagebo ... php?t=1091, the few last posts dealing with masame hada on the mimi. Mike

[Bungo]

On a good day... Kanayama.

Otherwise.........OH NO !! I mean Ono.

 

Compare yours to my example somewhere on this message board.

 

milt the ronin

[Bungo]

on a really good day..... Yagyu ( spelling ? too much coffee, I can't spell )

 

milt the ronin

[Ford Hallam]

Morning everybody,

 

this being the 2nd of April, the day after April Fool's day!

 

I felt sure someone would call my bluff on this one. The tsuba is one I made in about 1991 in Cornwall, England.

 

I have a sneaky feeling some of you may have suspected as much.....

 

cheers, Ford

[Rich T]

my smartass hat here but I predicted that only 2 days ago to Pete Klein. I have not ( I don't think anyway ) seen this before, I just thought the iron looked new, and not like old iron at all. Also, and it might just be my minds eye, but I didn't think the design had a true Japanese aesthetic to it. This is in no way intended as an insult Ford, just a general observation. I do not think even modern Japanese tsuba designs are like the old ones, unless a direct copy. I think art and our artistic tastes have changed much over the last 100 years.

 

All the same, well done mate, it's a good guard.

 

Rich

[Curran]

Ford,

 

Yes, a modern.

I thought it was one produced by a Japanese gentleman that I've seen on video turn out a few. One must be careful, because they pop up for auction in Japan. Sometimes the photo angles make it difficult to tell they are moderns.

[Mike]

Talking about modern tsuba, this guy is doing great job. Some tsuba are very hard to recognize as new from the photos. Mike

http://home.a01.itscom.net/ryuken/main.html

[Ford Hallam]

Thanks for the kind comments Rich. As I mentioned it was made in 1991, that was last century!, surely that's not modern? :D

The patina was an experiment that didnt meet my expectations at all, far to dry and granular.

So what would be the consensus of opinion on this one then? The colour shown in the image is pretty accurate, it is perhaps a little richer with some brown tones in natural light. This also exhibits fine layering on the edge.

 

cheers, Ford

[Bungo]

could fool anyone ..........

well, may be not the true experts , hahahahahaaaaa, come on guys, you can really tell it's " modan " ?

 

Ford,

you based your inspiration on a Yagyu model ?

 

 

milt the fooled again ronin

[Brian]

Ford,

 

Great work. I am seeing a horse design there, right?

Love the work..but will leave the comments on the iron and the look of the finish to those infinitely more qualified than me

 

Regards,

Brian

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Milt,

 

the design was actually based on a rearing horse in an Italian Renaissance painting! and thanks for the vote of confidence regarding the second tsuba. It has actually confounded more than a handful of quite senior "experts" both in the East and the West. So, honour is satisfied .

 

Brian,

 

thank you too, for the kind words, and yes, as I mentioned above, it's a rearing horse looking back over it's shoulder.

 

and for anyone who may be interested, I've just posted a series of images and a basic description of one of the styles of nunome-zogan on a forum site for carvers in miniature. Click herehttp://www.thecarvingpath.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=902&pid=7518&st=0entry7518

 

cheers, Ford