Tsuba for wak

[kbt]

I would appreciate any info on this tsuba, I have seen many that were similar . Are these tsuba's common and generic ?

I got it to go with the menuki and fuchi kashira I purchased. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

Kim Toth

[Henry Wilson]

I think it is Soten school.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&sa ... mAWkzpG5Bg

 

Quite popular because they are easy to enjoy in my opinion. A lot of tsuba have abstract designs, where Soten school specializes in carvings of people and events that casual observes like.

[kbt]

Thank you Mr Wilson, much appreciated .

Kim Toth

[kbt]

The guy on the upper left seems to be missing his face, is that a inlay that has come off ?

Kim

[kbt]

Does anyone know if these are Japanese characters or Chinese ? In the book "Japanese Sword Guards " it says the older

tsubas had Chinese characters .

Thanks

Kim Toth

[John A Stuart]

Japanese. Check the armour. John

[kbt]

Are these Mogarashi characters and so Chinese ? That would date it to late 1600s to early 1700s. Am I close at all ?

Kim

[John A Stuart]

Omi school tsuba of which Soten was part, maybe even Choshu school. There were many copyists of the style esp. later as export ware demand rose. John

[kusunokimasahige]

It is probably a depiction of one of the chapters from the Heike Monogatari.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Heike

 

http://sonic.net/~tabine/heike081003/He ... npage.html

 

KM

[Brian]

Just so there is no confusion...this is a pretty low class example. Top class Soten is very, very good. Search the forum for topics and examples.

I am not 100% happy with the striations on the seppadai, or that "missing face" you mentioned. On the whole, it isn't one of the better examples.

 

Brian

[kbt]

Thank you all, I hate to hear that Brian, I have a bit tied up in it.

Kim

[Brian]

Kim,

Well even average Soten can be a few hundred bucks, so unless you have a lot invested, as a mounting tsuba I doubt you did too badly.

Remember that most times, any tsuba under $200-400 is usually generic average stuff.

 

Brian

[kbt]

925us with shipping.

Kim

[Brian]

 

Good grief. There are such good deals being posted for less than that. Why drop that amount on something without great detail?

Compare the iron, carving and detail:

http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F10465.html

http://www.aoi-art.com/fittings/tsuba/F10560.html

http://www.truefork.org/Photography/Tsuba_4.php

 

Brian

[kbt]

Thats where this one came from, thanks Brian, I have a great deal to learn . Its overwhelming .

Thanks

Kim

[kbt]

I thought I had a decent theme going. I originally bought these to go on my katana, but due to ignorance they were too

small for a katana . I saved them and now I am having them put on a wak . I hate to get on here and ask before I buy, it would look like I'm taking advantage of the forum . I think it will be awhile before I buy anything else if I can get the two swords I have the way I want them.

 

Kim

[kbt]

John did you mean Omori and maybe Chosiu schools ?

Thanks

Kim

[John A Stuart]

No, Omi (Hikone-bori) as in Mogarishi or Hidenari; Kitagawa school. Choshu as in Tomotsune or Tomokiyo; some have warrior themed sukadashi-bori. John

[kbt]

Thank you.

Kim