Daisho tsuba School?

[tony edmunds]

Hi Guys

Ive just recieved a pair of Tsuba which have me baffled as to school, I'd originally thought Kinai but now I'm not sure. Both are signed and I think the sho is

...

Mitsu

saku

Any opinions would, as always be very welcome.

 

Regards

Tony

[tony edmunds]

So it appears I'm not alone in having difficulty with classifying these tsuba!

I can't find any similar examples on any of the usual websites or in my library.

 

At least I know they are genuine but beyond that......

 

Tony

[Thierry BERNARD]

look like a bushu tsuba!

[docliss]

Since Thierry was the first to raise his head over the parapet I am reluctant to shoot him down, but I cannot agree with his Bushū attribution of Tony’s very nice daishō tsuba. I agree that they demonstrate some Bushū and Chōshū characteristics, but the influence of these schools was very strong, and many tsuba demonstrate this. The quality of the plate, with its tsuchime-ji and its beautiful lustrous, ‘melted’ and highly polished finish is not found in Bushū work.

 

These characteristics, together with the less-than-perfect seppa-dai; the heavy niku-bori; and the absence of any soft-metal decoration all suggest a C18, Oda tsuba from the Satsuma province. The hyōtan motif is, of course, a giveaway.

 

What a pity that we are unable to read the mei. Could Tony try re-photographing it, perhaps after dusting the seppa-dai with uchiko and wiping the excess off?

 

Regards, John L.

[tony edmunds]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your assistance.

I'll do my best to get better pics of the mei but the dai tsuba had been heavily punched losing at least some of the upper character.

 

Regards

Tony

[Thierry BERNARD]

Since Thierry was the first to raise his head over the parapet I am reluctant to shoot him down

 

 

http://www.scholarsresource.com/browse/artist/2142569828

[tony edmunds]

Hi Guys

 

The mei are proving very difficult to capture with my cameras, a combination of poor skill on my part and significant wear and tear on the seppadai. So for now any attributions based on visible features would be appreciated.

 

Regards

Tony

[tony edmunds]

Hi Guys

Having used John's insight to direct my research I have to agree he was spot on with Satsuma Oda School.

Torigoye and Haynes " Tsuba an Aesthetic study" accords exactly with Jon's appraisal. Sadly I have to admit the signatures don't look much like Naoka, Naonori or Noamasu to me so perhaps not masterworks. I might take these over to the DTI this year and get some further opinions.

 

Thanks John, I'd still be stuck without your help

 

Tony

[Soshin]

Hi Tony,

 

From the looks of the seppa-dai and mei the first character is likely Nao (直). The second character is unreadable give the current set of photographs. I agree with John L. attribution to the Oda tsuba from the Satsuma province.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[docliss]

David's post includes an incorrect kanji for the 'Nao' as was used by the Oda masters but probably he, like me, had problems posting the correct one into his message, getting a 'default' one instead.

 

John L.

[Soshin]

Hi John L.

 

Yes correct Kanji would not display for "nao". It is missing a left radical. Not sure why it would not display might be font issue or a Kanji similafication issue. The first Kanji might also be Sada it really hard to tell with the photos provided.

 

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[tony edmunds]

Hi Guys

 

Thanks for your efforts at deciphering the mei. I've had another go at photographing the mei, not much better I'm afarid.

 

Regards

Tony

[christianmalterre]

I do tend to agree with Satsuma.

If one of the two major Satsuma Kinko schools,Oda and Chishiki-Oda Naoka or his son Naonori is not possible for me to see here on this rather "bad preservation" Tsuba(s).

This school is particularely known so to have produced in an quite super-realistic manner;applying inccredibly precise techniques.(which i equally do miss here)

Such i do tend for an schoolars work/signing with the master(s) name...(?)

Mid Edo period,mid 18th century.

 

Christian