Tsuba comparison

[kissakai]

Whilst browsing the internet I saw the this tsuba from one of Jim Gilberts pages

Described as:

Kyo sukashi, from the late Muromachi period, size 74 x 74 x 4mm

Iron, polished - Maru gata - Kaku mimi ko niku

 

The design is of a stone garden path, a cart wheel on that path or of back-to-back no theatre fans. This shows the typical homogenous Kyo iron with a surface that appears to have been ground and polished to a smooth and regular finish. The rim shows subtle tekkotsu. This is ex Sasano collection and published in his study group journal. A slightly larger but otherwise identical example appears in the Kurokawa Institute of Ancient Cultures catalogue. It may be the dai to this sho.

 

 

This my Tsuba

 

I described it as:

Heianjyo school, dated around 1800. Checkerboard (Ichimatsu) with inlayed keyfret design design

Size 78 x 77 x 3.5mm

Am I right with my description.

Could it have been a later modification?

Or more importantly - What have I got?

 

Grev UK

[Soshin]

Hi Grev UK,

 

Having a better photo of your tsuba would nice. It would allow viewers to see how the brass was inlay on the tsuba surface. Necessary to determining if it is Heianjyo shinchu zogan (Heianjyo for short) school or one of the other schools/groups that also used brass inlay. But a late Heianjyo I think could be a good possibly. I hope you find some of the information helpful.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[kissakai]

Hi David

Is this beter?

 

 

 

Grev UK

[Soshin]

Hi Grev UK,

 

Yes that is better. I would say that it does look like Heianjyo school inlay work with a fairly complex sukashi design. These more complex sukashi designs are often seen in Edo Period tsuba from that school which is based in Kyoto. I like the tsuba thanks for posting it for discussion.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Pete Klein]

This is ex Sasano collection and published in his study group journal.

 

Grev -- which book are you referring to???

[kissakai]

When I was googling tsuba I came across the first image and description but I can't find it know

I should have been more careful with the reference as I can't refer back to it!

 

I do know the description goes with the image but I will be more careful next time

I'll keep looking to see if I can find it again

 

The only reply agreed with me about the school so that was reassuring but I was still interested on how similar they are and any further comments

 

 

Grev UK

[Pete Klein]

Here's the link:

 

http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/kyoto.htm

 

The book is actually an eighteen booklet set, 'Tosogu Yuhin Zufu', and this example is found in volume seven, page 15. What threw me was the hint of color in the above picture which is not found in the Sasano pictures. When I re-read the text I recognized the writing style and a quick google found the reference site. Voila!