Iron tsuba of round form decorated with the design of a butterfly in openwork (sukashi) with details carved in kebori. Eyes inlaid in brass (one inlay is missing).

Unsigned.

Attributed to Bizen Shōami school, early Edo period (17th century).

Dimensions: 80.4 x 80.6 x 4.4 mm

References

At Haynes Catalog #6, p. 18-19, Lot 30: “Famous Ikeda butterfly design” (Ikeda family of Inaba and Okayama, and at least 7 other families). Ca. 1700. Shōami of Kyoto, no doubt. Ht 8.2 cm, Th. 5 mm. [“Important tsuba, menuki, bokuto, woodblock prints, koshirae, sword pistol and kana mono”. San Francisco, June 1-26, 1983. Catalog #6. Robert E. Haynes, Ltd.]

Haynes Catalog #6, lot 30.

Similar tsuba at Haynes Catalog #9, p.71, lot 143: the classic Shoami tsuba of the mon of the Ikeda family. This example, as most, seems to be made by the same hand as the others. See Haynes sale number 6, lot 30, for an identical example. The eye is brass. From an old French collection. Ht. 7.9 cm., Th. 5 mm.

Haynes Catalog #9, lot 143.

Similar tsuba in the Randolph B. Caldwell Collection, 1994, page 24, №13: “A circular iron tsuba pierced in positive sukashi with a butterfly within an angular rim, details engraved. The eye inlaid in brass [in my specimen the inlay is missing on the omote side]. Unsigned. Bizen Shōami, Momoyama period. Dimensions: 8.0 x 8.2 x 0.5 cm. Similar example: Durand-Ruel, collection Ch. Gilloz, number 1302. [SV: that’s possibly the ‘old French collection’ of Robert Haynes.]

Caldwell Collection, #13.

If we accept Haynes’ theory regarding the genealogy and history of Bizen Shōami family, Momoyama period attribution would seem unlikely. I am leaning towards the early to mid 17th century.