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Shingen school tsuba with woven wire pattern. Iron core, woven brass wire. Height: 72.5 mm; Width 69.8 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.0 mm. Weight 88.8 g. Late Muromachi, 16th century. SOLD http://varshavskycollection.com/shingen-tsuba/ -
Iron tsuba of round form decorated with eight roundels – circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiseled in kebori, and with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines or leaves all over the plate. Both hitsu-ana could have been trimmed with brass now lacking. Nakago-ana of triangular form, possibly enlarged, with copper sekigane. All typical emblems with bellflower, two variations on suhama theme, and 3, 4, 5, and 6-poinitng mon variations. A distinctive character of this tsuba is a mon at 12 hours depicting water plantain (omodaka).
“Omodaka was also called shōgunsō (victorious army grass); because of this martial connotation, it was a design favored for the crests of samurai families” [Family crests of Japan, Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, California]. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). The Momoyama or early Edo period, beginning of 17th century. Size: Height: 81.4 mm; width: 81.2; thickness 3.8 mm at seppa-dai. -
Iron tsuba of round form profusely decorated with brass inlay of plants, birds, well, and family crests (mon) in suemon-zōgan technique and occasional brass dots (nail-heads) or ten-zōgan. Seppa-dai and kozuka-hitsu-ana outlined with brass inaly, possibly repaired: rope-shaped wire here and there replaced with flat wire. The plate is very thin, with remnants of lacquer. Ōnin school. Size: 75.8 x 75.2 x 2.3 mm. Weight: 77.5 g. On the front side (omote) motif includes the following elements (from 12 o'clock, clockwise):- Water plantain (a.k.a. arrowhead, or omodaka): "a perpetual plant of the water plantain family, was also called shōgunsō (victorious army grass). Because of this martial connotation, it was a design favored for the crests of samurai families" [see: Family Crests of Japan. // Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007; p. 63].
- Heron (sagi): "...considered an emblem of longevity, and from China comes the practice of regarding the bird as a mount of the gods and the Taoist sennin. [...] heron also reflects an inauspicious connotation, for the word sagi is homophone for 'fraud' and 'false pretenses'." [see: Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design. // Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001; p. 112]. Some may say, that this is not a heron but a crane (tsuru). It's very possible, and in this case the negative connotation is lost, but the reference to longevity and allusion to sennin remain.
- Pampas grass (susuki, or obana): as per Merrily Baird, p. 95 and John W. Dower, p. 66, pampas grass is one of the Seven Grasses of Autumn. When combined with flying wild gees, conveys strong autumnal mood.
- Plum blossom (ume): according to Merrily Baird, the flower has a vast variety of symbolic meanings, including longevity, and a reference to the Chinese Taoists. It is used in 80 family crests [see: Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Japanese Crests; Compiled by the Matsuya Piece-Goods Store; Translated by Fumie Adachi. // Dover Publications, Inc., 1972.] Plum is "celebrated for its sweet perfume, delicate blossoms, and habit of blooming at the end of winter".
- Tree flying wild geese (kari): "Wild geese arrive in large flocks in southern regions during the autumn months, and following their migratory instincts, head back north in spring" [Family Crests of Japan, pp. 85-86]. "The importance of geese in Japanese art was further secured by stories of several military heroes who had achieved victory in battle when a sudden breaking of ranks by flying geese signaled an ambush. The protective role of the birds led to their frequent use in decorating sword furnishings and possibly also their adoption as a family crest motif.Finally, the goose in Asia plays a role in religious traditions" [Merrily Baird, pp.111-112].
- Hikiryō (line, or bar, or stripe) - a symbol which consists of one, two, or three horizontal or vertical stripes in a circle. "In wartime, Japanese generals [...] surrounded their encampments with huge cloth curtains. Usually these were made of cloth sewn together horizontally and varying in color [...] to distinguish the individual general and his followers. The stripe thus assumed strong martial connotations, and became a mark of identification on personal military gear as well. In the early fourteenth century the heads of the Ashikaga and Nitta, then the two most powerful clans in Japan, both adopted stripe patterns as a family crest". [See: Family Crests of Japan, p. 111 and John W. Dower. The elements of Japanese design - A handbook of family crests, heraldry & symbolism. // Weatherhill, New York, Tokyo, 1985, p. 144].
- Hikiryō, see above.
- Pampas grass (susuki, or obana), see above.
- Bellflower (kikyo): One of the Seven Grasses of Autumn. "As a crest, it have been adopted among the warriors around the thirteenth century, primarily because of it's beauty" [John W. Dower, p. 48].
- Four flying wild geese (kari), see above.
- Weeping willow (yanagi): "It is commonly represented with water, snow, swallows, or herons. A branch of willow (yoshi) is one of the attributes of the Buddhist deity Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Kannon), who is said to use the branch to sprinkle the nectar of life contained in a vase. [Merrily Baird, pp. 66-67].
- Lone plum blossom in a well frame/crib (igeta, izitsu): "Well crib was one of the most popular motifs in Japanese heraldry". As a crest it may stay simply for the first character (i) of the family name, however, with a flower inside the well frame, and together with the other symbols present, it may aggravate the sense of autumn-ness. The ten-zōgan dots in this particular case may represent the snowflakes or autumn stars.
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The chrysanthemoid (kiku-gata) iron plate with polished surface decorated with arabesque (karakusa) and paulownia (kiri) leaves and flowers in brass, copper and silver flush inlay (hira-zōgan) on both sides. Some of the inlay goes over the edge. Kozuka- and kogai-hitsu-ana are filled with lead plugs. Sekigane of copper. Chrysanthemum and paulownia are the symbols of imperial family. The face is signed: Izumi no Kami to the right of nakago-ana, and Yoshiro on the left; the back is signed Koike Naomasa. His signed work is considered by many experts to have been made-to-order only. The original wooden box (tomobako) with inscription (hakogaki) signed by Dr. Kazutaro Torigoye and dated Showa 39 (1964). The late Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century. Dimensions: 89 mm x 84 mm x 3.6 mm; Weight: 170 g. Hakogaki lid: Yoshirō kikka-gata Hakogaki lid inside: Iron, signed on the omote: Izumi no Kami – Yoshirō; on the ura: Koike Naomasa. Kikka-gata, pronounced maru-mumi, two hitsu-ana, karakusa, and kiri design in brass, silver, and suaka hira-zōgan. Height 8.5 cm, thickness 3.5 mm. Herewith I judge this work as authentic. On a lucky day in July of 1964. Torigoe Kōdō [Kazutarō] + kaō According to Robert Haynes [Catalog #7, 1983; №32, page 42-43] "This full form of the signature is seen very rarely". His example, illustrated in that catalogue, measures: height = 86 mm, thickness at seppa-dai = 3.75 mm and signed Izumi no Kami Yoshiro on the back and Koike Naomasa on the face. The further description of his specimen by Robert Haynes:"Early signed example of the work of Koike Naomasa. The kiku shape iron plate is well finished. The flush inlay is brass, for the scroll work on both sides, with the leaves and kiri mon in brass, copper and silver with strong detail carving. Some of the inlay goes almost over the edge, which is goishi gata. The large hitsuana are plugged in lead with starburst kokuin surface design. [...]The face is signed in deep bold kanji: Koike Naomasa; the back is signed: Izumi no Kami, on the right and Yoshiro on the left. There are one or two small pieces of inlay missing. Sold by Sotheby London, Oct. 27, 1981, lot 368. Height = 86 mm, thickness (seppa-dai) = 3.75 mm, (edge) = 4 mm."
Another similar example presented at: "Tsuba" by Günter Heckmann, 1995, №T55 — "Designation: Koike Naomasa. Mid Edo, end of the 17th century. Iron, hira-zogan in brass, copper, silver and shakudo, katakiri-bori. Tendrils and leaves. 87.0 x 78.0 x 4.0 mm." Reference: Japanische Schwertzierate by Lumir Jisl, 1967, page. 13. [SV: Actually, his tsuba is signed Izumi no Kami Yoshiro on the back; and Koike Naomasa on the front, exactly as Robert Haynes's tsuba. Dating this tsuba Mid-Edo, 17th century may be considered a misattribution]. More details regarding the Yoshirō tsuba. -
Iron tsuba of round form, tapering from centre to the rim, decorated with eight roundels – circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiselled in kebori, and with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of water plantain (omodaka) and seaweed all over the plate. Hitsu-ana outlined in brass. Four positive silhouette roundels are 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12 – pointing crests/flowers; four negative silhouette roundels – bellflower, cherry and plum blossoms. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). Unsigned. The Momoyama or early Edo period, end of the 16th to the first half of the 17th century (1574-1650). Size: H: 88.3 mm; W: 88.7 mm; Thickness 4.0 mm (Seppa-dai), 3,2 cm (rim). Other Kaga-Yoshiro tsuba in this collection: TSU-0334: 7.7 cm; TSU-0342.2017: 89.6 cm; TSU-0344: 8.1 cm; TSU-0329: 8.0 cm; TSU-0376.2018: 8.1 cm; TSU-0379.2018: 8.2 cm. We see that the usual size is about 8 cm; larger pieces, such as this one and TSU-0342.2017 dedicated to Hachiman, are rare. Article about Yoshiro tsuba. -
Iron tsuba of mokko form (quatrefoil) decorated with a pair of cherry blossoms (sakura) in small openwork (ko-sukashi) and inlaid in brass (suemon-zōgan) with designs of waves, distant pines, chrysanthemum flowers in halves, tendrils and leaves, lightning or thunder symbol (inazuma), flying geese and family chrests (mon): two interlocked rings (wachigai) on the face, and three encircled stripes (maru-no-uchi-ni-mitsuhikiryo) - kamon of the Kikkawa clan - on the reverse. Hitsu-ana outlined with inlay of brass wire. Surface treated with lacquer. Copper sekigane. Though some consider this type of tsuba to resemble Heianjo school, “...the brass trim around the hitsu-ana is a characteristics of Ōnin work” [Japanese sword guards. Onin – Heianjo – Yoshiro. Gary D. Murtha. GDM Publications, 2016; p. 27.]. The Ōnin origin is reinforced by scattered ten-zōgan elements here and there through the plate. It is possible that the tsuba was initially of round form and later trimmed to mokko shape. Mid Muromachi period; 15th century. Dimensions: Height: 87.2 mm; Width: 87.9 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.6 mm. -
Iron tsuba of mokko form decorated with brass flat inlay (hira-zōgan) all over on both sits and going over the rounded rim. Black patina, well-forged iron. Hitsu-ana outlined with brass inlay. Former owner's catalogue number in red paint reads 25-17-61. Gary D. Murtha provides detailed account of this type of tsuba in Japanese Sword Guards. Onin-Heianjo-Yoshiro book on pages 118-122. He calls this type of tsuba "Heianjo Mogusa Tsuba": "The term mogusa is commonly used for an inlay design that represents an aquatic weed, similar to a duck weed or sago plant, which is known to quickly invade and overtake bodies of water. [...] Perhaps the visual image has some cross-over meaning for samurai in that, like the plant, a small aggressive samurai force could conquer a larger foe/area." I tried to find any reference to "mogusa" in literature, - to no avail. Neither on the vastness of internet, including Wikipedia... I did find the "duckweed" (one word), but visually it has nothing to do with the pattern on tsuba. "Sago plant" probably stands for 'Sago palm", and there is some very distant reminiscence in the construction of the sago palm leaf and the said design of inlay, but I would not go that far. In the old catalogues, such as Naunton and Hawkshaw collections, this pattern as called "sea weed" and/or "conventional fir". I will stick to these descriptions, tested by the time, and leave the enigmatic "mogusa" alone. Obviously, this type of tsuba has transformed into Yoshirō tsuba, both in Kaga province and Bizen province. Momoyama period (ca. 1660). Dimensions: 74.5 x 73.7 x 4.4 mm. -
Iron tsuba of round form inlaid with brass, copper, and shakudō wire fastened to the surface with metal staples (mukade-zōgan); Scalloped brass inlay around the rim. Early Edo, 17th century. Height: 84.8 mm; Width 84.8 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.7 mm. Weight 161.6 g. Design is thought to resemble a centipede. "Centipede-like inlay (mukade zogan) of alternating iron and brass staples produce an appearance that was particularly favored by Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), one of the most powerful warlords of his time. The centipede is sacred to Bishamon (God of War) and especially propitious for a warrior. Shingen type, 16th century.” [The Peabody Museum collection of Japanese sword guards with selected pieces of sword furniture, by John D. Hamilton. Photographs by Mark Sexton. Salem, MA, 1975.] See also: http://varshavskycollection.com/shingen-tsuba/ -
Iron tsuba of round form decorated with eight roundels – circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiselled in kebori, and with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines or leaves all over the plate. Both hitsu-ana trimmed with brass. Nakago-ana of trapezoidal form. A distinctive character of this tsuba is a mon at 6 hours depicting tomoe (comma). Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). Attributed to Koike Yoshirō Naomasa himself. Unsigned. The Momoyama or early Edo period, end of the 16th to the first half of the 17th century (1574-1650). Size: Diameter 82.0 mm, thickness 3.8 mm at seppa-dai, 3.4 mm at rim. -
Iron tsuba of oval form with design of a gourd or aubergine vine with fruits, leaves, and blossoms climbing a trellis, and a fence in yellow brass and red copper flat inlay (hira-zōgan); inlay engraved. Two latticed windows represented by openwork (sukashi). The iron web has deep black patina. The seller attributes this tsuba to Heianjo-Namban school, whatever it means. Momoyama or early Edo period, 17th century. Kaga or Heianjō School. Unsigned. Height: 77.3, Width: 73.1, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.6 mm. -
Iron tsuba of half round and half lobed (chrysanthemoid) form decorated with plants and family crests (mon) in cast brass inlay (suemon-zōgan), and scattered brass dots inlay (ten-zōgan); brass wire inlay outlining the rim, seppa-dai, and hitsu-ana (scalloped wire) on both sides. Surface treated with hummer punch marks. The chrysanthemoid half of the plate chiseled with thin shallow grooves, outlining the petals. Copper sekigane. On the face the inlay represents: mandarin orange (tachibana), half karahana, encircled bellflower, and four encircled three-stipe family crest (mitsubiki-mon of Sakuma and Abe clans, and some others). On the reverse the design is similar but two of the mitsubiki-mon symbols replaced with two comb-shaped Genji-mon ideographs. Ōnin school. The end of mid-Muromachi period, beginning of the 16th century. Size: 74.3 x 72.7 x 2.4 mm. -
Iron tsuba of round form, slightly convex, decorated with persimmon (kaki), simplified Genji-kō (incense game symbol) and halves of plum blossoms (ume) in brass inlay on both sides, and with part of bellflower (kikyo) in openwork. Outer rim, seppa-dai, bellflower openwork, and kozuka-ana outlined with brass inlay; traces of lacquer to surface. The symbolic meaning alludes to Chapter 20: Asagao (朝顔, the bellflower or "morning face") of Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (11th century AD). The events take place in the 9th lunar month (Nagatsuki) and involve the following poetry by Prince Genji: saku hana ni / utsuru chō na wa / tsutsumedomo / orade sugiuki / kesa no asagao [I would not have it said / that my heart has turned toward / a flower in bloom — / yet how hard it is to pass / without plucking a “morning face”!]. Measurements: H: 76.6 mm; W: 76.3 mm; Th.: 3.6 mm (seppa-dai), 3.0 mm (rim) Time: Late Muromachi (1514 – 1573). -
Iron tsuba of round form decorated with chrysanthemums, pine cones and needles, pampas grass, vines, cherry blossoms, and wild geese in brass inlay (suemon-zōgan) and pierced with designs of water clover (denjiso) and half bellflower (or karahana) to the left and to the right of nakago-ana as well as double bars above and below nakago-ana (possibly with the meaning of number 2 or ordinal 2nd). Most probably the sukashi elements here are the family crests (mon). Unsigned. Ōnin school. Muromachi period; 15th or 16th century. Height: 82.1 mm; Width: 80.9 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.4 mm NBTHK # 2003827: Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu Kanteisho (特別保存刀装具鑑定書) - "Extraordinarily Worthy of Preservation". -
Iron tsuba of otafuku-gata form decorated on the face with death and autumn motifs: autumnal grasses and flowers in yellow brass and shakudō, skull, limb bone and sternum inlaid in shakudō. On the reverse the plate is inlaid in red copper with a chrysanthemum and maple leaves floating in stylized water streams. "Plants floating atop water form common motifs, as occurs with chrysanthemums, maple leaves, and cherry blossoms, in particular." [Merrily Baird]. Such plants may be used as a family crest (mon), or may be just a reminder of a floating nature of life. Momoyama period, late 15th century. Dimensions: 75.3 x 69.9 x 4.3 mm. -
Iron tsuba of round form with circular iron wire fastened to the surface with iron and brass staples (mukade-zōgan); brass ring about 2.5 mm wide along the rim with chisel marks. Design repeats on the reverse. Copper sekigane. Early Edo, 17th century. Size: Height: 83.3 mm; width 83.9 mm; thickness at seppa-dai: 4.5 mm. Weight 173.6 g. Design is thought to resemble a centipede. "Centipede-like inlay (mukade zogan) of alternating iron and brass staples produce an appearance that was particularly favored by Takeda Shingen (1521-1573), one of the most powerful warlords of his time. The centipede is sacred to Bishamon (God of War) and especially propitious for a warrior. Shingen type, 16th century.” [The Peabody Museum collection of Japanese sword guards with selected pieces of sword furniture, by John D. Hamilton. Photographs by Mark Sexton. Salem, MA, 1975.] See also: http://varshavskycollection.com/shingen-tsuba/ SOLD -
Iron tsuba of mokkō form (mokkōgata) pierced (sukashi) and inlaid with precast dark brass inlay (taka-zōgan) with somewhat abstract/geometrical design that can be liberally described as pines, mist, and snow.
Momoyama or early Edo period. End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Heianjō school. Unsigned. Dimensions: 86.8 x 82.9 x 4.5 mm. -
Iron tsuba of round form with design of two paper lanterns in openwork (small cut-outs, ko-sukashi ) outlined with brass wire. The plate is decorated with four concentric rows of brass dot inlay (ten-zōgan), with a brass circular wire inside the innermost row of dots (missing on the back). Hitsu-ana of rectangular form is not outlined with brass wire, which let us suppose that it was cut out at a later date. Copper sekigane. Mid Muromachi period (1454-1513). Diameter: 74.0 mm, thickness: 2.6 mm. Tsuba is illustrated at: 新版 日本刀講座 小道具鑑定編 本間 薫山 佐藤 寒山 : Shinhan Nihonto Koza, Volume VI, Kodogu Part 1. Under supervision of Honma Kunzan and Sato Kanzan. 鍔 無名 応仁 鉄地) 丸形 小透 槌目 真鍮据文 点象嵌 丸耳 : Tsuba with no signature, Ōnin style. Base metal iron (jigane), round shape, small perforations (ko-sukashi), hammering finish (tsuchime). Pre-cast brass inlay (shinchu suemon-zōgan); dot inlay (ten-zōgan); round edge (maru-mimi).
English translation of the book indicated above Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI, Part 1 by Harry Afu Watson, AFU Research Enterprises, Inc., 1993. Tsuba in question illustrated on page 14 and described as follows: " Tsuba mumei Ōnin. Tetsu ji maru gata ko-sukashi tsuchime shitate shinchū suemon ten zogan maru mimi. Brass suemon". My question remains: why such a text is called 'translation' while it looks more like transliteration of romanization? -
A circular iron tsuba with a design of three monkey toys (kukurizaru) in small openwork (ko-sukashi); the plate further decorated with four rows of brass dot inlay (ten-zogan). The center of the plate and the openings are outlined with brass wire. Copper sekigane. A few dots missing. Muromachi period. Dimensions: 89.0 x 88.2 x 2.9 mm. Kukurizaru was an often used motif on old tsuba. The symbol has two explanations: (1) "upright" monkey, a sort of roly-poly toy, alludes to 'never-ever give up' property of the samurai; (2) monkeys are represented with their hands and feet tied to their back to symbolize self-control. Other examples of the same design:
The Henry D. Rosin Collection №9.
Lundgren Collection №7.
