////Sword Fittings

Sword fittings include tsuba, kozuka, kogai, fuchi-kashira, and other kodogu.

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    Ko-Shōami iron tsuba with design of latticework. Late Muromachi period, ca. 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of square with cut-off edges form (sumi-iri-kakugata) with lattice design in openwork (sukashi) and pierced center.

    Unsigned. Late Muromachi period, ca. 16th century.

    Size: 73.2 x 72.4 x 3.6 mm References: 1) Tsuba Kanshoki. Kazutaro Torogoye, 1975, p. 95, lower image. It's also called Kyō shōami. 2) KTK-11: Koshi motif, Late Muromachi (16th c.)
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  • Heianjo brass inlay tsuba with swastika and other symbols. Momoyama period (1574 – 1603).

    Iron tsuba of round form pierced (sukashi) in a chessboard fashion and decorated with linear (sen-zōgan) and cast (suemon-zōgan) brass inlay, including symbols of the swastika, flower-lozenge, maple leaf, pine needle, etc. on both sides; rim and openings outlined with brass inlay. Nakagō-ana plugged with copper fittings (sekigane).

    Momoyama period. End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Dimensions: Diameter: 75.5; Thickness: 4.5 mm.  
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  • Shimizu tsuba with yatsubashi motif by Jingo II. Edo period, 18th century.

    Iron tsuba of oval form with design of iris and plank bridge (yatsubashi) in openwork (sukashi). Rounded cornered rim. Unsigned. Attributed to Jingo - 3rd generation Shimizu, 2nd generation Jingo (1691-1777) [M. Sesko, Genealogy..., p. 94]. Edo period: Late 18th century (Hohreki / Meiwa era). Height: 69.5 mm. Width: 65.2 mm. Rim thickness: 4.6 mm. Center thickness: 4.8 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 251: "Shimizu. Third generation Jingo (died at 87 years of age in the sixth year of An-ei, 1777). The eight-section bridge with irises are arranged to create the design of 'yatsubashi'. The features are unique for the Shimizu school and show no influence of the Hirita, Nishigaki or Hayashi schools". The design visually resembles a butterfly. As described in Family Crests of Japan by Stone Bridge Press [Family Crests of Japan; Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007], and also in Japanese Family  Crests by Yuzuru Okada [Yuzuru Okada. Japanese Family Crests // Series: Tourist Library: 37. Board of tourist industry; Japanese Government Railways, - 1941], there is a special technique used in construction of family crests, called 'reshaping' by the former and 'reconstruction' by the latter: "reconstruction is realized when a motive has its general shape composed of the detail of entirely different motive as, for instance, the crest of a butterfly formed of pine-needles. [...] The fanciful and ingenious forms evolved in this way may be represented by the kasiwa-giri or 'oak-leaf-paulownia', the ogi-bisi or 'fan-lozenge', the matuba-zuru or 'pine-needle-crane', the omodaka-kotyo or 'water-plantain-butterfly', etc." In our case we can call the motif yatsubashi-chocho or 'Iris-and-Bridge—Butterfly'.  
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  • Iron tsuba with cormorant fisherman in disguise motif. Edo period

    Iron tsuba of oval form carved and inlaid in gold and copper with cormorant fisherman in disguise. Unsigned. Dimensions: 67.7 mm x 61.5 mm x 3.8 mm (at seppa-dai) Edo period: 18th century. "Since Nara period, Japanese fishermen in small boats have used cormorants (u) to catch river fish at night, binding the necks of the birds so that the fish are not swallowed. [...] The bird and the work it performs are symbols of selfless devotion to one's master and keen eyesight." - from Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design. Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001; p. 104. See also TSU-0212 and TSU-0096  
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  • Iron tsuba with a human face motif, Edo period.

    An iron tsuba in the shape of a bold or shaved human head in full round. Unsigned. Dimensions: 62.5 x 53.4 x 4.4 mm Iron, in the shape of a Ni O (Nio) head, in full round, the back flat chased as a pine forest. Signed : Miōchin Masatsugu in sosho. №38 in The Naunton Collection, 1912. There are a few tsuba of such design known. SOLD

    №38 Naunton Collection, 1912.

    Iron, a severed head. Signed: Takeaki of Kwaiyō. Ex Hawkshaw Collection [Plate VII]. Below written: Takurio, Suruga, 1118; Tamagawa, p. ; Tanaka, p. 168; Tanetora, 1894. №2729 in The Naunton Collection, 1912.

    №2729 Naunton Collection, 1912.

    Reference to Hawkshaw Collection [Plate VII] happened to be not exact; it is Plate VIII, №236. It is clearly not the Hawkshaw piece (different facial expression, signle hitsu-ana, no plug. Description at Hawkshaw, 1910, reads: Iron, in the shape of a man's head, severed at the neck, the forehead in three wrinkles, the mouth hard-set and drooping, the eyes open, inlaid brass with shakudo pupils. Signed: Shoami; dated second year of Shoho, first month [SV: December 1644 through February 1648].

    №236 Hawkshaw Collection, 1910.

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  • Sukashi iron tsuba with horse trappings motif. Momoyama period, ca. 1580.

    Iron tsuba of oval form with the motif of horse trappings in openwork (sukashi). Copper sekigane. Iron bones (tekkotsu) on the rim.

    Size: 80.4 x 75.8 x 5.2 mm

    NBTHK Certificate №454567, allegedly saying that it is Akasaka School, Muromachi period. A look-a-like tsuba in Robert. E. Haynes Catalog #7, 1983 on page 57 under №48 is described as follows: "A masterpiece second period Owari sukashi tsuba. The plate is of beautiful color and quality almost like velvet. The design is very hard to discern, it might be the horse trappings, or even a moon. The style and type of Owari tsuba shows the great tradition of the Momoyama period and why it was the renaissance in time, as well as the arts produced, through the long history of all Japanese art. Ca. 1580. Ht. 7.7 cm, Th. (center) 5.5 mm, (edge) 5.25 to 5.75 mm."

    Robert. E. Haynes Catalog #7, 1983, p. 57, №48.

    I believe we can safely attribute this tsuba to Owari School, c. 1580.    
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  • Ōdachi iron tsuba with yamagane fukurin. Early Muromachi period (1393-1453).

    Large iron tsuba with hammer marks on the surface, small oval opening to the right of nakaga-ana; yamagane fukurin chiselled with tortois shell diaper pattern.

    Early Muromachi period (1393-1453). Size: 101.2 x 101.9 x 2.4 (center), 5.2 (rim) mm; weight: 148.4 g.  
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  • Heianjo tsuba with the Myriad Treasures motif. Momoyama or early Edo period (1574 – 1650).

    Iron tsuba of almost round form with a brass outlined circular opening (sukashi) in the bottom adorned with the Myriad Treasures [takaramono, 宝物] and winter motifs inlaid in cast brass (suemon-zōgan); hitsu-ana possibly cut later, both plugged with shakudo, nakaga-ana fitted with copper sekigane. According to Merrily Baird*) (2001), the symbolism of Myriad Treasures “is associated with the Seven Gods of Good Luck, who carry them in a sack”. Among the treasures, which are said to ensure prosperity, long life, and general good fortunes, are (reading clockwise from the top):
    1. Sake set [shuki, 酒器], namely flask, ladle, and cups
    2. Cloves [choji, 丁子]
    3. Purse of inexhaustible reaches [kinchaku, 巾着]
    4. Magic mallet [kozuchi, 小槌]
    5. Key to the storehouse of the Gods [kagi, 鍵]
    Then, Pine, Moon, and Bamboo (see below);
    1. Rhombus, or Lozenge (hosho, 方勝), with the second ideograph meaning victory.
    2. Sacred (or wish-granting) gem, or jewel [hōju, 宝珠]
    3. Hats of invisibility [kakuregasa, 隠れ笠]
    The Myriad Treasures is carried by the Seven Gods of Good Luck (a.k.a. the Seven Lucky Gods or Seven Gods of Fortune [shichifukujin, 七福神], who are transported by the Treasure Ship [takarabune, 宝船] during the first three days of the New Year. Pine, Moon, and Bamboo: bamboo [take, 竹] and pinecones [matsukasa, 松笠], or pine [matsu, 松] – two of the Three Friends of Winter [shōchikubai, 松竹梅] – symbolize fidelity, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance, and resilience. The third ‘friend’  – plum, [ume, 梅] – in this case replaced by the Moon [tsuki, 月] – large (11 mm) circular opening at 6 o’clock; the three small carved dots represent the dewdrops. The other side is decorated with an arabesque (karakusa) of cloves and vines, with carved dots (dewdrops) along the rim. The overall New Year / Winter connotation of the tsuba is clear. The prominence of the Moon conveys purity, coldness (sadness/loneliness), and slenderness – the inherent qualities of a samurai. H: 93 mm x W: 90 mm, thickness 4.2 mm at the centre, slightly tapered towards the rim. *) Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan: Thematic motifs in art and design. — NY: Rizzoli international publications, 2001. Seller’s description: École Heianjo - Début Époque EDO (1603 - 1868). Nagamaru gata en fer à décor incrusté en hira-zogan de laiton de tama, choji, jarre à saké et des attributs de Daikoku (maillet, chapeau d'invisibilité et sac de richesse) et de branches de choji de l'autre côté et ajourée en kage-sukashi d'un cercle. H. 9,2 cm
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  • Iron tsuba with design of vines, trellis, fence, and windows. Momoyama or early Edo period.

    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.
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  • Akasaka tsuba with slanting rays of light motif, by Tadatoki IV. Edo period, 18th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with slanting rays of light (shakoh) Christian motif (Jesuit’s IHS symbol) in openwork (sukashi). Traditional description of this kind of design is called “tokei”, or “clock gear”. Signed: On the face: Bushu ju Akasaka; On the back: Tadatoki Saku [Made by Tadatoki, resident of Bushu]. Probably, 4th generation of Akasaka School master Tadatoki (忠時), who died in 1746. Akasaka School. Edo period, first half of the 18th century. Size: 79.8 x 78.5 x 6.5 mm
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  • Six-lobed kamakura-bori tsuba with landscape motif. Late Muromachi period (1514-1573).

    Iron tsuba of six-lobed (mutsu-mokkō-gata) form, with six wild boar's eye shape (inome) openings (sukashi). Hitsu-ana and the entire perimeter of tsuba have typical for this school raised rim. Lobes are decorated with landscape motifs in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori). On the obverse: A hut under a full moon, Shinto shrine gates (torii) with pines and a full moon, rocks, a large pine tree, and a temple (pagoda) surrounded by rocks and waves. On the reverse: waves, fishing boat, wild gees in flight under full moon, maple, hexagon (tortoiseshell, kikko) with a dot inside and a dot outside (inclusion/exclusion symbol), and chrysanthemum (the last two may be family crests, mon). Kamakura-bori school. Late Muromachi period (1514-1573). Height: 64.2 mm, width: 74.3 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.2 mm, at rim 2.6 mm. Weight: 62.8 g (light). NBTHK old green certificate №561: Tokubetsu Kicho  - "Extraordinary Work". A look-a-like tsuba can be found at the Compton Collection, part II, pp. 14-15, №17, though his tsuba is more massive (80 x 84 x 4 mm).

    Compton Collection, part II, pp. 14-15, №17: Kamakura-bori tsuba, ca. 1450.

    NBTHK paper says that the motif is Hakkei (八景), i.e. "Eight Views," so several interpretations are possible (the original Chinese ones, Omi Hakkei, etc.).  However, most likely it is the 'Eight views of Omi' (近江八景  - 'Omi Hakkei'). Why the artist selected a 6-lobed form for depicting 8 views remains unclear, and thus we are in our right to raise the question whether the motif is indeed Hakkei. The term Omi hakkei (eight views of Omi) refers to painting or print sets which illustrate life on the shores of Lake Biwa in Omi (now Shiga Prefecture). The model for such paintings came from China, where, from the eleventh century onward, painters had produced eight views of the Hsiao and Hsiang lake areas of Hunan Province. The themes, which follow the original Chinese models, are: geese descending to land, returning fishing boats, clearing rain, a snow-covered evening landscape, the autumn moon, night rain, a temple bell at evening, and the glow of sunset. Japanese artists have also used the eight-theme approach for other parts of country - including cities - and applied it to subject matter other than landscapes. [Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design. Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001, page 308-9]. Japan Encyclopedia by Louis Frédéric also mentions Omi Hakkei as "Eight landscapes of Omi", and states that this theme was often cited in poetry after 1500. It is likely that the tsuba in focus is designed under the influence of the theme popularity in the 16th century. The theme was effectively exploited by prominent ukiyo-e artists Suzuki Harunobu and Utagawa Hiroshige in the 18th and 19th century, respectively. These are the eight scenes of the theme (see Wikipedia):
    • Returning sails at Yabase (矢橋の帰帆) - Yabase. Yabase is an old harbour on the east side of the lake. Near the Tokaido, it was used for a shortcut to Otsu by boat.
    • Evening glow at Seta (勢多（瀬田）の夕照) - The Chinese Bridge at Seta. The long bridge across the Seta was used by the Tokaido. In the background the "Fuji of Omi", the Mikamiyama. It is just above 400 m, but indeed well visible.
    • Autumn moon at Ishiyama (石山の秋月) - Ishiyama Temple. The Ishiyamadera was located on a hillside next to the Seta River. It got his name form the strange rocks on which it is built, partly on supporting beams. A hut at the upper end of the site allows a view of the lake, and the moon.
    • Clear breeze at Awazu (粟津の晴嵐) - Awazuhara. Awazu is well known for its pine wood, Awazu-ga-hara.
    • Evening bell at Miidera (三井晩鐘) - Mii-dera. Miidera temple was built in the 8th century. Its famous bell is one of the "Three bells of Japan", the other two being those at Byoodo-in, Uji and at Jingoji, Kyoto.
    • Evening rain at Karasaki (唐崎の夜雨) - Karasaki Shrine. Karasaki is a small cape with a single large pine tree, a hitsu-matsu.
    • Wild geese returning home at Katata (堅田の落雁) - Ukimido. Alighting geese cannot be seen always, however the little temple near Katata in the square hōkyō-style, detached from the lakeside, connected by a bridge. The first part of the name uki is the same as in Ukiyo-e, meaning floating. Midō means temple.
    • Evening snow at Hira (比良の暮雪) - Hira Mountains. The Hira mountains on the west side of the lake experience the hard winter, when the winter monsoon brings much snow from the continent.
    In any case, as a conservative, I say that it is a landscape motif and a late Muromachi period work, rather than Omi hakkei motif and a mid-Muromachi work.
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  • Owari tsuba with slanting rays of light motif. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of mokko form with slanting rays of light (shakoh) Christian motif (Jesuit's IHS symbol) in openwork (sukashi). Traditional description of this kind of design is called "tokei", or "clock gear". Owari school. Edo period.

    Size: 83.4 x 83.1 x 4.4 mm

    NTHK certified KANTEISHO ("Important Work").  In a custom wooden box. For information regarding shakoh tsuba see article 'Kirishitan Ikenie Tsuba by Fred Geyer at Kokusai Tosogu Kai; The 2nd International Convention & Exhibition, October 18-23, 2006, pp. 84-91.  
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  • Ōnin suemon-zogan tsuba of mokko form with design of flowers and wild geese. Late Muromachi period (1514-1573).

    Iron tsuba of quatrefoil form (mokka-gata) adorned with the design of stars, wild geese, blossoms, leaves and tendrils realized in the brass inlay. The inlay technique includes suemon-zōgan and ten-zōgan. A smaller opening (kozuka hitsu-ana) surrounded by a scalloped brass border. The seppa-dai bordered with linear inlay. A few dots of inlay on both sides are missing. Measurements: height 71 mm, width 70 mm, thickness at centre 2.7 cm Time: Late Muromachi (1514 – 1573)  
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  • Yoshirō mon-sukashi tsuba. Momoyama or early Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with eight circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiseled in kebori, as well as with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines, leaves, and flowers all over the plate. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). The Momoyama or early Edo period, 17th century. Size: diameter 80 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3,6 mm. Symbols: [12:00 o'clock] - Wood sorrel (katabami) and swords ; [9:00] - Cherry blossom (sakura); [7:30] - Bellflower (kikyō), kamon of Toki clan; [3:00] - possibly, a six-petal Chrysanthemum (kiku) or a Passion flower (tessen); [1:30] - Hemp (asanoha). The symbols at 6:00, 10:30, and 4:30 o'clock seem to be geometrical patterns of auspicious meaning: a cross in a square, a four pointing star, and a diamond, respectively. Alternatively, we may look at this piece as purely decorative, with patterns at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 o'clock in negative openwork (in-sukashi), and at 1:30, 4:40, 7:20, and 10:30 o'clock - in positive openwork (ji-sukashi, or yō-sukashi). Markus Sesko in his Handbook of sword fittings related terms [Herstellung und Verlag: Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt, 2011] discriminates this type of openwork in a separate class: Ranma-sukashi: "This term is applied to circular sukashi with family crests to their inside, which are arranged running along the rim area. The description goes back to the opened boards (ranma) between the sliding doors and the ceiling of Japanese rooms. Ranma-sukashi are mostly seen on old Heianjō- or Yoshirō-zōgan-tsuba but also on works of Hayashi Matashichi" [page 30].
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  • Iron tsuba with design of slanting rays of light or clock gear. Early Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of slanting rays of light (shakoh) or clock gear (tokei) in openwork (sukashi). Commonly considered a Christian / Jesuit motif. Copper sekigane. According to seller, Owari School. Haynes writes that most tsuba of this design are Owari (Tsuba. Aesthetic Study). Unsigned. Edo period. According to F. Geyer, diamond-shaped vertical posts and long rays suggest that this tsuba was probably made between 1605 and 1630.

    Size: 76.9 x 76.0 x 5.4 mm

    For information regarding shakoh tsuba see article 'Kirishitan Ikenie Tsuba by Fred Geyer at Kokusai Tosogu Kai; The 2nd International Convention & Exhibition, October 18-23, 2006, pp. 84-91.  
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  • Ko-kinko yamagane daisho tsuba with waves motif. Muromachi period.

    Two ymagane tsuba (daisho) with chiseled diaper pattern of waves. The larger tsuba (dai) is of mokkō form with a wide (4.6 mm) polished rim (fukurin?). Water spray is realized in copper ten-zōgan. Size: 75.0 x 71.6  x 3.2 (center), 4.0 (rim) mm. Copper sekigane. The smaller tsuba (sho) is of oval form, without a rim. No inlay. Size: 53.2 x 45.5 x 4.1 mm. Ko-kinko school. Muromachi period. In Kokusai Tosogu Kai; 5th International Convention & Exhibition, 2009 on page 51 under № 5-U8 there is a piece from George Gaucys collection, described as follows: Unsigned Tachi-Kanagushi tsuba, Yamagane base. Nami (wave) motif. Circa: Muromachi period (15th century). 6.88 x 6.81 x 0.45 (rim), 0.36 (center). The classic wave form is typically seen in Muromachi period tosogu. The patina is rich and rustic, which presents history and warmth. This tsuba may be interpreted as either tachi-kanagushi or ko-kinko work. Early tachi tsuba were symmetrical in design and also not very sophisticated, Design elements filled in up to seppadai as the waves do in this tsuba. There is a simple fikurin of the same metal and it is flat to the plate. On the ko-kinko side, the crests of the waves show more complexity than tachi works and less symmetry. A very intriguing tsuba from late Muromachi period."

    Kokusai Tosogu Kai 5th, 2009, p. 51, № 5-U8: ko-kinko or tachi-kanagushi tsuba.

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  • Brass hira-zōgan iron tsuba with design of vines and thunder. Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with dam-shaped rim (dote-mimi) pierced with hitsu-ana and two udenuki-ana (probably cut later on) decorated in flat inlay (hira-zōgan) with vines and symbols of thunder or lightning (possibly - family crest, mon). Hitsu-ana and nakago-ana with copper sekigane.

    Ōnin or Heianjō school, or, possibly Kaga or Umetada school. Momoyama period or earlier (Muromachi), 16th century. Unsigned.

    Size:  64.5 x 63.8 x 2.2 (center), 4.2 (rim) mm.

    Provenance: Lundgren Collection: [Japanese sword-fittings and metalwork in the Lundgren Collection. Published by Otsuka Kogeisha Co., Ltd., Tokyo 1992], №31; The Lundgren Collection of Japanese Swords, Sword Fittings and A Group of Miochin School Metalwork. Christie's Auction: Tuesday, 18 November 1997, London. Sales "GOTO-5881". Christie's, 1997, №2. Lundgren's description at Christie's: Heianjo tsuba. Unsigned. The circular plate decorated in brass hirazogan with flowers, plants and symbols of thunder, dote mimi and udenuki ana, late Muromachi period (16th century). Tokyo 1992 description: Sword guard with design of flowering plants and frets in inlay. Unsigned. Heianjo inlay school. 6.35 x 6.3 cm, thickness of rim 0.40 cm. Iron. Flat brass inlay. Muromachi-Momoyama Period, 16th century. Provenance: The Second John Harding. A somewhat look-a-like pieces can be found in various catalogues. The one in Naunton Collection, №172, is signed: Umetada of Yamashiro: "Iron, small, almost circular, with raised oval rim, inlaid all over with leaves and scrolls in brass hirazōgan."

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  • Tsuba with design of water wheel, cherry blossom, and waves. Momoyama period.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of sea waves in low relief carving (kebori) and pierced with design of cherry blossom in negative silhouette (in-sukashi) and water wheel in positive silhouette (ji-sukashi). The solid portion of the plate has a shallow groove just before the edge. Copper sekigane. School attribution is unclear. Unsigned. Momoyama period, 16th - 17th century. Dimensions: Height: 70.3 mm, width: 71.1 mm, thickness at seppa-dai: 4.4 mm, at rim 4.1 mm. Provenance: Robert E. Haynes, Mark Weisman. This is what shibuiswords.com says about this tsuba:
    "A very unusual iron plate tsuba. The solid plate is carved with waves on both sides. A cherry bloom in sukashi, lower left, and the right third of the plate in openwork with design of a water wheel. The rim with some iron bones. The hitsu-ana is original but the shape may have been slightly changed. One would expect this to be the work of the early Edo period, but the age of the walls of the sukashi would suggest that this is a work of the middle Muromachi period. This must be the forerunner for the Edo examples we see of this type of design." (Haynes)
    I managed to find a look-a-like tsuba in Haynes Catalog #5, 1983, pp. 20-21, №44: "Typical later Heianjo brass inlay example. Ca. 1725. Ht. 7 cm., Th. 4.5 mm., $100/200".

    Haynes Catalog #5, 1983, pp. 20-21, №44.

    We see that the  plate design of both tsuba is the same, and the only difference is the trim. It would be logical to assume that both pieces were made at about the same time, rather than 225 years apart. To be fair, let's accept that they were made in Momoyama period.
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  • Heianjō-zōgan tsuba with pines, mist, and snow motif. Momoyama or early Edo period.

    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.
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with design of chrysanthemum, late Muromachi period (16 AD).

    Iron tsuba of round form (maru-gata) with 8 openwork petals outlined with brass wire (sen-zōgan) and decorated with brass dots (ten-zōgan), on both sides. Seppa-dai and hitsu-ana outlined with brass wire. Late Muromachi period (Ca. 1514-1573). Ōnin school. Unsigned. Dimensions (mm): 80.4 x 79.8 x 3.6 (center) 3.2 (rim). Similar tsuba in this collection: TSU-0374.2018
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  • Akasaka tsuba with bamboo and sparrow motif by Tadamasa II. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Iron tsuba with design of bamboo and sparrow (take-ni-suzume) in openwork (sukashi). Rounded rim. Copper sekigane. Akasaka school. Unsigned. Attributed to second generation Tadamasa Shōzaemon (died in in the fifth year of Enppo, 1677). Early Edo period: 17th century (Kan-ei / Kanbun era). Height: 79.0 mm. Width: 77.5 mm. Rim thickness: 5.5 mm. Center thickness: 6.6 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 222: "It is believed that sparrows nest in a bamboo grove". According to Merrily Baird [Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design. Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001], "a bamboo grove is said to be emblematic of security as the bamboo is resilient even in the face of high winds and heavy rains. [...]  The association of the sparrow (suzume) with bamboo is an old one found in Japanese poetry, paining, and design. The bird is said to be obsessed with its honor, especially the repaying of debts".  
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  • Gomoku-zōgan tsuba. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Gomoku-zōgan tsuba. Iron, inlaid with brass scrap (gomoku-zōgan), and polished. Height: 75.3 mm; Width 74.9 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.6 mm. Weight 130.2 g. Edo, 18th century. Gary D. Murtha dedicates 10 pages to this type of tsuba: "...they were made by soldering brass overlay scraps to the iron plate". Actual gomoku-zōgan tsuba are seldom found in collections most likely because they have little if any artistic attributes. In addition, many have rough surfaces making them questionable for use on a sword. It is said that many of these were produced in Yokohama for export to the West during the late Edo period". G. D. Murtha then describes the technique of making gomoku-zōgan in every detail, and states that "The brass pieces are said to represent 'fallen pine needles', a description most likely created to add aesthetic value to help market the tsuba" [see:Gary D. Murtha. Japanese sword guards. Onin - Heianjo - Yoshiro. GDM Publications, 2016; pp. 160-161].
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  • Iron tsuba with a monkey and a crescent moon motif. Edo period.

    [SOLD]

    Iron tsuba of slightly elongated round form carved and inlaid in gold and shibuichi with a long-armed monkey hanging from a pine tree branch reaching for the reflection of a crescent moon in the stream. A pine tree carved with details inlaid in gold on the reverse. The design seems to be inspired by Kaneie work (Compton III, p. 10, №6a; Tsuba no bi, 1947, p. 33, №56).

    Dimensions: 76.8 x 74.2 x 3.6 mm. Mid-Edo period. Unsigned.

    Compton III, p. 10, №6a

    Tsuba no bi, 1947, p. 33, №56.

       
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  • Copper menuki in the form of a shrimp. Edo period.

    A pair of copper menuki in the form of a shrimp (lobster, crawfish, ebi) with eyes inlaid in shakudō.

    Length: 58.2 mm.

       
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  • Katchushi tsuba with a plum and cherry blossoms design in openwork. Late Muromachi period (1514-1573).

    Iron tsuba with hammer marked surface and design of a plum and cherry blossoms to the right of nakaga-ana in openwork (sukashi). Raised rim, typical to katchushi school. The thickness of the plate provides for later Muromachi period making.

    Late Muromachi period (1514-1573). Size: 85.8 x 85.0 x 3.6 (center), 4.1 (rim) mm; weight: 136 g.  
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  • Yoshirō mon-sukashi tsuba. Momoyama period (1574 – 1615).

    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 are trimmed with brass. Nakago-ana of trapezoidal form. A distinctive character of this tsuba is a mon at 12 hours, depicting paulownia, or Kiri-mon [桐紋] – a symbol of the Toyotomi clan, led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉, 1537 – 1598). Kiri-mon was also used as fuku-mon (alternative family crests) for the Imperial Family and Imperial Court. Another important emblem at 6 o’clock is the Katakura clan [片倉氏, Katakura-shi] family crest. Katakura Kagetsuna (片倉 景綱, 1557 – 1615), a retainer of Date Masamune (伊達 政宗, 1567 – 1636); Kagetsuna was operational in Hideyoshi’s Odawara campaign in 1590, which ultimately ended the unification of Japan. Unsigned but may be attributed to Koike Yoshirō Naomasa or his workshop (Yoshirō, orKaga-Yoshirō school). Dimensions: Diameter: 85.5 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 5.0 mm.

    Kiri-mon

    Katakura-mon
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with design of paper lanterns. Mid Muromachi period.

    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?
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  • Shakudō tsuba with insects and grass motif. Edo period.

    Shakudō tsuba of the slightly vertically elongated round form (nagamaru-gata) decorated by gold in flat inlay (hira-zōgan) with three insects (cricket, locust, and praying mantis), grass and dewdrops motif. Kogai hitsu-ana is plugged with gilded soft metal. Height: 70.2 mm; width: 66.4 mm x Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.5 mm. Edo period (from ca. 1700 to ca. 1850) Unsigned. Attributed to Kaga School or Murakami School. Almost identical tsuba (no dewdrops, though) is illustrated and described at page 60 of Kokusai Tosogu Kai. 7th International Convention & Exhibition, November 1st, 2011 at Tokyo National Museum, page 60. It is attributed to the Kaga School, Mid Edo period (Late 17th - early 18th century). Dimensions: 70.5 x 66 x 4.5 mm. "The rich black shakudo plate has been slightly lowered (dished out) and then polished. Gold insects crawl amongst grasses, depicted by Kaga style hirazogan (flat inlay). One tendril of the mantis overlaps onto seppa-dai. The mantis boldly looks out from the tsuba in a curious way. This style of Kaga tsuba was popular during the Genroku era (1688-1703)."

    7-U17. Ron Hartmann Collection.

      Another source is Japanese Sword Fittings. A descriptive catalogue of the Collection of G.H. Naunton, Esq., completed and illustrated by Henri L. Joly, - 1912:
    Kanazawa in Kaga was a centre of fine metal work during the whole of the Tokugawa period. At first the inlayers of Fushimi following the Daimyo Maeda went to Kanazawa, then some of the Gotō masters proceeded from Kyoto for short periods to work for the Daimyo, so that their influence was strongly impressed upon Kaga work..." A somewhat look-a-like tsuba is illustrated at plate XXVIII, Kaga Inlay, №653 with the following description at page 52: "Shakudō, inlaid with five insects in gold: crickets, praying mantis, grasshopper, in the style of Takagawara Ujitsugu.
    According to M. Sesko, Ujitsugu was a master from Katsuki and Kaneko School in Kaga, son of Ujihira. Ujihira's father Ujiyoshi died in 1802. This brings us to the mid-19th century, instead of mid-18th or earlier. On the other hand, a very much look alike specimen at MFA collection (ACCESSION NUMBER 17.1061) has the with the following description: Edo period. Late 18th–early 19th century. Murakami School. Main material: shakudo; other metals: gold; decorative technique: iroe hirazogan.

    MFA # 17.1061

    A detailed account of Murakami school can be found at The Japanese toso-kinko Schools.// Lulu Inc., 2012 by Markus Sesko, on pages 235-239. All-in-all, it's either Kaga School or Murakami School, either ca. 1700 or ca. 1850. Quite a range! SOLD
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with snowflakes motif. Muromachi period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of slightly elongated round form decorated with three pairs of snowflake-form small perforations (ko-sukashi), each outlined with brass wire; five concentric circular rows of dots inlaid in brass or copper ten-zōgan (some dots are missing). Hitsu-ana of oval form. Ōnin school. Unsigned. Late Muromachi period. Dimensions: 75.6 mm x74.6 mm x 3.0 mm. Weight: 78.0 g. Old NBTHK certificate (green paper): Tokubetsu Kicho - "Extraordinary Work". Unlike most Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba this one does not have circular brass wire inlay inside the dots area; neither it has brass trim around seppa-dai or hitsu-ana.  
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  • Ōnin suemon-zōgan tsuba with design of foliage and family crest. Late Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of round form inlaid with brass and shakudo (suemon-zōgan) with a design of tendrils, leaves, double gourds, and folding fan with two wild geese on the face and the same design only with a fan with two interlocked rings (wachigai) on the back. Design is supplemented with a round family crest (mon) of three fans in openwork (sukashi). Hitsu-ana and the mon are outlined with brass rope. Copper sekigane.

    Some attribute such tsuba as belonging to Heianjō or even Yoshirō School, and date them to Momoyama period. I keep this piece under Ōnin rubric, late Muromachi, but this is just a question of personal preference.

    Some inlay is missing, some repaired; traces of rust. Otherwise - decent condition.

    Late Muromachi period (1514-1573). Size: 77.4 x 77.1 x 3.8 (center), 3.2 (rim) mm
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  • Nobuie tsuba with the eight-petalled lotus motif. Momoyama period, c. 1600.

    Iron tsuba in a form of an eight-petalled blossom (lotus) form, petals separated by linear low-relief carving, both hitsu-ana filled with gold plugs, the surface decorated with tsuchime-ji, rich grey-brownish patina, niku from 4 mm in the centre to 6 mm at the rim. Strong (futoji-mei) Nobuie [信家] signature to the left of nakago-ana. Attributed to the 2nd generation of Nobuie masters (Nidai Nobuie).

    Size: outer diameter  84 mm, thickness at centre: 4 mm, at rim: 6 mm. Wight: 167 g.

    Signed: Nobuie [信家]

    Probably the work of Nidai Nobuie (c. 1600).

    The gold plugs are likely a later work.
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  • Ko-tosho tsuba with design of military fan (gunbai) in openwork. Mid Muromachi period, 15th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of military commander's fan (gunbai) in openwork (sukashi). Square rim. Hitsu-ana plugged with lead or tin. Ko-tosho school. Mid Muromachi period. Late 15th century: Entoku era [1489-92] / Meio era [1489-1501]. Height: 80.3 mm, Width: 81.5 mm, Rim thickness: 3.0 mm. Centre thickness: 3.5 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection,  №23 in Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces from the Sasano Collection, 1994: Ko-tosho. Sukashi design: Military commander's fan (gunbai). Mid Muromachi period. Late 15th century (Entoku / Meio era). The military commander's fan (gunbai) was cherished by samurai warriors. This tsuba is relatively thick, with the large fan nicely positioned on the plate.
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  • Heianjō tsuba with design of bamboo and sparrows. Edo period, 17th century.

    Iron tsuba decorated with sparrows and bamboo inlaid and chiseled in yellow brass, with snow lying on bamboo leaves inlaid in silver-ish shibuichi. Copper sekigane. The kogai-hitsu-ana probably cut out at a later date. Heianjō school. Unsigned. Height: 86.0 mm, Width: 85.4 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.9 mm. Momoyama or early Edo period, first half of the 17th century. Merrily Baird, Symbols..., page 118: "The association of the sparrow (suzume) with both bamboo and rice heads is an old one found in Japanese poetry, paining, and design."
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba. Muromachi period.

    An iron tsuba of 12-lobed form with alternating four solid and four openwork areas, each with a central bar. Symbolism remains unclear, possibly - a gunbai, i.e. military leader's fan. The solid parts decorated with 5 to 6 rows of brass dots of nail heads inlaid in ten-zōgan. The center of the plate as well as the sukashi elements are outlined with brass wire. The kozuka-hitsu-ana seems original. Muromachi period. Dimensions: 77.9 x 77.5 x 3.2 mm.
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  • Iron tsuba with a marsilea and a cricket motif. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of round form with a Marsilea (water clover, paddy plant, denjiso) in openwork (sukashi) and a cricket carved in low relief (katakiribori) with extremities and one antenna inlaid with brass; the other antenna is carved in kebori (which antenna is inlaid and which is carved alternates on the face and on the reverse). The plate decorated with vertical file stroke ornamentation (tate-yasurime). Raised dam-shaped rim (dote-mimi). Inscription from a previous collector in red oil paint: 22-71-1. Edo period, possibly 17th century. Katchushi school.

    Size: 75.0 x 74.4 x 3.6 (center), 5.0 (rim) mm.

    The plant Marsilea (paddy plant, denjiso), common names include water clover and four-leaf clover because the long-stalked leaves have four clover-like lobes and are either held above water or submerged. In The elements of Japanese design by John W. Dower, this motif is listed under the numbers 634-35 Paddy Plant (denjiso). Obviously, as a four-leaf clover it is an auspicious symbol. The four leaves radiate out as the shape of the kanji 田 (romaji 'ta'), which means 'rice paddy'. This symbol may be used as a family crest (mon), and this would be the most probable explanation of the sukashi on this tsuba.  
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  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of reed, waves, clouds, and pagoda. Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Mokkō-form (kirikomi-mokkō-gata) iron plate of grey colour decorated on both sides with waves, reeds, cloud, pagoda, and thatched hut in low relief (sukidashi-bori). The kozuka-hitsu-ana is original, the kogai-hitsu-ana probably cut later (lacks raised rim, fuchidoru). Wide (5.7 mm) raised rim of rounded square dote-mimi type, decorated with fine cross-hatching. Momoyama period, 16th century. Dimensions: Height: 75.9 mm, width: 76.4 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.3 mm, at rim 4.4 mm. Kamakura-bori tsuba of such a form is unusual. The rim is also unusual; it is possible that cross-hatching was done as a preparatory step for damascening, or the the damascening (gold or silver) disappeared with passage of time.
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  • Iron tsuba with mokkō motif by Enju Kunihide of Higo province. Mid Edo period, ca. 1800.

    Thin six-lobed iron plate of brownish color is carved on each side with a groove that follows the rim and a concentric grooves around the center of the plate, also carved with six thin scroll lines (mokkō or handles, kan) that follow the shape of the rim. Mokume surface treatment. Hitsu-ana  possibly added at a later date, and kogai-hitsu-ana plugged with gold. Silver sekigane.

    Signed: Kunihide [國秀]. Higo school, 1st generation swordsmith.

    Mid Edo period, ca. 1800.

    Would be possibly attributed to Kamakura-bori school revival of the 19th century.

    References: Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI / Japanese Sword / Kodōgu Part 1, page 231: Enju Kunihide, a tōshō from Higo: "...forging of the jigane is excellent, and there are also pieces with mokume hada."

    Haynes Index Vol. 1, p. 741, H 03569.0: "Enju Kunihide in Higo province, died 1830, student of Suishinshi Masahide. Retainer of the Hosokawa Daimyō, etc."

    Additional Information from Markus Sesko:  This tsuba indeed is made by Enju Kunihide, who in his later years signed the HIDE [秀] character as HI [日] and DE [出], as here: Size: 77.4 x 74.9 x 2.7 mm Similar pieces are: 1. In this collection № TSU-0341: Kamakura-bori tsuba with mokkō motif. Muromachi period, 15th - 16th century. 2. Dr. Walter A. Compton Collection, 1992, Christie’s auction, Part II, pp. 14-15, №16: “A kamakurabori type tsuba, Muromachi period, circa 1400. The thin, six-lobed iron plate is carved on each side with a wide groove that follows the shape of the rim, and with six scroll lines and a single thin circular groove. […] The hitsu-ana was added at a later date, circa 1500-1550.  Height 8.3 cm, width 8.6 cm, thickness 2.5 mm. The tsuba was initially intended  to be mounted on a tachi of the battle type in use from Nambokucho to early Muromachi period (1333-1400)”. Sold at $935. 3. And another one in Robert E. Haynes Catalog #9 on page 24-25 under №23: “Typical later Kamakura-bori  style work. This type of plate and carving show the uniform work produced by several schools in the Muromachi </em period. Some had brass inlay and others were just carved as this one is. The hitsu are  later. Ca. 1550. Ht. 8.8 cm, Th. 3.25 mm”. Sold for $175.      
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  • Yoshirō brass inlay tantō tsuba by Koike Naomasa; Momoyama period (1574 – 1603).

    Small iron tsuba for a dagger (tantō), of quatrefoil form (mokkō-gata), with raised rim (mimi), decorated with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) to form an abstract design alluding to the mushroom of immortality (reishi). Opening (hitsu-ana) to the left of nakaga-ana probably cut later and fitted with shakudo sekigane. Maker's signature on seppa-dai: Koike Naomasa (小池 直正).

    Momoyama period: End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Dimensions: Height 53.7 mm; Width: 45.5 mm; Thickness at centre: 3.5 mm; at rim: 4.9 mm. Other examples of signed Koike Naomasa work in this collection: TSU-0346. Reference: The closest example in literature is in Compton Collection (II): №11 with the description: “A Koike School tsuba, Edo period (circa 1625), signed Koike Yoshiro. Sheet-brass flush inlay of cloud forms and wire inlay creating the same shape. Koike Yoshiro Naomasa worked from the Keicho to the Genna periods (1596-1623). He arrived in Kyoto from Kaga.” [Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton (Part II) / Sebastian Izzard, Yoshinori Munemura. — Christie's, New York, October 22, 1992]. See: Yoshirō tsuba.    
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  • Yagyu tsuba with wheel motif by Fukui Tsuguzaemon. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of wheel (kuruma) in openwork (sukashi). Squared rim. Copper sekigane. Yagyu school. Signed of the face: Fukui Tsuguzaemon. Early Edo period: Late 17th century (Kanbun/Enppo era). Height: 76.7 mm. Width: 76.8 mm. Rim thickness: 5.2 mm. Center thickness: 5.6 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 203: "This design of spoke wheel relates to the 'circular principle' found in the Yagyu philosophy. Although it is very faint, Fukui Tsuguzaemon's signature is visible. Without a signature and based on appearance alone, it would undoubtable attributed to a later period".

    Merrily Baird in her book "Symbols of Japan" [Merrily Baird. Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design. Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001] provides the following explanation of the Wheel-of-the-Law symbol: "The Wheel-of-the-Law or Golden Wheel (rimbo, kinrin) has its origins in India, where it is known as chakra. [...] In Buddhist practice, it has been represented with eight spokes, reflecting the eight-fold path to overcoming worldly desire, and it signifies that all illusions will be crushed by the faith's enlightenment. [...] The Wheel-of-the-Law is an attribute of such deities as Senju Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Dainichi Nyorai, the all-illuminating solar figure who is the principal deity for Shingon Buddhism. From the Edo period on, the wheel also has been used in a secular manner", e.g. on family crests.

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  • Heianjō tsuba with design of arabesque and bamboo in brass inlay. Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of 8-lobed form pierced with six openings (sukashi) and decorated with design of bamboo and arabesque in flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan). Two of the openings serve as hitsu-ana. The design on the face represents bamboo trunks and leaves, clouds, waves, and vines; on the back - vines and leaves, that forms an arabesque (karakusa) motif. Rounded square rim. 'Silver' patina. Hitsu-ana with copper sekigane. Heianjō (most probable) or Kaga-Yoshirō school. Late Muromachi or Momoyama period; 16th century. Size: Height: 74.6 mm; Width: 69.5 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.2 mm. Weight: 113.9 g. Provenance: Gary D. Murtha. This tsuba is illustrated at: Japanese sword guards. Onin - Heianjo - Yoshiro by Gary D. Murtha [GDM Publications, 2016, p. 48]: "Iron, 80x75x3 mm tsuba with brass karakusa vines and leaves on one side with bamboo, leaves, and clouds on the reverse. This tsuba is one of those pieces that might be classified as Onin or Heianjo work, but the flush inlay tips it to the Heianjo side. Late Muromachi period." I would like to add that it easily may also be classified as Kaga-Yoshirō. Robert Haynes in Study Collection.., page 32, illustrates a look-a-like example, and writes: "This style of inlay, where the designs on the face and the back are very different, was common to the work of artists in Kyoto in the Momoyama period."
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  • Bizen Shōami sukashi tsuba with a butterfly design. Early Edo period.

    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.
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  • Fuchi-kashira with designs of a spider and insects. Edo period.

    Fuchi-kashira made of Shibuichi carved and inlaid with shakudō, gold, silver, and copper with the design of spider holding a fly on the fuchi, and other insects (ant-lion, wasp, and ant) on the kashira.

    Fuchi: 35.1 mm. Kashira: 38.7 mm. Main material: Shibuichi. Other metals: shakudō, gold, silver, and copper. Decorative technique: iroe taka-zōgan.
     
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  • Yamagane tsuba with design of a star, tomoe, and suhama in openwork. Muromachi period (c. 1450).

    Yamagane (bronze) tsuba (kagami-shi, or mirror-maker) with the design of a star (round opening), tomoe (comma), and suhama in openwork. Surface cast and chiselled with the design of foliage, vines, blossoms, pine needles, and fruits on both sides.

    The end of Early Muromachi period (1393-1453), circa 1450. Size: 83.7 x 84.1 x 3.6 (center), 4.1 (rim) mm; weight: 135.5 g. KANTEI-SHO (鑑定書) - APPRAISAL [translated by Markus Sesko]. No 463341 Tomoe-suhama-sukashi hana-karakusa no zu tsuba (巴洲浜透花唐草図鐔) ‒ Tsuba with stylized comma and bay inlet openwork and a flower and arabesque décor Unsigned: Kagami-shi (鏡師) Round shape, yamagane, hammer blow finish, cast, negative openwork design, round rim. According to the result of the shinsa committee of our society, we judge this work as authentic and rank it as Hozon Tōsōgu. July 1, 2011 [Foundation] Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, NBTHK (日本美術刀劍保存協會)  
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  • Nobuie tsuba with family crest motif. Momoyama period, c. 1580.

    Iron tsuba of mokko form decorated with encircled family crests in low relief carving; niku from 3.0 mm in the centre to 4.0 mm at rim and full 1 mm raised uchikaeshi-mimi. Nobuie [信家] signature (hanare-mei) to the left of nakago-ana; on the reverse, to the right of nakago-ana, the inscription reads “62”, which may be how old the master was at the age of making the tsuba. Pewter or lead plugged hitsuana. In a wooden box, in a custom pouch. Size: H: 80 mm, W: 75, Th(c): 3.1 mm, Th(r): 4.0 mm Weight: 103.5 g

    Signed: Nobuie [信家] / 62

    Probably the work of Shodai Nobuie (c. 1580).

    Tokubetsu hozon certificate № 2002993 of the N.B.T.H.K., dated January 15, 2016. NOBUIE TSUBA by Steve Waszak The iron tsuba made by the two early Nobuie masters are regarded as the greatest sword guards ever made across hundreds of years of Japanese history.  Only a small handful of other smiths' names are even mentioned in the same breath as that of Nobuie.  Despite the well-deserved fame of the Nobuie name, virtually nothing is known with certainty about the lives of the two men who made the pieces carrying this name.  They are thought to have been men of Owari Province, with the Nidai Nobuie also spending time in Aki Province at the end of the Momoyama Period. Two Nobuie tsubako are recognized.  The man whom most consider to have been the Shodai signed his sword guards with finer and more elegantly inscribed characters than the smith seen by most as the Nidai.  The term used to describe the mei of the Shodai is "hanare-mei" or "ga-mei," while that used to characterize the signature of the Nidai is "futoji-mei" or "chikara-mei."  These terms refer to the fineness and grace of the Shodai's signature and the relatively more powerfully inscribed characters of the Nidai's.  The Shodai is thought to have lived during the Eiroku and Tensho eras in the latter part of the 16th century, while the Nidai's years are considered to have been from Tensho into the Genna era.  This locates both smiths well within the Golden Age of tsuba artists -- the Momoyama Period. Nobuie tsuba are esteemed and celebrated for the extraordinary beauty of their iron.  The combination of the forging of the metal, the surface treatment by tsuchime and yakite married to powerfully expressive carving, the masterful manipulation of form, mass and shape, and the colour and patina of the iron makes Nobuie sword guards not only unique in the world of tsuba, but the greatest of the great. The sword guard here is a Shodai-made masterwork, done in mokko-gata form, a shape the early Nobuie smiths mastered to a degree unmatched by any others.  The expanding of the mass of the tsuba from the seppa-dai to the mimi, increasing by 50% from the centre of the guard to the rim, creates a sense of exploding energy, which is then contained by the uchikaeshi-mimi, yielding a lightning-in-a-bottle effect of captured energy.  The hammering the master has employed to finish the surface is subtle and sensitive, achieving a resonant profundity, and the deep blue-black colour -- augmented by a lustrous patina -- leaves the tsuba to positively glow in one's hand.  In this piece, Nobuie has used a motif of several kamon, or family crests, each carved only lightly on the surface in a loose ring around the nakago-ana.  Due to the shallow depth of this carving, together with the tsuchime finish of the plate, the effect is to leave the kamon with a sort of weathered appearance, recalling the prime aesthetic values of sabi and wabi, which had great circulation in the Tea Culture so ascendant in the Momoyama years.  However, the effects of sabi and wabi expressed in the treatment described above are amplified and deepened by the color and patina of the iron, thereby adding yet another aesthetic value -- yuugen -- which is linked with the abiding mystery of the universe and one more — mono no aware — which alludes to the pathos of life's experiences and transitory nature.  In short, this Nobuie tsuba joins poetry with power and therein exemplifies the unrivalled brilliance of Nobuie workmanship.
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba. Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with inlay of four concentric rows of brass dots or nail heads (ten-zōgan) and a circular brass wire inlay inside the innermost row of dots. Copper sekigane. Muromachi period, 15th or 16th century. Unsigned. Ōnin school. Size: 87.9 x 87.8 x 2.2 mm. Ōnin school got its name from the Ōnin War (応仁の乱 - Ōnin no Ran) - a civil war that lasted 10 years (1467–1477) during the Muromachi period in Japan.
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  • Copper tsuba with a cormorant fisherman motif by Ichinomiya Nagatsune, circa 1750.

    Copper (suaka) tsuba of oval form carved in relief, pierced and inlaid with soft metals (gold, shakudō, shibuichi or silver) with a cormorant fisherman (ushō) and moon motif on the face and a boat among the bank reeds on the reverse. Signed: Nagatsune. Box inscription: Tsuba with cormorant fishing, made by Nagatsune. Dimensions: 62.7 mm x 53.2 mm x 4.2 mm (at seppa-dai) Edo period: 18th century. Nagatsune (1721-1787), 1st generation master of Inchinomiya School in Kyoto, adopted son of the gilder Nagayoshi, student of Yasui Takanaga [M. Sesko 'Genealogies', p. 26]. Detailed account of the school is given at The Japanese toso-kinko Schools.// Lulu Inc., 2012 by Markus Sesko, pp. 104-108. Nagatsune's biographical sketch can be found there on pp. 104-106. "What Sōminis in the East (Edo), Nagatsune is in the West (Kyōto)." “Since Nara period, Japanese fishermen in small boats have used cormorants (u) to catch river fish at night, binding the necks of the birds so that the fish are not swallowed. […] The bird and the work it performs are symbols of selfless devotion to one’s master and keen eyesight.” – from Merrily Baird 'Symbols of Japan. Thematic motifs in art and design.' //Rizzoli international publications, Inc., 2001; p. 104. See also in this collection: TSU-241 and TSU-0096

    The design was popular among the tsuba makers. We find one in the Alexander G. Moslé collection [Japanese Sword Fittings from the Alexander G. Moslé Collection; Sebastian Izzard LLC, 2004, page 90, №123] signed Nagatsune with kaō: Tsuba with cormorant fisherman, moon, and boat. Squared-oval shibuichi plate, slightly raised rim, engraved, pierced, and inlaid with soft metals in relief. 6.7 x 5.8 cm.

     

    Alexander G. Moslé collection  №123.

    Another reference: Lundgren Collection, 1990, page 86 №207:  Sword guard with design of ushō (person who fishes with cormorants). Signed by Nagatsune. Ichinomiya school. 6.45 x 5.95 x 0.40 cm. Polished shibuichi taka-bori relief, gold and silver inlay. Edo period, 18th century.

    Lundgren Collection №207:

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  • Koike Yoshirō Naomasa tsuba with design of paulownia and arabesque. Late Muromachi – Momoyama period, 16th century.

    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. 
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  • Iron tsuba with the Sennins motif. Edo period, ca. 1700.

    Iron tsuba of oval form with the design of two immortals (Gama Sennin with the toad upon his head and Tekkai Sennin with his iron crutch) beside a waterfall carved in low relief with a high relief effect (takabori) and with details inlaid in gold. A waterfall carved on the reverse. Nakago-ana is plugged with copper sekigane. Unsigned. Allegedly, Mito School.

    Edo period, ca. 1700.

    Size: Height: 87.0 mm; Width: 82.8 mm; Thickness: 4.4 mm; Weight: 179 g.

    No longer available.
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  • Nobuie tsuba with karakusa motif. Momoyama period, c. 1600.

    Iron tsuba of mokko form decorated with arabesque (karakusa) in low relief carving. niku from 4.0 mm in the centre to 5.1 mm at the rim. Strong Nobuie [信家] signature (futoji-mei) to the left of nakago-ana. Hitsuana plugged with pewter.

    Size: H: 88.2 mm, W: 83.6, Th(c): 4.0 mm, Th(r): 5.1 mm Weight: 167 g.

    Signed: Nobuie [信家]

    Probably the work of Nidai Nobuie (c. 1600).

    Tokubetsu hozon certificate № 229324 of the N.B.T.H.K., dated 22.12.2010
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  • Ko-katchūshi tsuba with design of gorintō, heavenly objects, cloud, snowflake, and Genji-mon. Mid Muromachi period, 15th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of moon, stars, cloud, snowflake, gorintō, and Genji-mon in negative openwork (in-sukashi). Raised tubular rim (dote-mimi). Deep black patina, traces of lacquer. Naka-daka type of plate (thicker in center, getting thiner towards the rim). Visible gap between the rim and the plate. Dimensions: Height: 91.7 mm; Width: 90.8 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.5 mm, plate before rim: 2.2 mm, of the rim: 5.6 mm. At least Mid Muromachi period, 15th century, but possibly earlier. In 'Silver Book', commenting tsuba №34 Sasano writes: "The technique used to create the rim is the same used for the peak (koshimaki) of helmets (kabuto) during the Kamakura and Nanbokucho periods." On the other hand, the abundance of sukashi elements points towards later times, perhaps late Muromachi or even Momoyama period. "Gorintō is a grave stone composed of five pieces, piled on one the other, representing, from the bottom upward, earth, water, fire, wind, and heaven, respectively" [Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI, Part 1.  AFU, 1993, p. 6. / LIB-1554]. A romantic description of the piece may look like this: The air is scented (incense symbol); it's a graveyard, marked by gorintō; a winter (snowflake) evening or night (moon, stars); mist is rising from a ravine towards moon. I did not manage to find a katchūshi piece of this design, only a few Kamakura-bori tsuba:

    100 selected tsuba from European collections. Catalogue by Robert Haynes and Robert Burawoy, 1984, page 16, №5.

    Japanese Sword Fittings. Collection of G.H. Naunton, Esq., by Henri L. Joly, - 1912; №9.

    While the upper tsuba is dated end of Muromachi, the lower is attributed to the 17th century - Momoyama or early Edo period, though the author put this attribution under question. Deciphering of the strangely shaped opening to the left of nakago-ana is sometimes "a conventional scroll", and sometimes - a fern or bracken. I think mine is a cloud or mist, but I don't have any material evidence proving this understanding and came to conclusion by context only. It may easily be a dinosaurs playing ball. The fact that this thing always accompanies the Genji-mon, or incense symbol, it may be a scent itself.
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  • Iron tsuba with a cricket and bridge motif. Momoyama period.

    Iron tsuba with design of a cricket and grass inlaid in brass (suemon-zōgan) and a bridge over a stream in openwork (sukashi) on both sides. Inlay of distant part of the cricket's antenna is missing. Heianjō School. Momoyama period. Diameter: 79.5 mm, thickness at seppa-dai: 3.3 mm NBTHK # 4002100.
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  • Ōnin/Heianjō suemon-zōgan tsuba with Wheel-of-the-Law motif. Muromachi period, ca. 1500

    Iron tsuba of round form represents an eight-spoke Wheel-of-the-Law and in the same time (because of the inner shape of cut-outs) - a sixteen-petal imperial chrysanthemum in openwork (sukashi). Decorated on both sides with vines, leaves, and tendrils in suemon-zōgan and sen-zōgan. Spokes and hitsu-ana decorated with rope-like linear brass inlay (nawame-zōgan). A somewhat look-a-like tsuba is referenced in Gary D. Murtha's Japanese Sword Guards. Onin-Heianjo-Yoshiro book on page 61. Mr. Murtha attributes his piece to Heianjo school of Azuchi-Momoyama or early Edo period. However, tsuba in this collection looks older and bolder than the one in his book. It is larger (84 mm vs. his 66 mm), the spokes are longer, the inlay is of better quality, it is relatively thin, with deep black patina, and with the traces of lacquer (urushi). This may indicate that this tsuba belongs to Ōnin school and dates at least to late Muromachi period, ca. 1550, if not 1450 AD. Mid to late Muromachi period (ca. 1450-1550). Dimensions: 84.3 x 83.2 x 3.2 mm "In Japan, the Wheel-of-the-Law is an attribute of such deities as  Senju Kannon, the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Dainichi Nyorai, the principal deity of Shingon Buddhism [Merrily Baird]. May be used as a family crest (mon).

    Gary D. Murtha's tsuba on page 61.

     
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  • Heianjō tsuba with wood sorrel motif. Late Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Thin iron tsuba of round form pierced with six three-leaf wood sorrels (katabami) in ko-sukashi and inlaid with brass decoration along the rim. Kozuka-hitsu-ana probably cut at a later date.

    Late Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century. Dimensions: 78.0 x 77.7 x 2.5 mm.
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  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of temple gates, mountain pavilion and 5-storey pagoda. Muromachi period, 16th century.

    Thin iron plate of round form and black color carved in sukidashi-bori with design of rocks, waves, clouds, temple gates (torii), mountain pavilion and 5-storey pagoda on both sides, alluding to Todai-ji temple in Nara. Hitsu-ana pierced later. Very narrow very slightly raised rim. Copper sekigane.

    Late Muromachi period, 16th century. Dimensions: 88.7 x 88.0 x 2.4 mm (seppa-dai), 1.8 mm (base plate).

    Reference: “Art of the Samurai” on page 232, №140: ”Kamakura tsuba with Sangatsu-do tower and bridge. Muromachi period, 16th century. 83 mm x 80 mm. Unsigned. Tokyo National Museum. The mountain pavilion and bridge carved in sunken relief on the iron tsuba – both part of Tōdai-ji, a temple in Nara – are detailed in fine kebori (line) engraving. As a result of the chiseling used to create the relief, the ground of the piece is relatively thin".

     
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