//Objects
  •

    Tantō tsuba with paulownia and karakusa design. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Small iron tsuba (tantō size) of oval form carved with imitation of six overlapping plates, decorated with paulownia blossoms, leaves, and tendrils in brass and copper hira-zōgan. Copper sekigane. Open kozuka hitsu-ana.

    Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Size: 50.5 x 34.0 x 4.9 mm.

    Favorites
    Details

  • 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.
    Favorites
    Details

  • Polychrome maiolica salt cellars, Deruta, c. 1600.

    Tin-glazed earthenware salt cellars decorated with winged creatures and grotesque paintings. Restored, losses. Size: 16 x 16 cm; Height: 2.5 cm. Attributed to Deruta, Italy, c. 1600.
    Favorites
    Details

  • Kanayama tsuba with design of rings and crossbars. Momoyama period, 16th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of two parallel crossbars and two rings in openwork (sukashi). Rounded square rim. Moderate iron bones (tekkotsu) allover. Copper sekigane. Kanayama school. Momoyama period (or late Muromachi). Size: 74.5 x 74.0 x 5.5 mm. The rings possibly represent the sun and the moon, or the stars. The parallel crossbars may represent the "two stripes" (futatsu biki) family crest (incl. Ashikaga family).
    Favorites
    Details

  • Hazama tsuba with a squirrel and bamboo motif. Edo period, 18th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form (width > height) decorated with a squirrel (on the face) and bamboo (on the reverse) motif in sahari flat inlay (hira-zōgan). Signed: Hazama (間) Size: 75.1mm x 75.9mm, thickness of seppa-dai 5.4mm. Early 18th century, mid Edo. Haynes/Torigoye: "There is another name for Hazama tsuba: the Kameyama school. In the period from Hōei to Kyōhō (1704-36) at Kameyama, in the province of Ise, the Kunitomo family made this style of tsuba" [...] The two artists who are best known for the sahari style of inlaid tsuba are Sadahide and Masahide" [...] The signature Hazama should be considered as that of Masahide". Sahari inlay is the distinctive characteristics of Hazama school. Sahari is an alloy of copper, tin, lead, zinc and silver. Hazama tsuba was carved patterns at first, then poured heated into the carvings on iron ground. Because it is an alloy, sahari shows different colors in each tsuba. According to Merrily Baird [Symbols, p. 163], "squirrels (risu) ... have no symbolic importance". NBTHK certificate №448388.

       
    Favorites
    Details

  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of encircled paulownia (kiri-mon). Mid Muromachi period, ca. 1450.

    Iron tsuba of round form pierced with design of paulownia (kiri) in a circle in positive silhouette (ji-sukashi), details carved in low relief (sukidashi-bori). Hitsu-ana were cut later and then both plugged with lead or pewter. Brown patina. The most unusual characteristic of this tsuba is its 'positiveness': the absolute majority of Kamakura-bori tsuba are of ko-sukashi type, i.e. with small openings, presenting the motif in negative silhouette. Kamakura-bori school. Muromachi period (ca. 1450). Size: Height: 85.1 mm, width: 84.8 mm, thickness at seppa-dai: 3.2 mm, at rim: 2.8 mm. Weight: 79.1 g. A similar tsuba is presented at Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton. Part I. Christie's, New York, March 31, 1992, page 11, №3: "A Kamakura-bori tsuba. Muromachi period, ca. 1450. The round iron plate is pierced with an openwork design of a paulownia crest (kiri-mon), the surface details of which are carved in low relief. The design is repeated on the reverse. The edge is slightly raised  and the rim has some iron bones. 78 mm x 77 mm x 3.5 mm. Hakogaki by Sato Kanzan, dated summer 1973."

    Compton's Collection, Part I, p. 11, №3.

    Favorites
    Details

  • 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.  
    Favorites
    Details

  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with sukashi design of inome. Mid Muromachi period, 15th century.

    Iron tsuba of mokkō form decorated with inome (wild boar's eye) in openwork (sukashi) outlined with brass wire. The plate decorated with 3 concentric circular rows of brass dots in ten-zōgan. Center of the plate outlined with the inlaid circular brass wire (sen-zōgan). Some dots and the outline of inome on the face are missing.

    Ōnin school. Unsigned. Mid Muromachi period, middle of the 15th century. Dimensions: 72.1 x 71.3 x 2.3 mm.
    Favorites
    Details

  • Blue and white porcelain plate with a running yak, China, Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644).

    Footed plate with scalloped rim, centre decorated with running yak or another even-toed animal among flowers, jewel diaper pattern to the inner lip; foliage motif to the outside is bordered with foliage above and lotus leaves below. Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration. Ming Dynasty [大明] (1368 – 1644); Wanli Era (1572 – 1620); Late 16th – Early 17th century. Diameter: 25.5 cm; Height: 4.2 cm
    Favorites
    Details

  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of a dragon. Muromachi period, c. 1450.

    Iron tsuba of round form, on both sides decorated in low relief (kebori) with a dragon, eyes inlaid in brass. NBTHK: Hozon, № 4011013. Kamakura-bori type of tsuba. Med-Muromachi period, c. 1450. Diameter: 90 mm; Thickness (centre): 3.3 cm, Thickness (rim): 2.4 cm Reference: Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr Walter Ames Compton (Part I). — NY: Christie's, 1992, p. 10, №2. Obviously, Compton's tsuba has an altered nakago-ana and placed on the photo upside down. Compton's tsuba has a raised mimi, while mine does not. Two other examples of the same design may be found at: (1) Christie, Manson & Woods auction sales “Kotetsu”, 1980, page 12, №10 and (2) Professor A. Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections №36, pp. 18-19. Both have raised mimi, the latter classified as Katchushi tsuba. More about Kamakura-bori tsuba here.  
    Favorites
    Details

  • Higo tsuba with slanting rays of light (tokei) motif / Edo period, mid-17th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form pierced with the design of slanting rays of light (Christian motif, Jesuit’s IHS symbol) in positive silhouette (ji-sukashi). This design is often called “tokei” [時計], or “clock gear”. Nakaga-ana fitted with copper sekigane. Rounded rim. Unsigned. Higo school. Early Edo period, mid-17th century (1632-1650).

    Size: 78.3 x 77.0 x 5.3 mm

    For information regarding this type of tsuba see the article 'Kirishitan Ikenie Tsuba by Fred Geyer at Kokusai Tosogu Kai; The 2nd International Convention & Exhibition, October 18-23, 2006, pp. 84-91. School and age attribution thanks to Bruce Kirkpatrick. . ​

    IHS emblem of the Jesuits
     
    Favorites
    Details
  • Mokkō-shaped tsuba with ajiro design

    Mokkō-shaped tsuba with ajiro design

    Iron tsuba with brown patina in mokkō-gata form with woven design. Size: 72 x 67 x 5 mm.
    Favorites
    Details
© Copyright  ,  Varshavsky Collection