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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Ko-kinko ymagane cast tsuba of oval form with chiseled diaper pattern of double head waves on both sides and a rabbit cast and carved with its eye inlaid in yellow metal (gold or brass) on the face. Fukurin which holds together the sandwiched layers of metal (sanmai) is about 2.7 mm wide. Possibly, early Mino (ko-Mino) school. Size: 66.6 x 59.9 x 4.0 mm. Some connoisseurs believe that this kind of tsuba was in mass production at the time. Small animal believed to be a fox, however some attribute it to a long-tailed rabbit or a squirrel. I am leaning towards the rabbit. Similar example is found at Robert E. Haynes Catalog №3, April 9-11, 1982 on page 11, under № 15: “Rare design in style of Sanmai (three layers) / Wasei work. With yamagane core and heavy rim cover. The web plates are carved with double head Goto style waves and the face has a fox. The web plates were riveted at the seppadai. See Lot 4, page 8. Ca. 1350. Ht. 6.6 cm, th. 3 mm” [underscore mine]. Quality of photo is so poor that I decided not to provide it here. The only difference betwen my tsuba and his is that his has a square hole on the right shoulder of the seppa-dai. Early Muromachi (if we follow Robert it is even Nanbokucho, 1337-1392) or Momoyama period. The Momoyama attribution is mostly based on a fact that “waves and rabbit” motif became most popular in Momoyama times. Mokkōgata tsuba of similar design in this collection - see TSU-0282.
TSU-0282: Ko-kinko yamagane tsuba with waves and rabbit motif.
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Ko-kinko ymagane cast tsuba of mokko form (kirikomi-mokkō-gata) with chiseled diaper pattern of double head waves on both sides and a rabbit cast and carved with its eye inlaid in yellow metal (gold or brass) on the face. Fukurin which holds together the sandwiched layers of metal (sanmai) is about 2.4 mm wide. A look-a-like tsub of oval form instead of mokko-gata is illustrated at Robert E. Haynes's Catalog #3,1982 on page 11, lot 15: "Rare design in style of Sanmai (three layers) / Wasei work. With yamagane core and heavy rim cover. The web plates are carved with double head Goto style waves and the face has a fox. The web plates were riveted at the seppadai. See Lot 4, page 8. Ca. 1350. Ht. 6.6 cm, th. 3 mm" [underscore mine]. Quality of photo is so poor that I decided not to provide it here. Muromachi (if we follow Robert) or Momoyama period. The Momoyama attribution is mostly based on a fact that "waves and rabbit" motif became most popular in Momoyama times. Size: 68.5 x 59.8 x 4.0 mm. NBTHK Certificate № 423120. This tsuba is listed at Yakiba website with the following passage: "Attributions as well as dating of this type of tsuba has been the subject debate over the years. There are those who believe these type of tsuba to be ko-Mino (early Mino School) tsuba, others believe them to be tachi-kanaguchi tsuba. Still others insist they are simply ko-kinko (early soft metal) tsuba. This tsuba was authenticated and determined to be "Ko-Kinko" by the NBTHK". Oval form tsuba with the same design can be found in this collection - TSU-0323.
TSU-0323. Ko-kinko yamagane tsuba with waves and rabbit motif.
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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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A yamagane (unrefined copper) ko-kinko tsuba of slightly elongated round form with design of wisteria carved in sculptural relief (nikubori). Copper sekigane. Unsigned. Muromachi period, likely the 16th century.Size: 74.3 x 71.8 x 3.2 mm.
NBTHK certificate №4003986: Hozon (worthy preservation). In custom wooden box. -
Yamagane tsuba of round form with design of a 14 petal chrysanthemum (kiku) in cast openwork (sukashi), with slightly raised rounded rim. Early Muromachi period (1393-1457). Size: Height: 64.5 mm; Width: 64.0 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.1 mm; Weight: 52.5 g. Provenance: Sasano collection (though not illustrated in the book 'Sasano: Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces from the Sasano Collection, 1994', which only covers tsuba made of iron). Wooden box (tomobako) with inscription (hakogaki) by Sasano Masayuki. References: Illustrated on p. 140 at Tosogu: Treasure of the samurai by Graham Gemmell in the article Muromachi period tsuba by Robin Peverett, London, 1991, pp. 131-145. Sold at Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997 Sotheby's, London, 1997 [Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A.Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections], p. 16: "A ko-kinko bronze Tsuba, early Muromachi period (1393-1453) of circular form, with raised rounded rim, pierced with kiku petals and with a small elongated kozuka-hitsu, the work appearing to be cast and finished by hand. 6.4cm, thickness at centre 4.15mm, at rim 4.8mm. With a Tomobako, bearing a hakogaki by Masayuki Sasano, with rating Shu. Estimated: £1,000-1,500." Hakogaki (courtesy M. Sesko): 古金工 鐔 Ko-Kinkō tsuba 菊花透 無銘 山銅地透 時代 室町前期 古雅入念 秀作 昭和戊辰年伏月 素心鑑 kikka-sukashi, mumei yamagane, ji-sukashi jidai Muromachi-zenki koga nyūnen, shūsaku Showa tsuchinoe-tatsudoshi fukugetsu Soshinkan Kikka-sukashi, unsigned. Of yamagane and with ji-sukashi. Era is early Muromachi period. Excellent and carefully made work of classical elegance. June in the year of the dragon of the Shōwa era (1988) Soshinkan (pen name of Sasano Masayuki).
