TSU-0282: Ko-kinko yamagane tsuba with waves and rabbit motif.
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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. -
Kyo-sukashi iron tsuba of round form with design of hollyhock (aoi ) and wild geese. Slightly rounded rim. Copper sekigane. Momoyama period, late 16th - early 17th century. Height: 82.6 mm, Width: 82.1 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.5 mm. NTHK (Nihon Token Hozon Kai) certified. -
Iron tsuba of quatrefoil form with design of bamboo stems and leaves in openwork (sukashi) decorated with carving (kebori) . Copper sekigane. Early Edo period, late 17th century (Kanbun / Enppo era). First generation Kanshiro of Nishigaki school in Higo Province died in the sixth year of Genroku, 1693, at the age of 81). Height: 74.4 mm; Width: 74.2 mm; Centre thickness: 4.9 mm. Rounded rim. The design was quite popular among the Higo masters.
Kanshiro III, early 18th century (Sasano 1994 №267)
Matashichi I, late 17th century (Sasano 1994 №270)
The design of my tsuba closely resembles the one at the last example (Sasano 1994 №280), however, the form (mine is quatrefoil) and the execution (strength) are very different, which result in a very different spirit of my piece.
Shigemitsu II, early 18th century (Sasano 1994 №280)
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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):- Sake set [shuki, 酒器], namely flask, ladle, and cups
- Cloves [choji, 丁子]
- Purse of inexhaustible reaches [kinchaku, 巾着]
- Magic mallet [kozuchi, 小槌]
- Key to the storehouse of the Gods [kagi, 鍵]
- Rhombus, or Lozenge (hosho, 方勝), with the second ideograph meaning victory.
- Sacred (or wish-granting) gem, or jewel [hōju, 宝珠]
- Hats of invisibility [kakuregasa, 隠れ笠]
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Iron tsuba of round form with design of butterfly (left) and dragonfly (right) in openwork (sukashi), outlined with brass wire. Thin plate also decorated with five concentric circular rows of brass dots (nail heads) in ten-zōgan; brass wire outlines of the center of the plate. School: Ōnin ten-zogan. Late Muromachi period, 16th century. Diameter: 88 mm, thickness at seppa-dai: 3.1 mm. Another tsuba of similar design, Tōshō school, is illustrated in this collection; see TSU-0353.Reference to the design has been found at "Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A. Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections". Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997; p. 18, item 37: "pierced with two large formalised butterflies...".
TSU-0353: Tōshō tsuba, Muromachi period.
A kamakura-bori tsuba. Momoyama period. Freeman & Sharpe Memorial Collections.
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Iron tsuba of round form with two ebi (lobster) on omote (obverse side) and shika (deer) among scattered momiji (maple leaves) on ura (reverse side) motif in brass takabori (high relief) suemon-zōgan. Traces of lacquer. Unsigned. Late Muromachi / Momoyama period (late 16th / Early 17th century). Dimensions: 69.0.6 mm (H) x 69.6 mm (W) x 3.4 mm (T, seppa-dai). Weight: 92.6 g. Illustrated at: 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 at page 7. Provenance: The second John Harding; The Lundgren Collection. Description at Christie's: "The iron plate depicting two lobsters in takabory and brass takazogan, the reverse similarly decorated with deer among scattered maple leaves, square mimi, late Muromachi / early Momoyama period (late 16th/early 17th century) Diameter 68 mm, mimi thickness 4 mm. Provenance: The second John Harding." Also at: JAPANESE SWORD-FITTINGS & METALWORK IN THE LUNDGREN COLLECTION. Published by Otsuka Kogeisha, Tokyo 1992. № 134. Description on page 173: Sword guard with design of shrimps in inlay (scarlet [sic] maple leaves and deer on the reverse side). Unsigned. Heianjō inlay school. Vertical 6.85 cm, horizontal 6.90 cm, Th. of rim 0.40 cm. Iron. Taka-bori relief and brass inlay. Momoyama period, 16th - 17th century. According to Merrily Baird, maple leaves, especially if paired with the deer, allude to autumnal tradition of Japanese aristocracy of viewing the seasonal changes of color in the Nara area. The lobster is typical Japanese ebi, - it lacks prominent claws, and has a spiny shell. As a symbol of longevity and good fortune, lobster is a staple of New Year's decoration. -
A very thin kobushi-gata form iron tsuba decorated in openwork (sukashi), some openings filled with grey metal (silver or pewter) treated in a way to resemble cracked ice, ginkgo leaf to recto and plum blossoms to verso in low-relief (takabori) and gold inlay (zōgan), and unevenly folded over rim (hineri-mimi). The overall theme of the piece is linked to the icy ponds, falling ginkgo leaves and blossoming plums in the late winter.
Size: 84 x 80 mm, thickness (center): 2 mm.Signed: Yamashiro no kuni Fushimi no ju Kaneie [Kaneie of Fushimi in Yamashiro Province] [山城國伏見住金家], with Kaō.
Probably the work of Meijin-Shodai Kaneie (c. 1580 – 1600).
The silver or pewter inlays likely a later work that may be attributed to Goto Ichijo (1791 – 1876) or one of his apprentices in the late 19th century, possibly as a tribute to the great Kaneie masters. Here is an article by Steve Waszak dedicated to Kaneie masters and this tsuba in particular.Kaneie
For many tosogu aficionados, this name reigns supreme among all tsubako across Japanese history. The first Kaneie is celebrated for many things. He is recognized as being the first ever to bring pictorial landscape subjects to a canvas so small as that of a tsuba plate. His skill in being able to render classical Chinese landscape themes while working with a material as unyielding as steel, and to do so with the sensitivity he does, is nothing short of astounding. The quality of his workmanship — especially that of his exquisitely carved motif elements and the extraordinary deftness of his tsuchime (槌目 or 鎚目, hammer-blow) utilizing such thin plates — astonishes even to this day. His sensibilities concerning the shaping of his sword guards and the presentation of the rims were no less innovative than his subject matter. He was among the very first to regularly sign his name as a tsuba smith. And it is likely that he served the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the latter years of the 16th century. Despite the great fame and reputation of Kaneie, very little of the lives of the two men who are seen by most scholars as the “true Kaneie” tsubako of the Momoyama and earliest Edo Periods is known to us now. They were both smiths working in steel, with occasional added soft-metal inlay (usually serving to highlight features), and both made sword guards of the same style, using subject matter focused on landscapes, allusions to historical events, or religious themes. The first of these men is often referred to as “O-Shodai,” or Great First Generation, while the second is known as “Meijin-Shodai,” or Famous First Generation. While some see subsequent generations stemming from these first two men, others have the O-Shodai and the Meijin-Shodai as THE two true Kaneie and make a sharp distinction between these two smiths and any others who may share the name.The work of the O-Shodai may appear with two different mei. One of these is written “Joshu Fushimi Ju Kaneie,” while his work may also carry a mei reading “Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju Kaneie.” It is thought by some scholars that the earlier works present with the “Joshu” mei, while his later works feature the “Yamashiro” mei. However, there are only some five or six tsuba extant with the “Joshu” signature, so we should not necessarily see works with the “Yamashiro” signature as dating only to the latest years of his working life. The answers to the questions of exactly when Kaneie might have begun his life as a tsubako, or how old he was when he moved to sign his works with the “Yamashiro” mei, will probably remain shrouded in uncertainty.The association between Kaneie and Toyotomi Hideyoshi is speculative, to be sure, but the circumstantial evidence is tantalizing. The area of Fushimi is thought to have been an entirely unremarkable land prior to Hideyoshi’s building of a castle there, so it would seem unlikely that the first Kaneie would have been working in such a nondescript place, much less including the place name in his mei, before Hideyoshi’s putting it on the map, so to speak. Why emphasize such pride of place in one’s signature unless the place itself carries a certain weight? The name “Kaneie” translates roughly to “gold family,” which, given Hideyoshi’s notorious love of gold, would seem too much of a coincidence when combined with the explicit mention of Fushimi in the signatures. Combine this with the consideration of what is an equally compelling relationship between the celebrated tsubako Nobuie and Oda Nobunaga (“Nobuie” means roughly “of the family of “Nobu”), whom Hideyoshi served as a top general until Oda’s demise in 1582, and the circumstantial evidence becomes even harder to deny the plausibility of. Oda, ever the innovator, may have been the one responsible for birthing the practice of tsubako regularly signing their works. Having a superb smith like Nobuie affix the name to the tsuba as a regular practice establishes a sort of “brand name,” a brand coming with the seal of approval of Oda Nobunaga. It is more than possible that Nobunaga may have then used these valuable sword guards as rewards given to vassals and other important relations to honour them for their services to him, a practice that would have allowed Nobunaga to avoid having to use gold, guns, swords, horses, or land to do so. The awarding of a magnificent Nobuie tsuba to a deserving warrior, an appreciated ally, or a family member would bring honour to the recipient, of course, but would also honour the maker of the sword guard, and even the giver of the object. Such a way of thinking would be absolutely typical of him, and given that both Oda Nobunaga and Nobuie were men of Kiyosu in Owari in the early Momoyama Period, it does not strain credulity to imagine that the above dynamic could have occurred in just this way. If indeed it did, Toyotomi Hideyoshi is unlikely to have let this pass unnoticed. He may even have been so honoured himself! When he rose to power very shortly after Oda’s death, then, and when he reinforced and consolidated that power in the late 1580s and early 1590s, which included the building of the castle at Fushimi, perhaps he sought to emulate the Oda vision and practice of establishing a “royal tsubako.” If so, Kaneie would have been that smith.As noted, this scenario is speculative, and not a little romantic. This does not mean, however, that it is in fact not likely, for there would be a number of coincidences involved for it to be entirely false.Tsuba scholars will say that Kaneie’s skills in the making of his sword guards indicate an armour-making background. This is an interesting viewpoint, but one can’t help but wonder how many armourers were possessed of such fluent literacy in lyrical Chinese historical tales that they could then represent them as motifs on steel plates. Kaneie subjects often are in the form of Chinese landscapes and allusions, as noted, one of which — The Eight Views of the Xiao and the Xiang — was very well known as a famous subject of Chinese painting and poetry from the Song Dynasty. There exist Kaneie tsuba which depicts at least some of these “views,” and it seems unlikely that if one or more of them were to be created, not all of them would be, in a sort of “series.” The cultural and literary fluency Kaneie would seem to have had, then, may suggest a Buddhist background, and indeed, some of the subjects seen are explicitly Buddhist in nature. Perhaps his background then, somehow offering a dovetailing of metalwork and Buddhist teachings; in any event, we are all the richer for at least some of the works of Kaneie to have survived to reach us today.One of the hallmarks of Kaneie tsuba (real ones) is the extreme thinness of the plate, combined with utterly superb tsuchime expression of that plate. To be able to hammer the plate to achieve such strength of expression while the plate is so thin is seen by the Japanese as practically miraculous. A notable and important kantei point between the early masterpieces by the two “Shodai” Kaneie and the tsuba made by followers is this thinness of the plate. Another kantei point: because the plate is so thin when raised areas representing motif elements are present, they are inlaid into the plate, because trying to carve them from such a thin plate would be practically impossible: the likelihood of piercing the plate would be high, and the plate in that area, even if not pierced, would be significantly weakened by trying to manage the raising of a motif element from the plate. In real Kaneie works, then, one would expect any raised motif elements to be inlaid.Other highlights: the “Shodai” Kaneie are famous for the kobushi-gata (拳形) or “fist-shaped” design in their work, but despite this, there actually aren’t that many extant sword guards boasting this shape. Another feature for which the Kaneie are justly famous is their folding over of the lip of the rim onto the plate in a very tasteful manner, just here and there, rather than uniformly across the tsuba. However, again, this feature is actually not commonly seen, either. The combination, then, of a kobushi-gata shape with the rim folded over in just a few areas is that much rarer.Which brings us to the featured piece.Here is a Kaneie tsuba, a “Meijin-Shodai” Kaneie, which presents with a very thin plate, being between 1.5 and 2mm in thickness. The motif elements are inlaid, as we should expect. The sugata (姿, shape) is Kobushi-gata with the rim folded over in only a few places, representing a relatively infrequently encountered form, as stated. The tsuba here is fortunate not to have any added hitsu-ana, unlike many or most other Kaneie do. The sukashi elements are fascinating to consider, being difficult to determine the meaning of; however, the raised elements clearly point to a seasonal motif, with cherry and plum blossoms on the omote for Spring, and ginkgo on the ura for Fall. The inlaid metal in two of the openings — silver, shibuichi, or pewter, perhaps — is very likely a later addition, probably 19th-century, and more specifically, late-19th-century. The finishing on these inlaid portions has all the hallmarks of Goto Ichijo workmanship. Namely, the treatment of the surface of the inlay to resemble fallen snow (in the Japanese sense of things) is expressed in a very Ichijo sense of things, and, given the great importance of Kaneie tsuba, and the seasonal expression the motif of the guard has, it is plausible that the inlay is Ichijo work or that of one of his top students. In any event, this inlay complements the rest of the tsuba beautifully. The inlay also resembles the art of kintsugi (金継ぎ, golden joinery) or the Japanese practice of ceramic repair using lacquer when a piece is particularly special or important. In this way, a nod is given to Tea Culture, too, creating a wonderful blending of associations and allusions, typical of the highest Japanese aesthetic sense.At 8.4cm, the tsuba is of an excellent size and is in great condition (no rust, no deep rust pitting, no fire damage). There is, intriguingly, one small sign of battle damage at 6:00 on the guard: it would seem a sword blow cut into the tsuba at the rim, and penetrated slightly into the plate. The superb repair represented by a little stitch or two right at the rim and along a few millimetres of the plate is visible on very close inspection. The repair is old, probably nearly contemporary with when the tsuba was made. Given the high status of Kaneie in their lifetime (as tsubako for Hideyoshi, one might imagine their importance), and given the obvious high quality of this piece, it is not surprising that the finest repair efforts were put into its care.The name Kaneie justly enjoys its fame and accolades as pre-eminent among the tens of thousands of tsubako in Japanese history. We are fortunate indeed to have had a small number of the works of the early masters survive to this day. The first of their kind, and as most scholars and aficionados would wholeheartedly agree, the best of their kind, Kaneie sword guards remain among the very finest examples of the Japanese metal-working traditions. -
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). -
Round iron plate of grey colour decorated in low relief (sukidashi-bori) on the face with sea waves (both layered waves, seigaiha, and rough waves, araumi), sago palm (cycas revoluta, sotetsu), presumably orchid leaves (ran) - five of them - hanging from the above, and reeds (ashi), and on the back with waves (seigaiha only), rocks, chrysanthemums (kiku), clove (chori), reed, and presumably orchid leaves - three of them - hanging from the above. The kozuka-hitsu-ana was probably cut later. The plate is lacking the raised rim, typical for the kamakura-bori school. Muromachi period. Dimensions: Height: 76.8 mm, width: 76.1 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.3 mm, at rim 2.0 mm. Height of nakago-ana: 29 mm. Weight: 82.4 g. NBTHK certificate № 402152: Hozon - "Worthy of preservation". A similar (most probably the same) tsuba is illustrated and described at Butterfield & Butterfield. IMPORTANT JAPANESE SWORDS, SWORD FITTINGS AND ARMOR. Auction Monday, November 19th, 1979. Sale # 3063 under lot № 66. It describes the piece as following: “Kamakura bori work of the Muromachi period. Round thin plate with some small iron bones in the edge. Carved with design of plants (sego palm) rocks, and waves on the face. The back has half of two chrysanthemums, waves, clove, and sego palm leaves. The kozuka-hitsu has been added and later enlarged. A good typical example without the rim most have. Diameter: 7.7 cm., thickness 2.5 mm. Estimated price $100-200":
Butterfield & Butterfield, 1979. Sale # 3063, lot № 66.
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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". Edo period.Size: 77.7 x 76.1 x 6.7 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. -
Iron tsuba of square with cut-off edges form (sumi-iri-kakugata) with lattice design in openwork (sukashi) and solid center. Hitsu-ana plugged with lead.
Unsigned. Late Muromachi period, ca. 16th century.
Size: 81.3 x 80.0 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.) -
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. -
Iron tsuba of round form with design of rudder, paddle, and stars in small openwork (ko-sukshi) outlined with brass wire, and further decorated with inlay of five concentric rows of brass dots or nail heads (ten-zōgan) and circular brass wire inlaid inside the innermost row of dots. Two lower round openings may also serve as udenuki-ana. Copper sekigane. Unsigned. Late Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century. Diameter: 90.4 x 89.8 x 2.8 mm. -
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. -
Iron tsuba of round form (tsurumaru) decorated with a design of crane and pines, or "nesting crane (sugomori-tsuru)" in openwork (sukashi). Details carved in kebori. Rounded rim.
Size: 74.7 x 69.8 x 4.8 mm.
Unsigned.
Edo period, ca. 17th century.
NBTHK Certificate № 463485. The certificate says it's a Higo School piece. The design was popular in both Akasaka and Higo schools. The Akasaka example: at Kodogu and tsuba. International collections not published in my books. (Toso Soran). Ph. D. Kazutaro Torigoye, 1978, p. 246: "Late Edo. Jiyūgata. Sined: Akasaka Tadanori saku."The Higo example can be found at Iron tsuba. The works of the exhibition "Kurogane no hana", The Japanese Sword Museum, 2014, p. 69, №56: Sugomori-tsuru sukashi-tsuba (Nesting Carne). Mumei: Matashichi (1st generation), early 17th century.
Torigoye, 1978, p. 246. Late Akasaka.
Kurogane no hana, 2014, p. 69, №56. Higo tsuba.
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Iron tsuba with chrysanthemum design in openwork (sukashi). Copper sekigane.
Late Heian through Kamakura period (ca. 1150 - 1200's).
Size: 78.4 x 60.9 x 3.5 mm; weight: 45.7 g
Provenance: Boris Markhasin Message from Boris Markhasin (13-AUG-2019): It is a very rudimentary tachi tsuba, and the iron is old and really nothing to draw attention. However, this is a very old tsuba, and that is what makes it very special and an important study piece. This tsuba likely dates to the late Heian through Kamakura (ca. 1150 - 1200's) -- by consensus, since such examples are extremely rare, and none are mounted to my knowledge, so few direct analogues. The form is interesting for a variety of reasons. The smaller size, an oval form is associated more with 12th/13th c styles. The sukashi kiku motif is very interesting as it clearly pushes back the dating of large scale sukashi far back in time. This shouldn't be surprising, but for some reason, we (really mainly westerners) naively tend to associate sukashi with the Muromachi and younger. The two missing spokes are by consensus likely later removals to accommodate kozuka and kogai -- but this is not certain, and it could be an original styling. A key kantei point is the elongate, narrow, slightly squared seppa dai. This is a characteristic of early koshirae, which were much thinner and more delicate than the types we are used to seeing that date pretty much to the late Muromachi and later. I am always amazed when I have a chance to interrogate early koshirae at how thin they are - I want to call them fragile, but they were actually quite resilient. The walls were super thin, but the top and bottom edges were a bit thicker, providing a bit of structural support... but this is another thread topic. Of all the tsuba I have owned, this is the tsuba that has most clearly reflected the shape of the old style of saya / tsuka. -
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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Iron tsuba of oval form with design of stylized paulownia (nage-giri) in openwork (sukashi). Leaf veins carved in kebori technique. Rounded rim. Copper sekigane. Unsigned. Attributed to Kanshirō, third generation Nishigaki (1680-1761). Edo period: Early 18th century (Kyoho / Genbun era). Size: Height: 77.8 mm. Width: 71.9 mm. Rim thickness: 5.9 mm. Center thickness: 5.0 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 264: "Nishigaki. Third generation Kanshiro (died in in the eleventh year of Hohreki, 1761 at the age of eighty-two). This oblong shape appears a little amateurish at first, however, it was done intentionally to add flavor to to the design. The neat composition is a feature of the third Kanshiro." -
The thin, four-lobed iron plate of brownish color is carved on each side with two concentric grooves in the middle of the web, and with four thin scroll lines (handles, kan) that follow the shape of the rim. The hitsu-ana were added at a later date. Copper sekigane. Kamakura-bori school. Muromachi period, circa 1400-1550. Size: Height 80.4 mm, width 79.0 mm, thickness 3.2 mm at seppa-dai and 2.7 mm at the rim. Weight: 97.7 g. NBTHK Certificate №4004241: 'Hozon' attestation. As for the motif: the concentric circles is a widespread and generic design. It is described by John W. Dower [The Elements of Japanese Design, 1985, p. 132, #2201-30] as follows: Circle: Enclosure (wa). As a crest by itself, the cirlce carries obvious connotations of perfection, harmony, completeness, integrity, even peace. [...] Ordinary circles are labeled according to their thickness, with terminology ranging from hairline to "snake's eye". The motif that is described by both Compton Collection and R.E. Haynes as "scrolls", presented by John W. Dower as "Handle (kan): Although probably a purely ornamental and nonrepresentational design in origin, over the centuries this motif acquired the label kan, denoting its resemblance to the metal handles traditionally used on chests of drawers. [...] Very possibly the "handle" motif represents an early abstract version of the popular mokko, or melon pattern." Early Chinese Taoists claimed that special melon was associated with the Eastern Paradise of Mount Horai just as life-giving peaches were associated with the Western Paradise of the Kunlun Mountains. [...] A design motif called mokko (also translated as "melon" in accordance with the two ideographs with which it is written) may have nothing to do with the fruit. Mokko designs... are widely used as crests of both private families and Shinto shrines and are repeated as background designs that evoke a sense of classicism" [Symbols of Japan. Merrily Baird, 2001]. There is a look alike tsuba at Dr. Walter A. Compton Collection, 1992, Christie’s auction, Part II, pp. 14-15, №16:
The description goes: “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.
And another one in Robert E. Haynes Catalog #9 on page 24-25 under №23:
R.E. Haynes description: “Typical later Kamakura-bori style work. This type of plate and carving show the uniform work produced by several schools in the Muromachi 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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Iron tsuba of mokko form with rough surface decorated in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori) and openwork (sukashi) with a flying bat, a crescent moon, and a cloud over the moon. Bat's eyes inlaid with gold. Crescent moon and cloud on the reverse. Copper sekigane. Kogai hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.
Unsigned.
Edo period.Size: Height: 83.7 mm; Width: 80.3 mm; Thickness: 2.9 mm; Weight: 141 g.
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Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of pine tree mushrooms (matsutake) in openwork (sukashi). Hitsu-ana of elongated oval form. Raised rim (mimi) with iron bones (tekkotsu). Copper sekigane. Size: 84.5 mm x 85.1 mm; thickness: 3.0 mm (center), 5.6 mm (rim). Mid Muromachi period, 15th century. The shape and width of the rim, as well as the shape of the hitsu-ana, argue for earlier Muromachi. Tsuba is slightly wider than high, that might suggest middle of Muromachi age. According to Robert Haynes, circa 1450-1500. -
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) -
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. Round-cornered rim. Copper sekigane. Momoyama period: Late 16th century (Tensho/Keicho era). Height: 72.5 mm, Width: 72.2 mm, Rim thickness: 5.5 mm, Center thickness: 5.3 mm. Round-cornered rim. Provenance: Sasano collection. Sasano Masayuki, Japanese Sword Guards Masterpieces from The Sasano Collection, Part I, № 136: "The general belief that this design represents the gear of a clock is erroneous, rather it shows the slanting rays of light from a cross, with the small diamond shapes representing the upright and transverse bars. The Christian influence is obvious..." -
A very large and very thin iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of formalized butterfly and dragonfly in openwork (sukashi). The characteristics of the plate resemble those of Kamakura period ko-tōshō tsuba. However, the design seems too 'modern' to me, but it's hard to tell; it may be a late Muromachi or Momoyama period work. Tōshō or Ko-Tōshō school (or a Katchushi). Muromachi period. Dimensions: 99.6 x 100.5 x 2.1 mm. This is what Jim Gilbert says about old tsuba:"Traditionally the old iron plate tsuba are classified into Ko Tosho (old sword smith), and Ko Katchushi (old armor maker) styles. It is sometimes difficult to justify attribution of a given tsuba to the Tosho or Katchushi category. Generally guards with raised rims or relatively complex designs tend to be assigned to Katchushi. This is basically a convention we follow out of habit and convenience." [...] "In Token Kai-Shi part six, Articles by Akiyama Kyusaku, Robert Haynes comments: "…from 1300 to 1400 over 150,000 MOUNTED swords were made in Japan for export alone. This means that over four tsuba a day were made for 100 years. This would mean that at least 3000 persons were making nothing but tsuba, let alone all the other fittings needed to complete these swords. With sword smiths, fittings makers and all the other artists need to complete a sword for export, at least 10,000 sword artists were working together, in any one of these hundred years."
Reference to design can be found at "Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A. Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections" / Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997; p. 18-19, lot № 37: "A Kamakura-bori Tsuba, Momoyama Period. ...pierced with two large formalised butterflies..."Reference to design in this collection: TSU-0319.A Kamakura-bori tsuba of octagonal form, Momoyama period.
TSU-0319. Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba, Muromachi period.
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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.) -
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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Iron tsuba of slightly elongated round form decorated with design of melon flowers, vines, and leaves in brass flat inlay (hira-zōgan) on both sides. Slightly raised rim (mimi) carved in a way to simulate ring-shaped covering (fukurin). Kozuka hitsu-ana and kogai hitsu-ana both plugged with soft metal (tim or lead). Copper sekigane. Heianjō or Kaga School. Muromachi or Momoyama period, 16th century. Iron, hira-zōgan brass inlay. Round (maru gata) form, diameter 79 mm. Size: 80.3 x 78.4 mm; thickness at seppa-dai: 3.4 mm; at the middle: 3.8 mm; before the rim: 2.4 mm, rim: 2.8 mm. Note on design: though this design resembles family crests with oak and mulberry leaves, I believe it's a melon flower [see Jeanne Allen. Designer's guide to Samurai Patterns. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1990, page 114, №130 "Melon Flowers":Note about the distribution of thickness (niku-oki): "this tsuba has toroid features, niku raises from the rim towards the centre but thins once more out when approaching the seppa-dai" [M. Sesko, "Handbook...", p. 48].
Jeanne Allen. Designer's guide to Samurai Patterns. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1990. Page 114, №130.
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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." -
Iron tsuba of round form decorated with a design of bracken scrolls and paulownia leaves and blossoms (kiri-mon) in openwork (sukashi). Details carved in kebori. Squared rim with iron bones (tekkotsu). Hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.
Size: 83.6 x 82.9 x 5.4 (center), 5.1 (rim) mm.
Unsigned.
Muromachi period, ca. 16th century.
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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. -
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 gSigned: 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. -
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'. -
Iron tsuba of round form with design of rabbit (usagi) in openwork (sukashi) and inlaid with designs of plants and family crests (mon) in suemon-zōgan. A branch with lonely leaf, half chrysanthemum, and flying wild geese on the face represent autumnal connotations. The same motif is complemented by a clove (choji) on the reverse. The family crests (mon) include: interlocked rings (kanawa; wachigai), three encircled lines or stripes (hikiryo), bit or muzzle (kutsuwa - horse's harness element with possible christian symbolism), and encircled triangle (uroko, fish scale). Brass wire trim around the openwork elements and the seppa-dai, scalloped wire inlay around the hitsu-ana. Iron is dark, almost black. Brass or copper elements vary in shades of lighter and darker yellow with red-ish hue. Ōnin school. Late Muromachi period, 16th century. Height: 89.6 mm; Width: 89.3 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.0 mm. Weight: 129.7 g. -
Iron tsuba of circular form with the knotted geese (kari) flying over the rough waves pierced (sukashi) and carved in low relief (nikubori). Hitsu-ana plugged with soft metal. Hitsu-ana plugged with soft metal (tin or lead).
Signed: Echizen koku jū Myochin Katsuharu saku.
Edo period.Size: Height: 80.7 mm; Width: 81.0 mm; Thickness: 4.5 mm; Weight: 110 g.
Two tsuba of this master can be found at Georg Oeder Collection (Japanische Stichblätter und Schwertzieraten. Sammlung Georg Oeder Düsseldorf. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis von P. Vautier. Herausgegeben von Otto Kümmel.Oesterheld & Co / Verlag / Berlin, Oesterheld, 1915; LIB-1465 in this collection) under №№ 172 and 173, page 21, though no illustrations. SOLD. -
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".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.
Haynes Catalog #5, 1983, pp. 20-21, №44.
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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. -
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 -
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 with two overlapping triangles (uroko) motif in openwork (sukashi). Triangle patterns usually associate with 'fish scale', mon of Hojo family (and others). Edo period or later.Size: 71.4 x 70.2 x 5.2 mm.
An association with the Star of David is doubtful if not impossible. -
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. -
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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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 trimmed in brass. Nakago-ana of rectangular form, with copper sekigane. Four positive openwork (ji-sukashi) roundels at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock; and four negative openwork (in-sukashi) roundels with cherry blossom, bellflower, and two variations on suhama theme. Yoshirō school (Kaga-Yoshirō). The Momoyama or early Edo period, late 16th to early 17th century. Size: diameter 81.4 mm, thickness 4.7 mmat seppa-dai, 4.0 mm at rim. Christie's lot description: AN IRON TSUBA; EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY). THE DOLPHYN COLLECTION OF SAMURAI ART. The round iron tsuba pierced with roundels of various floral motifs interspersed among scrolling foliage, all inlaid with brass. 8.1 cm. high. Provenance: Pabst Collection (no. 338). -
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. -
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. -
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". -
Well-forged iron plate of round shape (maru-gata) is decorated with water weeds or arabesque (karakusa) in flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) all over and eight family crests (mon) of round form in cast brass with delicate linear carving (kebori) and openwork (sukashi). Crests represent: [at 9 hours] three counter-clockwise commas or swirls (tomoe); [at 10:30] plum blossom (ume); [at 12:00, 1:130, and 7:30] - stylized flower made by cutting out five suhama symblos (flower-shaped suhama); [at 3:00] bellflower (kikyō); [at 4:30] seven-star crest (shichiyō-mon); [at 6:00] cherry blossom (sakura). Brass-trimmed ryo-hitsu. Copper sekigane. Yoshirō school. Momoyama or early Edo period, end of the 16th to first half of the 17th century (1574-1650). Inscription on seppa-dai: 八幡 - Hachiman. Size: height 89.6 mm, width 89.3 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3,0 mm. Weight 129.7 g. NBTHK certificate № 4007685, June 27, 2015: HOZON (Worthy of Preservation). As for the inscription, Nihonto Message Board blog discussion provides the following explanation of the inscription: "An expression of conviction as to being the best under the sun". On the other hand, there may be more in this confluence of symbols: the tomoe crest at 9:00 is "the kamon of Hachiman, the war god" [Family Crests of Japan; Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007, p. 108]. The character 八 in the inscription cut stronger than the other kanji, and may be by a different hand in different time. 八 (hachi, eight): "The numeral eight was appreciated because its shape broadens toward the bottom, symbolizing eternal expansion" [ibid, p. 119]. It may be said that this tsuba is dedicated to Hachiman. Other crests (suhama, bellflower, seven-stars, plum and cherry blossoms) collectively allude to "good old times" when Fijiwara and Taira clans were in full bloom. Markus Sesko believes that the inscriptions reads: Hachiman: "the inscription is/was HACHIMAN (八幡), the God of War and a relatively popular inscription for tsuba, swords and armor." Elliott Long and Robert Haynes provide the following explanation of the inscription: "...hachi is correct and represents the name of the HACHI SHRINE. The inscription reads 'YAWATA' which is the name of the mountain in Mino Province where the HACHI Shrine is located". Details on Hachiman Shrine in Yawata (八幡市) can be found elsewhere, including Historical and geographical dictionary of Japan by Edmond Papinot. Van Ham auction house provides the following description: MON-SUKASHI TSUBA. MARUGATA. Japan. Momoyama period. Yoshiro school. Iron with inlays of brass. In hira-zogan technique with kebori engraving eight different family emblems (mon). An old inscription is dedicated to the deity Hachiman. D.4.5mm, Ø 8.3cm. Condition A/B. Supplement: Wooden box and NBTHK certificate. -
Heianjō tsuba, carved and inlayed in brass with a somewhat primitive design of rocks, plants, and waves, and a man in a boat beside two jakugo stone baskets on the face and a religious structure (stupa, grave stone) on the reverse. Muromachi or Momoyama period.Size: 83.2 x 82.4 x 3.6 mm; 149.2 g
The Carlo Monzino Collection of Japanese sword fittings and swords (Sotheby's, London, 18 June 1996. p. 12-13) №9 provides an illustration of the similar tsuba with the following description: Heianjo tsuba, carved and inlayed with rocks, plants, and waves, also pierced with a jakago [sic] (stone basket).
Gary D. Murtha in his Japanese sword guards Onin - Heianjo - Yoshiro (GDM Publications, 2016) on page 53 shows a look-a-like tsuba (though, with a kogai-hitsu-ana) with the follwoing description: Iron, 77 mm, tsuba with brass tree, snake, jakugo baskets, and curved brass pieces (representing water flowing over rocks). Buddhist halo to reverse. Although showing Onin traits, a Shoami Heiamjo attribution would fit better. Azuchi-Momoyama period.
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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 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 -
Thin iron tsuba of round form with design of family crests (mon) and arabesque (karakusa) in brass or copper inlay (suemon-zōgan) and occasional scattered brass dots or nail heads in ten-zōgan. Seppa-dai outlined with brass wire in the shape of a rope; kozuka-hitsu-ana outlined with scalloped brass wire. Rounded rim with iron bones (tekkotsu). The surface covered with lacquer (urushi). Ōnin school. Late Muromachi period, 16th century. Family crests on the face: 1:30: Two lines (double stripe) encircled (maruni futatsu biki). 4:30: Stylized clove (choji). 7:30: Divided rhombus, or four lozenges incorporated in one (wari-bishi); it is also called Takeda-bishi, the family crest of warrior Takeda Shingen (among the others). 10:00: Stylized Genji-mon (Genji kō-zu) or incense symbol. On the reverse: 2:00 - "Chinese cloud" not a crest. 5:00: Bit (Kutsuwa) 7:30: Number four in a fan (ōgi-san) 10:30: Two dots in a well frame (igeta). -
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)."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:
7-U17. Ron Hartmann Collection.
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.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
MFA # 17.1061
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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.
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Iron tsuba of round form with a dense combination of symbols: slanting rays of light (shakoh) Christian motif (Jesuit's IHS symbol), also often described as "tokei" or "clock gear", wild goose in flight, bracken, and lozenges in openwork (sukashi). Copper sekigane. Edo period.Size: 76.0 x 72.6 x 6.2 mm
Unsigned.
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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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.
