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TSUBA SALES CATALOG
Updated January 2008.
If you are un-familiar with the 'HISTORY' of Tsuba, please view Tsuba Types.
Description of Tsubako, Ha's, and Provinces of tsuba manufacture.
HEIANJO
The original production of Heianjo Sukashi tsuba was done on the orders of Ashikaga Yoshinori Shogun. Yoshinori Shogun was the sixth shogun in the Ashikaga line. The ita-tsuba up until that time were pieces which had only a little bit of silouette sukashi, but it is said that the tsubako of this Ha, upon orders by the shogun, originated sukashi bori in which patterns were left in ji sukashi. The designs are also thought to have been done by the hand of an artist, and there are some that are extremely beautiful and must be considered to be models. Tsuba101 - Heianjo Sukashi Tsuba - Early
Edo Period.
The inlay techniques used on Heianjo-Zogan tsuba had a great influence on the inlay used by the Shoami, Umetada and Higo schools.
Heianjo Zogan is also called Heianjo shinchu suemon zogan tsuba and are pieces which draw on the traditions of the Onin tsuba. The oldest pieces are close to Onin (early 1500), and the later pieces extend to the beginning of the Edo period.
Tsuba103 - Heianjo Sukashi Tsuba -
Nihon Tosogu Bijutsukan Kanteisho paper.
Tsuba136 - Heianjo-Shiki Shinchu-Zogan Tsuba.
KANEIYE TSUBA
"Kaneiye" is said to be the supreme tsuba maker in Japanese history. He lived in Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi, and as for lineage, he is thought to have come from the Heianjo Zogan artists. The name 'Fushimi' in his signature gives clue to when he worked. Considering that Toyotomi Hideyoshi built a Fushimi-Castle in 1592, it seems that he worked from the late Tensho to Bunroku/Keisho period. There are various stories concerning a number of generations with this same name of Kaneiye. The Kansai region said there was one Master Craftsman, and in Kanto, they said there were two people, the Daishodai (Grand Master) and Meijin Shodai (First Generation Master). Research defines as follows: Tsuba122 - Signed Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju Kaneiye tsuba.
1. Daishodai: These works are of classic elegance and are inscribed a mei of Joshu Fushimi Ju Kaneiye or Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju Kaneiye.
2. Meijin Shodai: These works have delicate patterns in beautiful zogan and a mei of Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Ju Kaneiye.
3. Nidai: These works are not colored and sukashi bori is executed, with a mei of Kaneiye Saku. Also, there are some with a mei of Yamashiro no Kuni Fushimi Kaneiye.
The shape of his works are Tatemaru-gata, Nadekaku-gata, Mokko-gata, and his unique Kobushi-gata. Kaneiye's tsuba reflect the peaceful Japanese scenary and religious subjects with skill beyond description.
KATCHU-SHI and TOSHO works
The oldest tsuba's that exist today are those made by Katchu-shi (armor smiths) and those made by Tosho (sword smiths). The craftsmen known as katchu-shi were specialists in tsuba. The patterns of the sukashi that were in their tsuba were the same pattern used in the face masks of the armor. Also, according to tradition, each time a tosho made a katana, he made a habaki and a single tsuba to add. This tsuba that was made by the tosho was not of expert workmanship, but made as an obligation. There is very little difference in style between the katchu-shi and tosho. MYOCHIN HA SAOTOME HA
The Katchu-shi works are large sized with a height of around three sun. The construction is thin and the negative silhouette designs resemble those of the other types. Because of the large size of these tsuba, we can surmise that they were put on uchigatana with blade lengths of around three shaku. It is probable that they were used buy the Ashigaru, who could not wear Tachi.
There is not one single tsuba with a mei. Therefore, it cannot be determined their place of residence. Their period is estimated from extant tsuba, and is thought to be from the end of the Kamakura Jidai until around the Momoyama Jidai. The Myochin Ha was the main line of the Katchu-shi and it's number of artisans was the greatest. There were various branch Ha, Saotome being one.
Read more about the Manufacture, Function and Material of Early Iron Tsuba. This article written by Boris Markhasin of Yamabushi Antiques.
Tsuba104 - Exceptional Katchushi Tsuba with gold inlay.
Originally the main occupation of the Myochin Ke was as armor smiths. Myochin tsuba became thick and small in size. There were a great many Myochin descendants who specialized in the making of tsuba which did not adhere to the work style of the Katchu-shi.
Tsuba107 - Mei: Myochin Ki Muneharu. with Hako-Gaki.
The Saotome Ke was a branch off the Myochin Ke. The Saotome work style is thicker and larger than the Myochin style. The tsuba look spartan, the forging of the jigane is coarser, and they lack in points of beauty. Many of the Saotome tsuba are of the kiku and kiku sukashi styles. The Saotome also originated the use of kokuin (hot stamps) on their plates, the tembo style.
Tsuba141 - Saotome Tembo Tsuba.
Tsuba124 - Saotome Kiku Design, Excellant Patina.
KINAI HA
The Kinai school of Echizen produced iron sukashi tsuba all through the Edo period. The initial history of this school claimed seven generations of Tsubako: Tsuba131 - NTK (Nihon Tosogu Kenkyukai) origami - signed by 2nd Head Kinai.
Most of the tsuba are round or oval in shape, and are nikubori sukashi or katachi nikubori design.
Earlier Kinai tsuba appear related to Kyoto Shoami in style and are iron nikubori ji sukashi bold simple designs.
Much of the late Kinai work is more intricate and possibly influenced by the Choshu, Umetada, and Akao schools.
The tsuba surface often has an appreciable amount of relief and very robust designs.
Many Kinai tsuba have a Fukurin around the edge and the design within.
Most tsuba have two hitsu ana, with the Kogai of the Suhama shape.
The work from this Ha represents the evolution of style and taste over a 300 year period.
shodai Ishikawa (died 1681), nidai Takahashi Gonbee (Gonbei)(died 1696), sandai (died 1760),
yondai (died 1809), godai (died 1821), rokudai (born 1818), and shichidai who stopped producing tsuba.
The shodai moved to Echizen from Omi. His family name was Ishikawa and he later changed it to Takahashi.
More recent research has provided new insight into this Ha. Research shows two main family lines,
the Ishikawa of six generations, and the Takahashi of seven generations. The shodai Ishikawa line was based in Echizen.
The rokudai Ishikawa adopted his deshi and began the Takahashi line. All generations worked in or near Echizen.
NOTE: Read a summary article from the book "Echizen Kinai Tsuba".
Tsuba121 - Two (2) exceptional signed Kinai tsuba's.
KO-KINKO
Ko-Kinko means old gold worker, and is usually applied to relatively ornate, early non-Goto, non-Mino shakudo and yamagane fittings. These guards are considered the work of specialist kodogu makers, although their names are not recorded. The prefix Ko denotes fittings made before the Edo period, Edo period is denoted by Kyo or Edo Kinko.
Interesting paper about Kokinko tsuba and casting method by Yamabushiantiques.
Tsuba102 - Ko-Kinko Tsuba - NBTHK Hozon Tosogu Kanteisho.
Tsuba117 - Excellant Ko-Kinko Tsuba
Tsuba106 - Sando-Awase - NBTHK Kicho (white) Tosogu Kanteisho.
KYO SUKASHI TSUBA
These tsuba are named for Kyoto, the capital city of Japan for many years. The tradition is that this style was created according to the tastes of the 8th Ashikaga Shogun Yoshimasa (1435-1490). Yoshimasa was known to be involved with the arts. An alternate theory credits the development of the Kyo style to the time of the 6th Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394-1441). In either case, evidence has not been sufficient to settle the argument. General opinion is that the Kyo-Sukashi technique dates to around the Eisho and Tenbun eras (1504-1555).
While Kamakura had been the center of warrior (buke) culture in the 13th and 14th centuries, Kyoto became the seat of not only the high culture of the court (kuge), but of the buke as well. This combination of influences brought designs and refined execution to iron sword furniture in the capitol.
The iron ground of Kyo guards is very uniformly forged and is relatively soft with a flat finish. There are also works with a hammered (tsuchime) surface and the chiseling is highly skilled with pieces that have tight and rounded carving. These characteristics would have been required for cutting of the fine sukashi designs. Extra effort in the preparation of a perfect plate would avoid the potential loss of days of work from a problem later in the process.
The Kyo style remained in production into the 19th century, with later tsubas falling outside the Kyoto area. The movement of smiths and kodogu makers during the Tokugawa period and the transfer of power to Edo played a role in the diffusion of this and other regional styles.
Tsuba148 - Excellant Fine Sukashi Tsuba.
Tsuba149 - Edo Period Sukashi Tsuba.
Tsuba137 - Strong powerful Sukashi Tsuba.
NAMBAN / NANBAN TSUBA
Also known as KANNAN (KAGONAMI), or CANTON Tsuba.
The above names refered to any extraneous material or style which found its way by trade to Japan from China or by the East-Indian route, and became popular there. About the seventeenth century a craze for foreign designs manifested itself among the artists who made decorative metal work, especially sword guards. The introduction of the dragon and a conventional flower into the "tendril design" characterizes the popular canton work made at Nagasaki, Kyoto, and Yedo from the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Yamada-Ichirohei is one of the many guard makers of this style who lived in Nagasaki and worked during the second half of the eighteenth century. Tanaka-Sobei ll, a guard maker of this style in Yedo, worked during the early nineteenth century. Mitsuhiro l and Mitsuhiro ll, two artists of Hizen province, became well known as clever workers in the "canton" style during the early nineteenth century. They are famous for the individuality of their methods. The so-called one thousand horse and monkey designs were their favorite subjects.
The Namban group is a recognised group of tsuba that was originally defined as showing a foreign influence in their design. The name was derived from a Japanese word, translated as 'Southern barbarian', but applied by the Japanese to any foreigner who entered their country. This early definition of the group was unsatisfactory since it included a large number of the tsuba in any collection, many of which were already classified under other groups.
In 1987 Ogawa redefined the group, introducing a radical simplification and several defining characteristics. The presence of 'Namban tetsu' is irrelevant. It may or may not be a costituent of some of the tsuba in this group, but there is no reliable way of identifying its presence. The definition of the group is based upon the presence of some of these characteristics;
- undercut scrollwork, which may incorporate dragons with the tama jewel or other creatures;
- they are almost always of iron;
- gold nunome or overlay is a frequent feature;
- hitsu-ana are a later modification;
- many have decorative seppa-dai, although these may appear on tsuba as an example of namban influence Tsuba113;
- decorative mimi are common;
- tsuba of this group are very rarely inscribed.
Most Namban tsuba can be confidently classified to their correct group, although a strong namban influence may occasionally give cause for thought.
Enjoy this excellant article about NAMBAN Trade.
Namban tsuba have received considerably more attention in the last few years due to the excellant book written by Dr. John Lissenden titled 'The Namban Group of Japanese Sword Guards: A Reappraisal' (2006). This is a most welcome English text. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Namban Tsuba.
Tsuba200 - Authentic Namban Tsuba.
Tsuba201 - Mid Edo Namban Tsuba.
NOBUIE TSUBA
Nobuie is among the master craftsmen tsubako who are ranked with Kaneiye. It is a fact that the clumsy masculine tsuba of Nobuie were more highly prized than the elegant tsuba of Kaneiye in older times, at the time of Buge (samurai families). The tsubako Nobuie is the same person as the katchushi Nobuie, he was the 17th generation in the main family of katchushi, the Masuda Myochin Ke, and he was given the rank of Sakon Shokan. In the beginning he lived in Joshu (Kozuke no Kuni) Shiroi. Later he was beckoned by the famous Takeda Shingen, and moved his residence to Koshu (Kai no Kuni) Fuchu. He was called 'Okuma' and had the Go of Kakui Nyudo. He was a man of the latter part of Muromachi.
Read an excellant comparison by experts about the history of Nobuiye.
As for his work style, his is one that is particular to tsubako and is completely different than that which was made by the katchushi. He made thick mokko gata, used kebori, and applied a yakite finish. His tsuba show an absolutely new path, are rich in artistry, and are made sturdy and strong. These are the reasons they have won acclaim in this world. In particular, a good quality jigane was used, and the forging was superior.
Among the items that are thought to be classified as Kabuto Mei and Tsuba Mei, there are zaimei tsuba which have very slight differences in three or four points, and there are slight differences in the tsuba themselves. This was recognized a long time ago that these tsuba are not all the work of a single person, but infact were made by students of the Nobuie school. It is thought that it is the result of the exhibition of their individualities. Because a number of Nobuie makers all inscribed the mei of Nobuie, and put these pieces out in the world, there are various signature types and work styles, but because all of them were sold from the same school location, they are considered to be Nobuie tsuba and are sold without any doubts whatsoever. This effects no changes in the fact that Nobuie tsuba are artistic masterpieces.
Tsuba133 - Excellant Signed Nobuie Tsuba.
Tsuba132 - Very Nice Signed Nobuie Tsuba.
Tsuba143 - Good Iron Signed Nobuie Tsuba.
SANMAI TSUBA
Sanmai tsuba are constructed of three sandwiched plates; a top and bottom plate of shakudo, shibuichi, or nigurome with a center core normally of yamagane(copper). They are bound by a fukurin (rim) which holds the three plates together. This construction can be seen on the interior of the nakago and/or hitsu-ana. The plate decoration is done by a repousse technique, working the design from the back of the plate, sometimes hammered into a pattern mold. Some sanmai tsuba will have the exact same design on both sides; others will have different designs on each side of the tsuba. Commonly the plates will have some type of gold inlay on areas of the design.
The dating and attribution of this type of tsuba has been a subject of some debate among collectors. Some beleive these tsuba are a type of Tachi-Kanaguchi tsuba. Others feel they are Ko-Kinko (early soft metal) tsuba (see Ko-Kinko above). They have also been attributed as Ko-Mino (early Mino School) tsuba. Sanmai tsuba have had attributed dates from the Momoyama period to late Edo period. Sanmai tsuba have received origami from the NBTHK, NTHK, and NTB generally attributing them to Ko-Kinko or Ko-Mino and dating Momoyama to early Edo periods.
Tsuba114 - Daisho Sanmai Tsuba.
Tsuba115 - Dai-To Tsuba of Daisho set.
Tsuba116 - Sho-To Tsuba of Daisho set.
Tsuba118 - Flowers and grass are zogan of brass.
Tsuba119 - Katana size with zogan of gold.
Tsuba120 - Do Nanako-Ji Tsuba.
SHOAMI
Shoami is usually translated as "one who is talented in the arts." This term may have been in use at the time of the origin of the Shoami tradition in the late Muromachi period. When it came to be applied to the work that we know today as the Shoami is not clear. The use of the ami kanji implies much more than mere skill; it also has religious connotations and association with "high culture."
The earliest Shoami tsuba, called Ko (old) Shoami, were unsigned, like the other tsuba of the time. The origin of Shoami tsuba was probably with the old iron tsuba workers. One can speculate that these tsubako found and responded to a market for more decorative guards. Adding nunome inlay and carving to the iron plate met this need and became recognized as a "school" trait in time, aided by the eventual addition of signatures. During the early Edo period, Shoami workers spread throughout the country and spawned various regional Shoami styles.
To continue learning about Shoami Schools, go to Shoami Schools Thesis.
Tsuba123 - NTK (Nihon Tosogu Kenkyukai) origami - Genji Guruma Sukashi.
Tsuba108 - Kakugata - Signed Sukeyoshi Saku
- Edo Period.
Tsuba109 - Takarazukushi Sukashi -
NBTHK Hozon Tosogu.
Tsuba110 - Shonai Shoami (Kunitomo?) Tsuba with NBTHK Hozon Tosogu.
Tsuba111 - Shoami Tsuba with Sukashi and Kaga Style Inlay.
SOTEN
Kitagawa Soten, a man of Omi no Kuni Hikone Nakayaba, skillfully formed a Ha which made items popular for the times, and there were a great number of members in his Mon. The previous name of the shodai Soten is said to have been SHUTEN, and works of his style were a development of the marubori work in Kyoto. The best pieces are very good and refined with the designs taken from historical and legendary episodes of Japanese and Chinese origins. The scenes included people such as Gen-Pei Busha (Warriors of the Minamoto and Taira), and sennin (wizards, or hermits capable of performing miracles). They are exceedingly complicated engravings, and they are gaudy. This school used mainly iron as the base plate but soft metal plates are often found. The iron is of good quality but the tempering is quite common. The nikuoki ( ) is inferior. They tried to cover this fault in the iron quality by making a good edge and using fine decoration. The plate is usually subordinate to the decoration. Their work should be judged on the quality of the carving, inlay and designs.
This article was written by Robert Haynes.
This article was written by Dr. John Lissenden for the Northern Token Society (UK).
Tsuba138 - Soten tsuba with historical episode.
Tsuba139 - Soten sennin tsuba.
Tsuba142 - Mogarashi Soten tsuba.
MANY MORE EXCELLANT TSUBA
Tsuba130 - Bushu Iron Tsuba with NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho (green) origami.
Tsuba113 - Exceptional Hizen Tsuba with Nanban influence.
Tsuba105 - Ko-Sukashi-Iron Tsuba - Beautiful Suemon-zogan and Shakudo Rim.
Tsuba112 - Kiku Flower Design.
Tsuba126 - Palownia Crest and Arabesque Pattern.
Tsuba127 - Engraved and Gold Zogan Makie.
Tsuba128 - Kiku's in Brass Suemon Zogan.
Tsuba134 - Do-Ji (copper) Tsuba - Katakiribori technique used.
AUTHENTIC CAST TSUBA made prior to 1867
Metal casting was accepted as a skilled form of metalworking, being used to produce cast bronze vessels, mirrors, and iron kettles. A cast Kagami is one of the Three Sacred Regalia of Japan. Kagami-shi tsuba may be of high quality and it's possible that many soft-metal tsuba may have initially been cast.
But the casting of iron tsuba is frowned upon by collectors. White cast iron is not a suitable metal for casting due to 'carburisation'. But using grey cast iron to produce a malleable cast iron, makes it ideal for casting small artifacts such as tsuba. This process has been known in Japan for several hundred years.
Just recently, I have become convinced that the majority of Nanban (Namban) tsuba are cast and the poor quality of many of these makes them easy to detect. The two types of casting shown here (below) are 'closed form' or 'two piece' mold and 'lost form wax' mold. Evidence exists in Japan of the extensive use of both forms of casting - the former being known in China as early as the Zhou dynasty and the latter being introduced there 'relatively late'.
Interesting paper about casting and Kokinko tsuba by Boris Markhasin of Yamabushi Antiques.
Tsuba146 - Authentic Cast Tsuba signed Masahisa.
Tsuba147 - Cast Nanban Tsuba.
I have many other wonderful Tsuba. If you are looking
for something other than what I have here, please
E-mail me your preference's
and questions.
I have developed a Tsuba Glossary for your use while viewing the above tsuba. The source for this glossary comes from many different web sites, the main source being Richard Turner and Nihonto Kanji Pages.