Iron, kawari-gata, with image of three pine trees in sukashi.
The design of a pine tree is itself uncommon for the Kamiyoshi School, but they did have it as a sketch in their design book and other tsuba attributed to the Kamiyoshi School with a similar pine tree design has been seen. The Kamiyoshi School for the most part favored doing more abstract and stylized designs executed with an extremely refined polished surface. The now closed Japanese Sword Fittings Museum attributed a very similar tsuba to be the work of Fukunobu (深信) whom was second generation of the Kamiyoshi (神吉) School. The direct attribution to Fukunobu was likely was made due to very distinct punch mark pattern (taganemei 鏨銘) around the central opening (nakago hitsu-ana 中子櫃穴) on the front side of the tsuba which are very, very similar to the punch marks on this one. He made tsuba and other sword fittings on a full-time basis for the ruling Hosokawa Family in Higo Province modern day Kumamoto Prefecture. He lived from 1798-1851.
Reference:
- https://www.tsubaotaku.com/galleries/tsuba-gallery-5
- https://sword-auction.com/en/product/17895/af23244-%E9%8D%94%EF%BC%9A%E7%84%A1%E9%8A%98%EF%BC%88%E7%A5%9E%E5%90%89%E6%B7%B1%E4%BF%A1%EF%BC%89%EF%BC%88%E7%89%B9%E5%88%A5%E4%BF%9D%E5%AD%98%E5%88%80%E8%A3%85%E5%85%B7%EF%BC%89/
Mei/signature:
Mumei
Very likely work of Kamiyoshi Fukunobu (深信)
School/province:
Higo (Kamiyoshi)
Period/age:
Edo 1798-1851
Measures:
7.40 cm x 7.00 cm x 0.50 cm
Certificate:
No
Included:
NO kiri box included
