Iron, maru-gata, pair of daisho (big and small) tsubu, image of chrysanthemums in positive and negative silhouette in the so-called “Ko-Hagi” style. This particular design is also found in Torigoye and Haynes’, “Tsuba Geijutsu-Kō”. In this book Haynes submits that this style is actually the work of Kyoto artists, and was misnamed by an early Japanese tsuba scholar as “ko-Hagi”. Further research is required to ascertain whether this tsuba was made in Kyoto or not, but regardless of the origin, the style is classic “Ko-Hagi” style, with chrysanthemums in two types of sukashi (positive and negative).
The chrysanthemum outline at the top of the tsuba is done in negative sukashi style, while the surrounding chrysanthemums and leaves are done in positive sukashi. The contrast gives the tsuba an interesting quality of both realism and symbolism.
To find a daisho pair of tsuba in this condition is becoming more and more rare.
NOTE:
There is a near identical tsuba design in the Torigoye/Haynes book. He definitively states that even though this style is called “Ko-Hagi,” the tsuba itself was made in Kyoto. We have no way of knowing if Haynes is right or wrong. The tsuba-collecting world widely regards these as coming from Hagi in Chōshū, so I feel it would be hard to push against the entire tsuba-collecting community without some hard evidence. So I stick with Ko-Hagi/Chōshū.
Mei/signature:
Mumei
School/province:
Ko-Hagi/Chōshū
Period/age:
Edo
Measures:
Dai: 8.50 cm x 8.40 cm x 0.40 cm
Sho: 8.00 cm x 7.90 cm x 0.40 cm
Certificate:
No
Included:
NO kiri box included
