Iron, tatemaru-gata shaped, with surface of hammer mark texture decorated with diamond-shaped flower petals, and gold inlay on the rim.
Signed by Shōami Masanori, a metalworker from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. This tsuba exemplifies the wabi-sabi aesthetic of understated, almost rustic elegance, asymmetric in design, and deliberate in its imperfections.
Note:
The final character of the artist’s name is rendered almost unreadable, but the bit remaining, as well as the “Jōshū Nishijin” on the right of the nakago ana, as well as the fact that this is signed on the reverse side, all point to Masanori. It may have been Jōshū Nishijin-ju (or Nishijin-jūnin), with the final characters being obscured by the tagane marks and the sekigane. In any event, the characters and the syntax is correct for this smith, so I don’t have any reason to suspect this signature. Actually there were two Masanori smiths who signed this way (a father and son). The theme and the work seems to be a Muromachi-revival style, as if the smith was trying to evoke an older era.
Masanori is quite high regarded and is one of the few signed his works and that can be attributed to the Kyo-Shoami group and is well-documented. There is also a dated versions of a Masanori tsuba which is from 1701, and another one from 1702. Unfortunately those dates don’t help us determine if this Tsuba is Masanori 1st or 2nd. Anyway, in my opinion the appearance, steel etc., indeed looks old enough to be mid-1600s, so my feeling this is a work of Masanori 1st.
Another interesting fact. Marcus Sesko points out, Masanori was the first Shoami smith to sign with his own name.
Mei/signature:
城州西陣 正阿弥政徳
Jōshū Nishijin Shōami Masanori
School/province:
Shōami
Period/age:
Late Momoyama to early Edo period
Measures:
6.60 cm x 6.10 cm x 0.35 cm at nakago-ana and 0.70 cm at mimi.
Certificate:
No
Included:
NO kiri box included
