TSUBA
CHOSHU 長州 DEN, KAWAJI HAN 河冶
A Tetsujigane Marugata Tsuba, ji-sukashi with nikubori carving of an ear of rice, some gold accents, signed 'Choshu ju Masasada' of the Kawaji han (Kawaharu), Nagato province. It has certification by the Nihon Tousougu Kenkyukai. This is one of the eleven schools of Choshu. It is believed this artist may be the same as the one who signed 'Bushu ju....'. He died around 1800.
According to Torigoye sensei, in 'Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study', First Period: (early Edo), Kawaji, Nakai, Okamoto Second Period: (mid through late Edo/Meiji); Itoga, Okada, Kaneko, Nakabara, Inoue, Fuji, Yaji, Tomohisa (branch family of Kawaji); comprised the eleven schools within the Choshu Den.
SUNAGAWA SCHOOL TSUBA
October 14 2007
This is a kikubana sukashi tsuba with a tetsumigakiji made by the Sunagawa Masayoshi school. The Sunagawa school derived from the artists trained by teachers from within the Yokoya school founded by Yokoya Somin. The Ishiguro (by way of the Sunagawa school) and Iwamoto schools had the same antecedents. The botan (peony) was a common theme in this school.
KYO-SHOAMI 京正阿弥
This is a Kyo-Shoami tetsujigane nagemaru tsuba signed Yamashiro no Ju Shigesane. A Kyoto Shoami artist that died sometime between 1650-1700. A goishigata tsuba with sukishitabori carving on a migakiji plate. Kyoto. This is a representation of a peony (bota).
An example of this smiths mei.
BUSHU 武州
A tetsujigane nagegakugata (square with rounded shoulders) tsuba signed 'Masayuki' with a finely carved takabori kiku (chrysanthemum) motif. The carving wraps around the mimi so that the carving is continuous from omote to ura. Copper sekigane. I believe this is the artist with the family Domoto that worked in the Bushu Ito style. He died ca. 1800.
BUSHU 武州
A Bushu-Ito school sukashi tetsujigane marugata tsuba of kiku form.
SHOAMI 正阿弥
A Shoami tetsujigane mokkogata sukashi tsuba with morning glory motif. This tsuba as well as having sekigane to fit a particular sword, has an ategane of copper in the kozuka-ana.