Japanese

A Super Early Samurai Sword Katana Tsuba, Kanayama and Ono School

Kanayama and Ono school tettsu tsuba, Circa 1400
Kanayama Tsuba exhibit a well forged iron with a hammered surface with prominent Tsuchime similar to Owari Tsuba but with stronger Tekkotsu visible in the rim and surface. The origin of Kanayama tsuba is still not a hundred percent clear, but most sources name a city close to Nagoya in the Owari province. In the early Edo period Ono Tsuba developed out of the Kanayama school and continued their tradition with various designs but a bit smaller in size.
The Kanayama school
Beginning in mid Muromachi to the end of Genroku (ca. 1400 to 1710). For purposes of study, the period of production is divided into three sections: the first period is the Muromachi age, second period is Momoyama age, and the third period are the pieces made in Kyoto during the Edo age. Normally round, sometimes oval.
the tsuba's seppa dai is a very good shape, squarish at top and bottom. Usually Thickness 3 to 5.09mm. this tsuba is 5 mm thick . It appears slightly large for the size of the tsuba and slightly more oblong than those found on Owari tsuba.

Many tsuba of the school have thin, raised square peripheral rims (later examples have rounded rims) with 'tekkotsu' visible.
Design Characteristics:
This school would seem to be the earliest to use ji-sukashi (positive silhouette). Most of the designs are plain, direct, and abstract, consisting largely of straight or curved lines that produce a feeling of great dignity. The openwork is so extensive that the remaining metal portions are very fine and slender.

Antique Japanese koshirae [Japanese samurai sword mounts, tsuba and fittings] are considered as fine object d'art in their own right, and have been collectable as individual items or sets, since the Edo period. They were often removed from swords, mounted in small cases, and respectfully admired for display as items of the highest quality workmanship, and symbols of the noble samurai, in their own right. Some koshirae collectors never actually have any interest in the blades themselves, and individual pieces can attain values of tens of thousands of pounds, and there are many multi million pound collections, in and out of museums, comprising of some of the finest examples of Japanese un-mounted sword fittings from the samurai historical period.

70mm across  read more

Code: 24045

A Nice Edo Period Round Iron Plate Tsuba Decorated with A Boy Riding a Water Buffalo

After Hanabusa Itchō, a very popular subject in Japnese art in the late 17th to 18th century.Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other. 68mm  read more

Code: 23952

A Good Antique Edo Period Iron Plate Tempo Tsuba

Tempo school and the yakite finish (heat treatment) is typical, as is the excellent iron. The smith who made this knew what he was doing; for all the wildness of the stamping it is very finely constructed. The patina is amazingly soft and velvety kozuka and kogai ana, on each side, 4 stamps of pairs of clouds? Kozuka and kogai hitsu ana (suhama); 74 mm  read more

Code: 22454

Iron Round Chisa Katana or Wakazashi Tsuba With Amidayasuri and Wave Rim

Koto period circa 1550 with very finely chisseled designs. Tsuba are usually finely decorated, and are highly desirable collectors' items in their own right. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 19820

Europe’s Leading Original Samurai Sword Specialists

After 50 years personal experience by Mark, since 1971, we are Europe’s leading samurai sword specialists, with hundreds of swords to view and buy online 24/7, or in our store on a personal visit, 6 days a week. In fact we know of no better and varied original samurai sword selection for sale under one roof outside of Japan, or probably, even within it. Hundreds of original pieces up to 800 years old. Whether we are selling to our clients representing museums around the globe, the world’s leading collectors, or simply a first time buyer, we offer our advice and guidance in order to assist and guide the next custodian of a fine Japanese sword, to make the very best choice for them.
Both of the partners of the company have spent literally all of their lives surrounded by objects of history, trained, almost since birth in the arts and history. Supervised and mentored, first by their grandfather, then their father, who left the RAF sometime after the war, to become one of the leading antique exporters and dealers in the entire world. Selling, around the whole world, in today’s equivalent, hundreds of millions of pounds of antiques and works of art. Both Mark and David were incredibly fortunate to be mentored by some of the world’s leading experts within their fields of antiques and militaria. Mark has been a director and partner in the family businesses since 1971, but long before that he was handling and buying swords and flintlocks since he was just seven years old, obviously in a very limited way though, naturally. David, Mark’s younger brother, also started collecting militaria when he was seven, and as you will by now guess, history, antiques and militaria is simply in their blood.  read more

Code: 23792

An Edo Sukashi Katana & Yari Tsuba Decorated With Birds In Flight

Made for a Katana but with a square section adaption to mount on a yard polearm as well. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 19843

A Magnificent Life Size Carving of A Samurai Warrior, by Woodcarver and Artist, Danny Reinhold

We are delighted to show the completed and most remarkable work of art, created and owned by Danny Reinhold of Germany, a most talented young man. We were very happy to assist him in a very small way, and he was very kind to acknowledge our assistance in his video.

His you tube film of making his armour can be watched through this link. Copy and Paste
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zwT6lZZoC0

It took Danny 2500 hours, he constructed it with 12000 pieces, each hand carved and finished by hand, using 23 kinds of wood plus bone.

It is a simply stunning and a remarkable feat, and worthy of the highest praise

Not for sale  read more

Code: 23572

A Koto to Shinto Period Katana Tsuba In Iron Pierced With Stylized Birds

The piercing has been outlined with a borderline of inlaid brass. Circa 1600. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 20313

Please View Probably The Best Selection Of Original & Varied Samurai Arms in Europe & Possibly the World

Please View One of The Best Selections Of Original Samurai Arms to be Seen. Over the past 49 years I have personally supervised our company's determination to provide the most interesting, educational, yet not too intimidating, gallery of original Japanese Samurai weapons, helmets, sword fittings, polearms, muskets and armour. Principally concentrating on swords and daggers, with a combination of age, beauty, quality and history. Thanks to an extensive contact base [built up over the past 100 years or more] that stretches across the whole world, including collectors [both large and small], curators, academics and consultants, we have been very fortunate, that this effort has rewarded us with the ability to offer, what we believe to be, the most comprehensive selection available in Europe, if not the world, and during that time we have handled likely tens of thousands of original samurai artefacts and swords. In one week I sent over 300 samurai swords and daggers to be sold at our business in Georgia, USA [in the 1970’s we found the best market for Japanese swords was America]. Some of the most learned scholars studying this art all their lives often only scratch the surface of the knowledge to be learnt in this field, and like them, we have always loved the incredible history of the Samurai, and admired, respected and envied the unparalleled quality and beauty of their swords. Our Japanese weapons vary in age up to 800 years old, and are frequently some of the finest examples of specialist workmanship ever achieved by mankind. We have tried to include, within the description of some items, a brief history lesson, for those that are interested, and may not know, that will describe the eras, areas and circumstances in which these items were used. We have tried our utmost to be informative and interesting without being too academic in order to keep the details vibrant, fascinating yet not too complex. Please enjoy, with our compliments, our Japanese Gallery. It has been decades in the creation, and we intend it to remain interesting and informative, hopefully, for decades to come. Although they appear to be likely a relative expensive luxury compared to other antique swords from other nations, they are in fact incredible value for money, for example a newly made bespoke samurai style sword blade from Japan will cost, today, in excess of £11,000, take up to two years to complete, will come with no fittings at all, and will be modern [naturally] with no historical context or connection to the ancient samurai past in any way at all. Our fabulous original swords can be many, many, hundreds of years old, stunningly mounted as fabulous quality works of art, and may have been owned and used by up to 30 samurai in their working lifetime. Plus, due to their status in Japanese society, look almost as good today as the did possibly up to 500 years ago, or even more. Mark Hawkins [Partner].  read more

Code: 14195

A Shinto [1596-1781] Iron Tsuba Katana Guard With Brass Mimi

Chisseled with scrolling chanels and a kozuka ana and kogai ana. The oviod tsuba has [south fitted] copper kuchi-beni. The copper plug of the nakago-ana. Their function is to secure the tsuba firmly when mounted on a blade. These plugs are sometimes called sekigane. 2.75 inches across, 3 inches high  read more

Code: 22652