Photo Credit: matsu-kaze-japan
Edo Era Signed Japanese Tsuba from the Ishiguro School
Buy It Now Price: $770 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)
Pros:
-Elegant herons wading in a bamboo-lined stream adorn this late Edo era signed Japanese tsuba from the Ishiguro School. A tsuba is the decorative sword guard from a Japanese samurai sword.
-This antique Japanese tsuba measures 63 mm (2.5 inches) long by 57 mm (2.2 inches) wide by 4 mm (0.16 inches) thick.
-The body of this signed Japanese tsuba is made from shibuichi, a traditional Japanese alloy composed of 25% silver and 75% copper. However, this particular specimen is a slightly lighter color than the normally metallic gray material. This indicates it is most likely a shibuichi variation called "nami-shibuichi uchi-sanbu", which is an alloy of 30% silver, 69% copper and 1% gold.
-This particular tsuba is signed "Hiroyuki (with Kao)". Hiroyuki was the student of Ishiguro Masaaki, a well-known tsuba craftsman of the Ishiguro School who lived from circa 1815 to 1875.
-The late Edo era, also called the Bakumatsu, was a period of chaos and social unrest in Japan. The feudal Tokugawa shogunate, which had ruled the country uncontested for the prior 250 years, began disintegrating due to the encroachment of foreign powers. This societal upheaval upended the samurai class's traditional status in Japan, leading to their demise in the 1870s.
-According to the book "Tsuba: Japanese Sword Guards" by Gary D. Murtha, the Ishiguro School was founded by the master Masatsune in the late 18th or early 19th century. They often employed shakudo (composed of 93% to 97% copper and 3% to 7% gold) and shibuichi alloys in combination with designs featuring birds or people. The late Ishiguro School was also notable for its fine chasing technique, which is easily apparent on this magnificent specimen.
-Because this Japanese tsuba was signed by a disciple of Ishiguro Masaaki, it narrows down its date of creation to sometime near the end of the Edo period, possibly in the 1860s. This is a positive attribute, as it is not normally possibly to date an antique Japanese tsuba so precisely.
-This Japanese tsuba from the Ishiguro School is an exceptionally high quality piece, with its applied heron and bamboo decorations superbly crafted from shakudo, gold and silver. In addition, a signed tsuba is generally a hallmark of quality, and will be more valuable than a similar tsuba that isn't signed.
-I firmly believe that Japanese art and antiques, like this lovely tsuba, are tremendously undervalued in today's investment market.
Antique Edo Era Japanese Tsuba For Sale
Cons:
-It is difficult to find much fault with this gorgeous signed Japanese tsuba. I suppose you can argue that it is somewhat expensive at $770. However, I have found that superlative antiques always sell for a premium. And as long as that premium is not egregiously high, it is my experience that you will be sorry for not opening your wallet when the opportunity arises.
Read more fascinating Antique Sage spotlight posts here.
-or-
Read in-depth Antique Sage investment guides here.
