MASAHIDE AND MYOCHIN: A RARE NOBUIE TSUBA
By Umetada Masahide and Myochin MuneyoshiJapan, Edo period (1615-1868)This mokkogata tsuba is a copy of a very well-known piece by Nobuie and was made by two famous tsubako, Umetada Masahide and Myochin Muneyoshi, likely ordered by the owner of the original, as this piece is near identical to the original as pictured in Nakamura’s book on Nobuie tsuba. The iron of this tsuba was crafted by Umetada Masahide, with a very soft texture and an oily sheen. Probably the maker patinated it this way at the time of production to copy the old patina of the original. The design is extremely well done and has not suffered any damage. The gold and silver nunome ‘fragments’ are also likely to have been placed intentionally to emulate the original’s aged appearance. The sekigane indicates that this tsuba was at least initially intended for actual use. With original inscribed wood tomobako (storage box).SIZE 8 cm x 7.4 cmCondition: Excellent condition with minor expected surface wear.Provenance: Important samurai art from an Austrian private collection – Lots (31 – 39) are from an Austrian private collection, assembled with great knowledge and care, as all the objects are in a superior state of preservation. The collection most prominently features three Koto swords, no. 31 is listed as a Juyo Token (= important work).