Ko-Kinko Tsuba
K0090
SOLD
A Ko-Kinko tsuba from early Momoyama (1573-1598) with chrysanthemum (imperial), triple tomoe (Buddhist), Toyotomi, and Tokugawa mon. 7.27 cm. (2. 8125") x 6.29 cm (2.477") x 3.8 mm (.152") at the mimi. Deep black shakudo with gold mon on a nanako ground. Shakudo rim. The bent piece of the rim can be easily repaired, as nothing is missing.
The three unifier of Japan were Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Iyeyasu. That the Oda mon is missing from the tsuba places it during Momoyama (named after Toyotomi Hideyoshi's castle). Oda Nobunaga, had gone to Honno-ji to hold a tea ceremony, and because he had sent 2000 troops to aide Hideyoshi, he had only had 30 retainers. On June 21, 1582 the forces of Mitsuhide overwhelmed the Honno-ji, and Nobunaga committed seppuku. So it is likely that this tsuba was made sometime during the sixteen years between Nobunaga's seppuku and Hideyoshi's death in 1598. I favor an early date.