Katchushi Katsusada Tsuba
Diameter: 8.5cm x8.1cm
Thickness: 6.5mm
Katsusada is from the Miyata school of armor smiths and worked in Saga of Hizen Province. He was born in 1653 and died on November 1st in 1727*. Katsusada was the 6th Miyata master and was retained by the Nabaeshima lord. He was paid a stipend of 10 koku per year. He moved to Edo in 1707. This is a work with impressive strength and clever design. Even though this tsuba is much taller than its width, It coveys total harmony to the eye. This particular tsuba was published in the book "Shin Katchushi Meikan" by Sasama Yoshihiko (2000) and also by the NTHK in Wakayama's article, "A Detailed Discussion of Hizen Kinko part III". Iron mokko gata tsuchime ji with uchikaeshi mimi.
This tsuba was also published by the NTHK
The article was written by Wakayama. "A Detailed Discussion of Hizen Kinko part III".
The flowing is a translation of the section on Katsusada
Katsusada
Katsusada is considered a skillful smith who revived the Miyada family. He's the sixth generation of the Miyada line. His original family name was Fukujima and his biological father was Fukujima Sadayoshi. He was adopted by the 5th generation Miyada Sadatsugu who died at an early age of forty-two. He also used "Haruda ya" as his studio name.
He worked for the Nabejima-han received ten koku of rice as his stipend. He went to Edo and studied tsuba and armor making in the autumn of 1707 until the next spring. He passed away at age 77 on November 1st, 1729*.
His mei had been seen on armor and tsuba as Katsusada or Hizen ju Katsusada saku and sometimes with age too.
His tsuba were iron done in ban-tan style, hammered ji with uchikaeshi-mimi in mokko or maru shape. Ko-sukashi or ji-sukashi of dragon, turtle shell pattern, plum flower, torii, military flags and baton, and kanji were seen. He also made yoroi, kabuto, facemask, and kacchu and was famous at making body armor by hammering forged iron sheets.
*Note: The two dates mentioned above concerning the exact year of Katsusada's death differ slightly. "Toso Kinko Jiten" by Wakayama Takeshi states 1727. The NTHK article states 1729 . I suspect one of them may be a type-o.
