Tomokata (?) Fuchi / Kashira - Mysterious Phrase

[Gakusee]

Dear all, I have just received these f/k whose Mei I have tried to decipher. After perusing Markus's volume on tosogu artists I managed to convince myself the Mei mentions Tomokata of Choshu Okamoto den (circa 1800s).Please kindly take a look and let me know if I got it right / wrong.

They seem quite well executed and seem to contain some phrase in what I suspect is seal script. In any case way it is way beyond my limited capabilities to decode. Any views on its meaning or broadly on the school/ artist would be appreciated.

 

Thank you,

Michael

[Stephen]

side shot of last please,  looks more like kurikata

[christianmalterre]

looks to be Chinese Kanji here...not?

[SteveM]

The mei looks like Tomokata (知賢), but it seems to be done in a different hand than other Tomokata pieces.

http://www.winners-auction.jp/productDetail/57859

http://art.thewalters.org/detail/19191/tsuba-with-leaves-and-cherry-blossoms/

 

The script that makes the design of the pieces is called Tensho script (sometimes called Chinese seal script). Note this is just a style, and it doesn't mean the pieces are Chinese copies. (Sorry, I am not a great decipher of Tensho script, so I cannot tell what message is on the pieces...probably a poem, or some proverb/maxim.)

[christianmalterre]

i actuelly can not decipher this Japanese mei...

i but am confident in reading some chinese mei/constellation here...

"the big sun/ emperor"...the "world/ hemisphere"...something like a set rule...????

 

no! no copies! in my eyes... just a very well, fine made fitting...

not that old, though- of course.

 

will see...

[christianmalterre]

the world ? "hemisphere"... shining like stars? ????

really do need some friends here to decipher this for you...could have various meanings- indeed....!

 

some time needed!

 

Very good! eitherway!....

 

Very good! indeed!

[Gakusee]

Thanks, Steve, I also, similarly to you, think it is Tomokata. Markus's book has a Mei slightly similar to it.

As mentioned by Christian - the fittings are not that old as Tomokata worked around 1800-1830s as far as I understand. And the quality is quite good (better than my iPhone photos can depict) - definitely not a copy and age seems appropriate looking at the back of the items and the patina there. However I have not been able to find much about that artist (or family of artists) and school. And that seal script has me all baffled.

[Ford Hallam]

The design is comprised of 'lucky charm' characters. There is no specific motto or phrase as such. For example there are over 100 variant seal script characters for 'fu' good fortune.

You can spot a few that are on this fuchi kashira set in the chart below.

 

 

Also common are the characters for wealth, prosperity and longevity. In fact I'm pretty certain the oval shaped one on the end of the fuchi is 'longevity and health'.

 

There a fuchi/kashira set by Sano Naoteru with a similar design illustrated in Lethal Elegance. pp. 117.

[Gakusee]

Thank you, Ford, Steve and Christian for your helpful responses. The forum is always a great source of information and knowledge.

Ford - thanks for the the insights on the likely positive meaning.

 

I should probably mount them and carry them around on a suitable tanto. Of course, in the U.K. that act will not have any longevity and I am not sure, if the police stop me, that it will result in any good fortune either )

[ROKUJURO]

.....I should probably mount them and carry them around on a suitable tanto. Of course, in the U.K. that act will not have any longevity and I am not sure, if the police stop me, that it will result in any good fortune either )

Michael,

 

that depends a lot on where you carry your TANTO. Outside of your house it might prove to be a problem....