Tsuba Goto Seijo

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

https://www.aoijapan.com/tsuba-goto-seijokao/

 

I saw this tsuba on aoiart that is signed Goto seijo who is, and unless I mistaken, a tsubako from the goto mainline .

What puzzle me is that it is an iron tsuba and thought that Goto mainline worked only in kinko ?!

Does someone has more information on this ?

 

Thanks

 

Sebastien

[Vermithrax16]

Having just studied the Seijo line for another piece (that I sadly did not land) the later gens did work very much in iron. This to me looks like 4th gen work by the mei but I am not tsuba smart in any way. Places it at mid 1700's or so. Great piece, love it. Hopefully Curran and others will weigh in.

[lotus]

Agreed, great piece though I do not have any knowledge on the Goto crew.

[Curran]

Anything post 6th gen, you probably know as much as I do by opening a book.

 

It is a significant specialization to keep all the Goto in the cerebrum.

There are others here who have taken up that specialization further than I have.

[JohnTo]

Lovely tsuba, if I hold my breath long enough and turn purple, maybe my wife will let me buy it.  Can't say if its genuine, but the NBTHK think so.

 

I've seen several iron Goto tsuba come up in auctions.  One I have found is Lot 167, Compton I, a late Goto school daisho, with NBTHK kicho for the dai and sho. They were made by Goto Ichijo (1791-1876) and signed Toki ni nanajugo raku Hakuo saku and Kaku hoku kyo Hakuo saku.  According to Christies he signed Hakuo on iron tsuba because 'Even at this late perion the traditions of the Goto school were such that the master of the school could not use his official Goto names on an iron tsuba.  This prohibition did not extend to accompanying documents and tomobako, where the formal signature was considered appropriate.'  So maybe Goto Seijo broke the rules, or they had not been formalised when he was around (mid 1600s)

 

Regards, John 

[Pete Klein]

The Shirobei Goto were the main line family starting with Yujo and did no iron work that I have ever seen or heard of.  The mainline masters (usually) the first born son would inherit the family name.  Other sons would sometimes start their own side line, 'waki' Goto schools which is where you will find examples of iron works and of pieces more akin to Machibori work from time to time.  The first Goto Seijo was the son of Goto Ryujo, second generation of the Shichirobei line founded by his father Goto Chojo, who was second son of Goto Kojo, fourth mainline master.  Going to Haynes Index there are almost two pages of Seijo's lineage with varying amounts of information. 

 

When the NBTHK writes 'Goto Seijo' on an origami that is not to infer it is the first or any specific generation.  It is simply saying the mei is a correct example of Goto Seijo work but could be by any generation.  If they are confident of a generation they will list it or of a time frame also but of late they seem rarely so inclined.  From what I could find in Wakayama, 'Toso Kodogu Meiji Taikei' this is work of a later generation and I would think someone from around ~1800.  By this time the mainline had lost most of it's power and I would imagine whoever this was didn't care much for 'norms' about signatures on iron but that is of course speculation on my part.  FYI Ichijo was also waki Goto which is why he made iron works.

 

 

Texts to have:

 

Haynes Index

Toso Kodogu Meiji Taikei by Wakayama

Studies in Kyo Goto  (waki Goto schools) by Kasahara and Akimoto

'Shinsen' Kinko Meikan (very difficult to find of late) by Kenichi Kokubo

[Brian]

Needs more than just a 'like'
Thanks Pete, very informative,

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

So probably a late generation, and that would explain why it is signed "goto" and not with a pseudonym like ichijo did ?!

 

Thanks for the explanations