Request for Artist Information

[Curran]

Storm Sandy resulted in all of my Nihonto & Kodogu books spending the winter in northern storage.

 

I am looking at a nice pair of menuki by "Umino Moritoshi". Very complex but slightly unrefined work.

Mori as in the mori used for Osafune Morimitsu.

Toshi is complexer old form. It may be simplified to new form 'Toshi' in some modern texts.

__________________________________________________________

 

Can anyone scan or type in the appropriate Haynes entry for me?

If there is a reference signature in Wakayama or elsewhere, I would also appreciate that very much.

 

I'd much appreciate it, as I am curious about this artist.

[John A Stuart]

盛寿 using the new form toshi. 海野 Listed Unno but, that is also Umino. H 05772.0 Mito 1834 artist moved to Edo 1850-75 nephew and student of Unno Yoshimori. Died 1896. One of last artists to work in the full tradition of sword fittings. John

[Curran]

John-

 

Wow that was fast. Thank you for the information. Yes, Mito work fits with what I am seeing and some of the cartoonish rendering is more the sort of thing I can understand being done in late Edo / Early Meiji as western influence spread.

Hope your last storm passed uneventful. Both neighbor and I seem to be out making post summer repairs.

 

If anyone can scan in the reference signature from Wakayama Vol3 page 101, I'd appreciate it. From what John wrote, I'm fairly sure it is authentic work- but good practice to confirm it.

[John A Stuart]

Here is the Kinko Meikan entry. Blizzard over and all is well. I had to crawl under the house to repair my sewage line during a lull. Pain in the butt. Glad you're doing well too. John

[Ludolf Richter]

Here are some pics from my database.Ludolf

[Curran]

Herr Richter,

 

Thanks for posting these. Your visual database always amazes me. I thought to begin a visual database with many of the images I catalog, but realize it would probably be better to collaborate with someone like you and one or two others that have assembled what are already very extensive catalogs.

 

In conjunction with Wakayama, the Haynes Index, and some of Mr. Sesko's work- it is nice to imagine it becoming the Kodogu E-Encyclopedia.

It would be what we call a nice, "academic labor of love" for the person who can coordinate it. At one letter of the alphabet per month, maybe 2 to 3 years work?

 

In regards to this artist (Umino) Moritoshi:

Thanks to you and John and another private party, I have now seen several of his works. He seems very fond of the design of goddess and gods in gold. He is a bit prone to caricature of the faces, but I like his sense of humor in his work.

[raiden]

Unno Moritoshi NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon I bought earlier this year

[Curran]

Mike,

 

You asked me before what schools I collected.

Your Moritoshi is exactly the sort of thing I enjoy.

 

It is well done and has a certain sense of humor to it. Dark as night tiger with gold bright eyes, silver teeth, and a laughing cat smile.

It captures the menace of the tiger in the dark, the feline fluidiness, and Cheshire Cat smile of something that knows it is big, bad, and got you dead to rights. ~~~~~The artist isn't a biggest name artist, but he is good. In this example, he's also added a dimension of something specific- sort of the hypnotic threat (the more you look, the more you want to keep looking- though bad for you). These are the fun or interesting sort of mood tsuba that I like having rounding out my small collection.

 

Please consider bringing it to Tampa.

I'd benefit from studying this particular fine example of Unno Moritoshi's work.

[Curran]

Unno Moritoshi menuki

[Soshin]

Hi Curran,

 

Those are some really nice menuki. I like Unno Moritoshi work. Quick quiz what are two Buddhist deities poplar in Japan pictured on each menuki. I know the answer and they are both related to the bushi class.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[drdata]

Not sure if I can answer. I know one.

 

 

fudo myo, my favorite. Scary face to get rid of untruths. A sword to go them, and a rope to bind those that cannot be gut.

 

 

The other, riding a boar, not so much.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here are the answers. I wish I was as good at knowing such facts as selling things from my collection.

 

The menuki on the right as you view them on your screen is:

 

Fudo Myo-o 不動明王 (Immovable Wisdom King)

 

 

The menuki on the left as you view them on your screen is:

 

Marishiten 摩利支天 (God/Goddess of prosperity, the warrior class, and entertainers)

 

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles