Another Hakogaki For A Tosogu Set

[Kurikata]

Hi Japanese members (or gaijin experts),

 

I know that I am taking too much of your time to translate those Hakogaki. But what a source of infomation !

 

Can you help me another time ?

 

Thank you

 

 

[k morita]

Hi,

This set(Fuchi,Kashira,Kurikata,Uragawara,Kojiri) is made by Aoki Harutsura(1805－1858)but no signature.

Theme is Noh player and related goods.

 

Attached pic is from [The Japanese toso-kinko Schools] by Markus Sesko.

[John A Stuart]

  Look very well crafted. Bravo. John

[Kurikata]

Thank you again Morita San.

 

I did not know that this set was made by such a well known craftman (even if the work is excellent with a very skillfull nanako).

 

Do you know who has written this Hakogaki ?

 

I discovered thanks to you, an article from the NBTKK journal from November 2014 about Aoki Harutsura (written by Kubo Yasuko): 

 

Among the Otsuki school smiths, there are excellent smiths, and among them were Kawasaki Kagaharu and Aoki Shunkan(Harutsura). Both Kagaharu and Shunkan were gifted craftsmen, but they passed away at an early age, just like a shooting star. This work is Shunkan’s menuki.

In Bunka 2, Shunkan was born and was a son of the kozuka smith Yamashiroya Jinsuke. According to the historical book “Tagane no Hana” he was a genius and had no regular teacher, but some people said he was a student of Kawasaki Kagaharu, although the details are uncertain. Other sources said he was consultant or advisor to master smiths such as Uesugi Kazutsura and Goto Ichijo.” Considering his birth, he naturally learned from his father and continued with his father’s tradition, but after that, his history is uncertain. He was Kazutsura’s age, and they were close each other, so it is hard to think about them as a teacher and student. Also, Kagaharu has very few works left today, and it is hard to judge from their work if there was a teacher and student relationship. Concerning Ichijo, there is no clear evidence of any association between them. So, there is no evidence to support the idea that there was someone who was a formal teacher to him.

Looking at Shunkan’s work today, there is no question that he was a genius. In particular, his designs, selective eye, expressive techniques, and his human figures are amazing. Looking at his work, of which not many were produced, he choose subjects such as God, Buddha, Chinese legends, the Genpei battles, No theater, and Japanese traditonal Tokei events like that seen on these menuki, (tokei were imperial court events held in March, and the tradition began in the Heian period). He chose subjects from his cultural background, and expressed them very well.

His human expressions show smooth muscular movements in the forehead, cheek, or even the ears, and nervous expressions, not only in the face, but also in the hands and feet. There are elegant movements in clothing, soft shapes in the  eboshi (men’s formal hats). Also, in the cocks flowing feathers and tail, he used very delicate chisel marks, abundant irogane (inlays) such as okigane (inlay), and hirazogan (high relief) ,and this kind of work tells us he was not an ordinarily skilled smith. This entire work has an elegant feeling. On the back, the menuki workmanship is perfect. There is a large chikara-gane (reinforcement), the bottom is firm, the tanzaku (plate for mei) is neat, the kanji signature begins and ends with strong dots with Shunkan’s original character and was very carefully done.  

I feel, this is an exemplary and the best work, and I could enjoy a glimpse of Shunkan’s world. At the same time, from this work, we can recognize again the Kyoto kinko smiths great and skillfull ability.

 

Cheers

 

Bruno