Tsuba, fuchi kushira on Kanefusa Gendaito Katana

[drbvac]

I think this is translated as hiro yasu, and ir is ensuite for the fuchi kashira and tsuba as well as the kojiri on the saya. Anyone know anything about him?

[docliss]

I prefer Hirotoshi (see Haynes' H 01416.0). Family name Uchikoshi, and Haynes refers to an iron plate tsuba in the Craig collection by this artist. I hope that this helps.

 

Regards, John L.

[Pete Klein]

Hirotoshi, Haynes 01416. Not too much info and not certain if it's the same maker. I couldn't find anything else close under Hiro or Ko(u).

Seems to be 18th century. This is from Kinko Meikan:

[docliss]

The signature shown in Kinko Meikan does not correspond to that on the fuchi-gashira. Neither does that illustrated on D1101, #76, in the Bauer catalogue. Clearly there were more than the single artist of that name, and using those kanji, referred to by Haynes.

 

Regards, John L.

[docliss]

Further to my last message, I have photographed two tsuba in my collection, both inscribed Hirotoshi in the same kanji as on the author’s fuchi –gashira. These are completely different in their tecnique and in the details of their mei.

 

The first of these, labelled Hirotoshi 1, is a very skilful and sophisticated, high relief depiction in shakudo on an iron background, of Shosan bearing a bundle of brushwood. I am sure that this is by the Uchikoshi artist listed by Haynes as H 01416.0.

 

The second of these, labelled Hirotoshi 2, is much cruder work depicting, in iron, a thatched cottage seen through the branches of a tree. The signature differs from that on the former tsuba but may, perhaps, be by the same artist as the maker of the author’s pair of fuchi-gashira.

 

Whether or not this is so, there were certainly two (or more) artists using these kanji in their mei.

 

Regards, John L.

[Brian]

Wow John,

I really like that first one.

 

Brian

[Rich T]

Hi John, do you have a special technique for tosogu oshigata or is it much the same as the sword technique ?. I notice both seem to have a fold down the middle of them.

 

The feathering around the edges makes for a very nice but natural variation of the top of a nakago oshigata.

 

Regards

 

Richard Turner

[docliss]

Dear Richard

 

I am afraid that I have no secret tecnique for the oshigata. I use candle smoke and archive Sellotape, the 'fold' simply being the longitudinal join between two widths of sellotape.

 

Regards, John L.

[Rich T]

ahhhhn that old chestnut :-). Thank John, much appreciated.

 

Best

 

Richard