Any Ideas On School/maker Menuki

[obiwanknabbe]

I picked up this set a while back at an antique show out of a jewelry box. I know exactly zero about menuki. Any thoughts are appreciated. ideas on school/maker/value? (. just curious how i did  ..paid $80.00)

 

Thanks

Kurt K

[Nikanoru]

Nice one. I would suggest something vague, like kyo-kinko, maybe something earlier judging from the kon, stem. Price is ok, they have potential, if cleaned, repatinated.

[obiwanknabbe]

They actually look a little better in hand.. could not get my old camera to focus cleanly.. they are actually darker and a bit sharper in detail.

 

So kyo-kinko.. may i ask what reasoning you put into that? What about them can be used as a determining factor.. Want to learn .

[Nikanoru]

That’s the major problem with tosogu - always hard to take good pictures, everytime something’s wrong with color reproduction. And we have to explain how great it looks on our fingers

 

As I said, vague, practically any Kyoto based group, when it’s not signed and doesn’t have clear attributional factors like Goto, for example, we are talking about menuki. I wouldn’t rule out ko-kinko because of the stem but the details of the boar suggest some much later work. It’s hard to define precisely the school unless someone has seen similar item already attributed by someone. I judge from what I have in the collection and trust my intuition based on the residue in my memory of hundreds of pictures from different reference material I go through on everyday basis. I saw similar boar details in early Yasuchika works but I doubt it’s Tsuchiya line or any of the other two big Nara houses.

 

So just another opinion

[obiwanknabbe]

thanks for the input.. I will have to seek out some books on the subject.  if anyone has a recommendation id be happy to hear it.

[Nikanoru]

thanks for the input.. I will have to seek out some books on the subject. if anyone has a recommendation id be happy to hear it.

For general “multibrand” tosogu reference I would suggest:

- Toso Soran by Torigoye

- Toso Kodogu Koza by Wakayama

- Toso Kodogu Meihin Shu by Wakayama

- Anything by Shigeo Fukushi

 

As to menuki stand-alone I would recommend:

- Shumi no Menuki by Wakayama and Takenouchi

- Tosogu no Bi, Menuki vol.1&2 by Saruta

 

Be prepared those books will cost more than the items they describe. Japanese books auctions is the right place to save some cash. Of course you can go for different auction and museum catalogues, but here I’m talking about serious academic approach.