Kinzogan mei on tosogu

[Timur]

Hi everybody,

 

I decided to ask for your help cause I am lost in this subject. 

 

So, kinzogan mei on tosogu. There are some on ko-Goto pieces and they are definitely attributions with the attributor's name on them. 

But there are as well on Hayashi / Kamiyoshi tsuba - more then 8 Matashichi, Fukanobu, Rakuju. Including the famous tsuba signed on one side Fukanobu and on another - Rakuju. 

 

There are kinzogan mei on some papered Umetada Myoju, Tsuchiya Yasuchika, some Washida and even Goto Ichijo school pieces.

 

1. What are they - always attributions? Or sometimes by the master himself?

2. Who and when attributed them? Were these attributions done by special request?

3. If attributions why do they in most cases absolutely right in terms of calligraphy and master's style?

[christianmalterre]

well, yes and no in fact.....but not forcefully!

sometimes you do also have Shu-mei attribution ( red lacquer signature ) ( 銘朱漆 ) - In this case there is also a Kao (花押) most times...( also in red lacquer ) ( generally least- as i have seen also Kin-zogan with a red lacquer-seal already.

 

I would not give that much importence generally....

depending on the collectors-branch / individual collector such is generally speaking not really reliable to get fixed on it....as we did learn not only from Tosogu, but equally from Katchu.

 

Christian

[Timur]

Christian, I think I understand now what you mean - yes and no. Looks like when it comes to early Goto pieces kinzogan-mei was an attribution often with kiwame-mei of attributor.

As for Higo school, I found in Ito Mitsuru book that he recognizes the kinzogan-mei of Matashichi, Fukanobu and Rakuju as original and made by them.

Regarding the importance of this info, I guess it is important for those who focused on Higo or Goto schools. 

 

And it seems to me that bakumatsu and meiji period kizogan-mei were all original, not the attributions.

 

Any other opinions?