Jiryusai Tomohide - Waves, Cranes, and Pines Tsuba

[Vermithrax16]

Tsuba by Jiryusai Tomohide, son of Miyake Terumitsu, Yokoya School.

 

This one came with a hakogaki by Shibata Mitsuo.

 

Hakogaki lid outside:

Jiryusai Tomohide tsuba

 

Hakogaki lid inside:

Motif of pines and cranes

Polished shibuichi, round shape, sukidashi-takabori relief

Iroe color accents, two hitsu-ana – Masterwork

Signed: Jiryusai Tomohide Keiho + monogram

January 1968, year of the monkey – Saizen [pen name of Shibata Mitsuo]

 

NBTHK Hozon

 

The waves are the main theme IMO, impart a slight tilt to the landscape and 3-D feeling:

 

A pair by Tomohide, one in shakudo, this one in shibuichi:

 

[Tanto54]

Nice!

[francois2605]

What a beauty !

[Kurikata]

Tomohide collection ? Good choice and I really would like to see them in hand. What a beauty!

[JohnTo]

Cranes and pines seem to have been popular around 1800.  Here is mine

A Masayoshi of the Kuwabata family (1773-?) is recorded on page 93 of The Genealogies of Japanese Tsuba and Toso-kinko Artists, by Markus Sesko as belonging to the Chishiki School in Satsuma.  This is almost certainly the same artisan (if genuine and gimei) as he is listed using the same kanji for ‘Kuwabata’ and ‘Masayoshi’ including the unusual form of the kanji ‘Masa’ as seen on this tsuba.  Masayoshi was a student of Inada Norinobu (a student of Goto Shinjo [1783-1843], the 15^th generation main line master) and son of Kuwabata Hachirobei.  The date inscribed on this tsuba would indicate that Masayoshi was about 28 when he made this tsuba.  Masayoshi was the last of the 13 artisans of this school to be listed.  Perhaps the school closed, or perhaps not all the artisans were listed in the genealogy charts.    The Chishiki School was founded by Kanesue (real name Chishiki Go’emon), who succeded Kuroki Zenbei, recorded as making tsuba and sword fittings.  Both were samurai from Satsuma and this may be the reason that tsuba from this school were signed, the artisans being the same class as the clients, thus were not considered to be impertinent by signing their work.

Height: 7.1 cm

Width: 6.55 cm

Thickness (rim):  0.3 cm

 

Regards, John

(just a guy making observations, asking questions, trying to learn)

 

 

[Tigerinbamboo]

Beautiful works!

[Vermithrax16]

Thanks JohnTo. Yes a somewhat common theme, but always fun to see works of it.

[terminus]

The aesthetic is almost cartoony, and in a strange way super clean, love it!

[Vermithrax16]

The waves:

[Tanto54]

Dear Jeremiah,

 

The waves are great, but I also like the simple and elegant treatment of the sky.

 

While looking at the waves I noticed that they have excellent "true" perspective which I have found to be rare in tosogu (and many other Japanese arts).  I've read and observed that most antique Japanese art does not follow "Western" perspective.  Therefore, something like waves would be equally sized regardless of how far away they were supposed to be.  In your tsuba, the wave breakers are very stylized and uniform.  However, the wave undulations are more random and realistic, and they get smaller and fade away into the distance giving a good feeling of perspective.  I imagine that the mixing of approaches was intentional and Tomohide uses it to draw us into the tsuba.  At one point, you mentioned something about the 3D nature of the tsuba.  Care to expand on what your thoughts are?

 

Here's yours again with a few other random tsuba from the web illustrating waves without perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TETSUGENDO]

Careful observation will reveal the shifting of the planes of the sky, nothing simple about it.    All in all, this tsuba is an impressive example of perspective produced through trompe l'oeil.

 

-S-

[Vermithrax16]

George M,

 

I tried to get a visual of what I mean put together tonight. Like so much in nihonto, in hand it's a "Now I see" sort of thing, but pictures don't quite have that boom. In any case , attached are 2 pictures that I made comments on. Hope that helps. Thanks for our discussions, very enjoyable. Glad to meet you.

 

EDIT: In 1st picture I clearly had the sides in comments written wrong, sorry.

 

[Tanto54]

Thanks Jeremiah,

 

I had already noticed the perspective you pointed out in the second picture, and I think that Tomohide is using it to good effect.  However, I hadn't noticed the "tilt" you pointed out in the first picture - very interesting.  With his skill and attention to detail, I think that there is no doubt that it is intentional.  Thanks for the education!

[Vermithrax16]

Thanks Jeremiah,

 

I had already noticed the perspective you pointed out in the second picture, and I think that Tomohide is using it to good effect.  However, I hadn't noticed the "tilt" you pointed out in the first picture - very interesting.  With his skill and attention to detail, I think that there is no doubt that it is intentional.  Thanks for the education!

Having 2 works by him and looking at the few examples that can be found online, I think nothing he does is by accident, omission, or carelessness. He meant to impart that tilt, and it aligns with the pine plant on the obverse, like a beachfront angle view IMO.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Great tsuba, Jeremiah! A real jewel.