A series of fittings ( or how not to build a collection )

[Bob M.]

Item No.  311  Tsuba in shakudo with gold and shakudo   6.03 cm x 5.10 cm x 0.42 cm

 

Subject of hollyhock ( or is it morning glory creeper ? ) on a bamboo support with two crickets on the back. Signed Tokuoki with kakihan , Otsuki school c.1860.

 

Sasayama Tokuoki ( 1813 - 1891 ) belonged to the famous Otsuki school and was regarded highly enough to be commissioned to make a set of fittings for the Tokugawa Shogun and subsequently for the Emperor himself.

 

The quality of the nanako ground which extends all around the rim is exemplary and wonderfully executed. The plants and insects really stand out when viewed in the hand and the overall condition is excellent.

 

[Brian]

Superb! Just sublime.

[Bob M.]

Item No.  312  Fuchi Kashira in silver with gold and shakudo.

 

Subject of carp swimming amongst water weeds signed Yurakusai Sekibun, Edo period, 19th cent.

 

Carp, probably Koi, with water weeds on an almost perfect nanako ground.  The fish are depicted as graceful movers and stand out from the fittings in a prominent 3D.

 

Realism and interpretation superbly combined.

[Brian]

These are just simply more than exquisite! In hand....mind blowing.

 

[kissakai]

I saw these in hand and the nanako work is amazing

 

[Tanto54]

Dear Bob - That Carp Sekibun fuchigashira is really outstanding!  

 

As you may know, there were 4 generations of Sekibun (part of the Katsurano School), but only the 1st and 2nd signed with "Yurakusai".  The 1st Sekibun (1790-1875) went to Edo early in life but left to refine his craft in Kyoto (studying with the Hamano School).  By the way, “Yurakusai” basically means something like going to Kyoto to “study” but it can also mean “mess around” (sounds a little like when some of us went off to school…)  Later he was hired by the Sakai family in Dewa Shonai.  Haynes says that the quality of the first two generations are about the same, but they have small differences in their mei.  Based on the quality alone, I’m sure yours is shoshin, and based on the mei, I’m thinking that yours is the 2nd Master (1838-1912).  The 1st Sekibun studied with the famous calligrapher Kameda Bosai to learn how to do his very distinctive sosho mei (one of the most recognizable don’t you think?).  In his later years, he often included his age on his work up to age 86 when he passed away!  I hope I can still hold (much less use) a chisel when I am that age…  The 3rd Sekibun studied under the 2nd Sekibun and then studied with the great Kano Natsuo.  His work is often confused with Natsuo’s which shows just how good this school is.

 

While the Sekibun school is most famous for its tigers, your Carp is certainly a masterpiece.  I think that the artist intends to celebrate the Carp itself instead of using it as a symbol of perseverance like most carps we see on tosogu jumping the waterfalls to become dragons.  In addition to perseverance, the Carp also symbolizes good fortune, longevity, success and prosperity.  I love how this artist can convey so much meaning and energy on such a small “canvas” (and even though much of the two Carp are “out of frame”).  

[Curran]

On 6/17/2023 at 12:06 PM, Bob M. said:

Ref. Items 306 & 307   Katsuhira Tigers

 

Background continued -

 

The question of authenticity of the original piece was raised .

 

When I bought it from Darcy , he was most unhappy that the tsuba , having been submitted for papers with, I think, one of the travelling NPO or NTHK shinsa teams, had been knocked back as gimei. This was one of the main reasons why he abandoned fittings for many years, preferring the greater certainty of high end blades with NBTHK papers.

 

See Darcy's original sales ' flyer ' below.

 

As usual with this quality of workmanship, the tsuba looked even better in hand than in his excellent pictures. Once I was able to study the tiger , the more I looked at it, the more I convinced myself that the shinsa verdict was incorrect . It was as if confirming an attribution to Katsuhira was ' too big a call ' for the judge to make. 

 

When Ford first saw the work close up, he was able to reference the piece against other examples of Katsuhira's work shown in his extensive library and was also convinced that the tsuba is sho-shin.

 

I decided to proceed with the making of the Utsushi of the missing piece, hoping that I was not taking too big a risk that we were not just making a replica of part of a gimei dai-sho set.

 

Looking back on it now, the authenticity question seems almost irrelevant. We set out on a path which, in the end, has much more to do with the continuation of the Japanese Metal Working tradition ( even if more so in the West than in Japan itself ) and ultimately that is more important than an opinion on a signature.

 

In a sort of sideways corroboration, a few years later, we were provided with documentation concerning the sale of the ' missing ' piece at a well known and reputable auction house. They do not seem to have had any real concerns about whether the tsuba was authentic - although, as all auction houses do, they covered themselves by describing the tiger as ' marked Hagiya Katsuhira '.

 

The fact that it made the money it did, also seems to point to the purchaser being happy with the attribution.

 

More to follow...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The video is famous. I would think more than 750,000 views, because I remember seeing it on a flight to Japan.

These last few tsuba and the Sekibun f/k stir a lot of old memories.

[Bob M.]

Item No.  313   Tsuba in shibuichi with gold, copper, silver and shakudo   7.4 cm x 6.9 cm x 0.32 cm

 

Subject of elderly flower arranger at his art. Signed by Funada Ikkin with kao.  Dated on the reverse Tenpo Junyon, Mizunoto-u Moshun (mid spring in the year of the Hare, 1843). 

 

Superbly rendered portrait of a wealthy and cultured gentleman.  He is wearing expensive clothing and furs, and is also using spectacles (rare) to help his eyesight.  

 

The flowers depicted appear to be daphne, pawlonia on the reverse and flower arrangement looks to be camelia.  Any ideas from anyone if the plants are in fact something else?

 

[Brian]

Exquisite!

[Ford Hallam]

The last decade before the barbarians began banging on the door and Japan was changed for ever. 

 

I'm guessing that the lack of response to this piece is as a result of 'tsuba shock and awe' ... I think this portrait study is probably one of the finest in all of the tosogu works ever made. I'm convinced this is actually a real person in fact, it's so characterful in expression.

[Brian]

Couldn't agree more. There is so much nuance in the depiction of the character depicted. Even down to the tiny knot in the (elastic?) used on the spectacles. Shock and awe indeed. I think I saw this one in person, and it's truly mindblowing.
 

[Tanto54]

I agree with Ford that this tsuba is probably a portrait of an actual person.  From a Western perspective, it’s natural to think it could be a self-portrait of the artist, but that’s not very common on tosogu.  In addition, the tsuba was made in 1843 and Ikkin’s dates are 1812 - 1863, so he would have been around 31 years old at the time the tsuba was made.  The man on the tsuba is approximately 55-70 years old, so it can't be Ikkin.  As you may know, Ikkin was one of Goto Ichijo’s best students and studied with him from 1828 - 1838 when he received the kanji “ichi” (the first part of Ikkin) from Goto Ichijo.  At that time, Ikkin went to work for the Sakai Daimyo at Tsurugaoka in Dewa’s Shonai province (Sakata Town).  He commuted back and forth between Edo (Tokyo) and Sakata.  Ikkin was famous for drinking too much, and it is even said that Goto Ichijo tried to intervene to get him to quit drinking and wasting his talents.  Ikkin II’s (Ikkin’s son’s) work and mei is just like his father’s and and it is said that much of the known Ikkin work is actually by the Son.  However, in the case of this tsuba, it is dated before the Son started using the Ikkin name around 1864.  While much of Ikkin’s work was for the Sakai Daimyo and family he did do work for others.  The gentleman portrayed on your tsuba is probably a Businessman instead of a Bushi; therefore, it would not be the retired Sakai Daimyo Sakai Tadakata (who would have been about the right age in 1843 when the tsuba was made).  The eyeglasses (rare at the time), pursuit of Ikebana, hat and the fur collar shows that he is a rich and cultured businessman (probably semi-retired).   The richest and most influential business family in that town was probably the Homma family who regularly hosted the Sakai Daimyo and even the Emperor when he was in the area.  The Homma family was famous for its artistic connections including the arts of Ikebana (their ancestral home has even been converted into a present day art museum).  Homma Mitsumichi (4th Generation) would be about the right age for the gentleman on your tsuba in 1843, and I believe that there is a good chance that he is the person depicted on your tsuba.  I have written to the Homma Museum to see if they have a photo of Mitsumichi or can confirm the identity of the person depicted on your tsuba.  I’ll let you know what they say in a later post.
 

[DirkO]

I vividly remember seeing this in Utrecht at the Samurai Art Fair in 2018 - absolute masterpiece! Seeing it was in a display case, I never got to see the backside, so very happy with these pics. I mean the collar, how the hands are perfectly rendered in their position, the scissors,... The different materials and how their constrast is used to draw just enough attention to all the areas to create a exquisite dynamic. One can only stop and admire. A real eye catcher! I remember Bob also having a little Ford Hallam exposé - altough - little? -  he actually did bring quite a lot of pieces!

[Bazza]

I've been gazing at these images for 15 minutes or so.  For interest, if one clicks on the image it enlarges, but if your cursor turns into a + sign and one clicks on that the image is further enlarged in a new window.  Can anyone comment on the ground of the tsuba?  It looks like a leaf or plant surface with a layer of tiny eggs - I nearly wrote 'shimmer' because the effect is so subtle it defies my ability to express it, but it is so purposeful it must have a name.  Another simile the springs to mind is of 'goose bumps' on skin exposed to the cold, low, little bumps close together. Spell binding effect.

 

BaZZa.

[Ford Hallam]

George M.

 

Thank you for that brilliant exposé on the trail of our mystery 'sitter'. Great background material!

 

Bazza,

that ground is lovely and mysterious isnt it? From what I can make out and replicate it's achieved by the careful application of heavily textured hammers. Ichijo uses a basic version on his 'snowflake tsuba. In this case the are tine nanako like indents in the hammer face that leave those little 'eggs'. It's a delicate process because any heavy handedness or miss strike obliterates any previously created texture.

 

And funny how another great artist is 'accused' of drinking too much , who's measuring? and who set the limits....is what I want to know It just seems rude to go on about it. Perhaps if Ichijo had 'let his hair down' a bit his own work may have developed a bit more passion perhaps .

 

Mitsuoki Otsuki was apparently a bugger for the drink too, and Unno Shomin succumbed quite badly in his later life. But by way of context some artists actually believed that a good session once in a while was a good thing in terms of ones creativity, the lacquer artist Shibata Sesshin, a friend of Natsuo, and generally very straight laced, encouraged his students to enjoy a good drinking session occasionally too. Swordsman calligrapher Yamaoka Tesshu was a bit of a sake monster too.

 

 

 

[Bazza]

Is it time we did a survey of our Members here???  (hic!)

 

BooZar.

aka BaZZa.

[Spartancrest]

Drinking brings out the best work in some people - Rudyard Kipling thought so.

 

 

From Sea to Sea :
Letters of Travel

by Rudyard Kipling

Publication date 1900

    Talk to every one you meet, if they show the least disposition to talk to you, and you will gather, as I have done, a host of stories that will be of use to you hereafter. Unfortunately, they are not all fit for publication. When I tore myself away from the distractions of the outer world, and was just sitting down to write seriously on the Future of Japan, there entered a fascinating man, with heaps of money, who had collected Indian and Japanese curios all his life, and was now come to this country to get some old books which his collection lacked. Can you imagine a more pleasant life than his wanderings over the earth, with untold special knowledge to back each signature of his cheque-book? In five minutes he had carried me far away from the clattering, fidgety folk around, to a quiet world where men meditated for three weeks over a bronze, and scoured all Japan for a sword-guard designed by a great artist and — were horribly cheated in the end. 
'Who is the best artist in Japan now ' I asked. 
'He died in Tokio, last Friday, poor fellow, and there is no one to take his place. His name was K.., and as a general rule he could never be persuaded to work unless he was drunk. He did his best pictures when he was drunk.' 
'Ému. Artists are never drunk.' 
'Quite right. I'll show you a sword-guard that he designed. All the best artists out here do a lot of designing. K... used to fritter away his time on designs for old friends. Had he stuck to pictures he could have made twice as much. But he never turned out pot-boilers. When you go to Tokio, make it your business to get two little books of his called Drunken Sketches — pictures that he did when he was — ému. There is enough dash and go in them to fill half a dozen studios. An English artist studied under him for some time. But K...'s touch was not communicable, though he might have taught his pupil something about technique. Have you ever come across one of K...'s crows ? You could tell it anywhere. He could put all the wicked thoughts that ever came into the mind of a crow — and a crow is first cousin to the Devil — on a piece of paper six inches square, with a brush of Indian ink and two turns of his wrist. Look at the sword-guard I spoke of. How is that for feeling ?' 
    On a circular piece of iron four inches in diameter and pierced by the pole for the tang of the blade, poor K..., who died last Friday, had sketched the figure of a coolie trying to fold up a cloth which was bellying to a merry breeze — not a cold wind, but a sportive summer gust. The coolie was enjoying the performance, and so was the cloth. It would all be folded up in another minute and the coolie would go on his way with a grin. This thing had K... conceived, and the faithful workman executed, with the lightest touches of the graver, to the end that it might lie in a collector's cabinet in London. 
    'Wah ! wah !' I said, and returned it reverently. 'It would kill a man who could do that to live after his touch had gone. Well for him he died — but I wish I had seen him.'

 

[The mysterious 'K.' is Kyosai,  given that  "Drunken Sketches", is by Kyosai Suiga and his English student, Josiah Condor.] The spellings are original to the time.

[Tanto54]

Now that is some great research Dale!

[Spartancrest]

10 hours ago, Tanto54 said:

Now that is some great research

It was easy to find - I collected the references into two books, I only have to remember which article and which volume. 

Hey guys organize your knowledge into book form it is pretty easy these days and once you get a print version you can forget about loosing your computer data - it happens believe me!

[Besides I can't stand reading eBooks in bed! ]

https://au.blurb.com...y-1880-1923-enlarged

 

https://au.blurb.com...cles-for-tsuba-study

 

[Tanto54]

With regard to the person depicted on Tsuba No.  313, I received a very nice response from the Homma Museum, but unfortunately they did not have anything that would show what Homma Mitsumichi (4th Generation) looked like.  They kindly checked for other family members likenesses from around this time period and confirmed that it did not look like Homma Mitsuoka (3rd Generation).  I will keep trying to find a likeness of Homma Mitsumichi (4th Generation) and will let you know if I find anything.  In the interim, I’ve been looking at other things that might help us identify the person (and confirm whether it is Homma Mitsumichi or not).  Often, we can use the mon on a kimono on tosogu to help us identify the person or at least their clan. However, in the case of this tsuba, I do not believe that the patterns on his kimono are mon.  I believe that they are stylized Kiku (Chrysanthemum) like those used in Yokikotokiku kimono design (a combination of an Axe, Koto and Kiku - which is word play for something like “hearing good news”).  This was a very popular design in the Edo Period (see photos).  Therefore, we probably cannot use that to help identify the gentleman.  The style of Ikebana being employed on the tsuba is distinctive so if we can identify the Ikebana School, we may be able to use that to help confirm the person’s identity (i.e., did the Homma family practice that style of Ikebana?).  Are there any Ikebana experts here on NMB who can identify which Ikebana School arranged flowers in this style?
 

 

 

[Bob M.]

Item No 314   Iron Tsuba with shibuichi, shakudo and gold  7.50 cm x 7.10 cm x 0.50 cm

 

Subject of Carp swimming through water weeds by Mitsuyoshi from Ichryu school ( Mito ).

 

This was a commission piece - specially made for a gentleman, Uruno-san.

 

A superb rendition of the subject made with the extra care and attention to detail reserved for a special piece.

 

Although it may not be regarded as the best fitting in the collection, it is my personal favourite. Indeed it was the very first item I purchased when starting out on the collecting journey - no doubt a contributing factor to my feelings. I have some ebay paperwork showing that I bought the Tsuba on the 12th Feb. 2002, which neatly shows when my fascination with the subject and artwork turned towards acquisition. 

 

Is that a blessing or a curse I wonder ?

[Larason2]

Well it was a blessing for us! (And probably also Ford!). I personally like this one a lot. I'd say it's exactly my taste, and I'm also a fan of the carp!

[Tanto54]

Item 314 - the Ichiryu Mitsuyoshi Carp Tsuba - what a great tsuba for your first!  The ebay aspect adds so much to the treasure hunt beginning of your collecting experiences. So many of us bought fake replicas swords or tourist tsuba as our first acquisition and thought that they were treasures (until we learned better).  In your case, you got a very nice tsuba that was a commission piece for someone close and highly regarded.  Not only is it a beautiful tsuba with excellent workmanship, it has also been mounted and carried on a sword.

 

The artist is Ichiryu Mitsuyoshi (early 1800’s Haynes 05566 & 05562).  The commission is for a Uruno-kun.  “Kun” is an honorific like “San” that you use at the end of someone’s name; however, “Kun” is more informal and is common among friends (usually by the senior to the junior).  Therefore, we can see that Mitsuyoshi probably made this for a good friend.  Haynes says that Mitsuyoshi is from Mito in Hitachi and interestingly, the name “Uruno” is a name that derived from the Mito area of Japan.

 

When signing the tsuba on the back side, Mitsuyoshi has had some fun!  Notice the “-“ mark above the kogai hitsu-ana.  It is the kanji “Ichi” - the first part of his School/Family name of “Ichiryu".  In the “in-mei” (gold seal under his mei on the back side), Mitsuyoshi has written two characters that mean willow tree and are pronounced "ryu” like the second part of his School/Family name “Ichi-ryu”) and the character “Yo” (meaning “presented”).  So if you take the (1) “Ichi” above the kogai hitsu-ana, (2) the “Ryu” and “Yo” in the in-mei gold seal, (3) his mei, and (4) the dedication to Uruno-Kun on the front, THEN it means: Ichiryu Mitsuyoshi presented this to his good friend Uruno-kun. 
 

 

[Bob M.]

Item No.  315  Kozuka in shibuichi with silver, copper, gold and shakudo.

 

Depiction of a fox as a changeling, looking at its reflection as that of a beautiful girl, in a stream.  Haruaki School , signed Haruaki Hogen with kao.

 

Appraised as ' very fine work ' in the catalogue of the Naunton collection, ( as far as I can see, this description is unused in any other commentary throughout the catalogue of this extensive collection ), this is a sensationally well executed piece. Indeed it would be possible to enlarge the original image of this kozuka many times over and still be immensely impressed by the quality of the workmanship displayed.

 

I have attempted to take pictures at different angles in order to show the subtle variations of image depending on the viewing angle.

 

Provenance -

 

G.H.Naunton collection, published in the catalogue , no. 2181, plate LXVI.

Clement Milward collection

Carlo Monzino collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Brian]

Really one of my favorites! I adore this kozuka

[kissakai]

I saw this in hand and it is stunning

The reflection in the water takes your breath away but so difficult to photo. Well done Bob

Been waiting for for Bob to post this one

[Stephen]

Wish I could look into a stream and see beauty....

Nope still a monster ;( 

[Spartancrest]

   

[Tanto54]

Wow Bob - that’s a GOAT kozuka (one of the Greatest Of All Times!).  It is a magnificent masterpiece of sculpture on a small scale and, in my opinion, on the same level as the best works of the top sculptors in history.  The leaves carved into the body of the kozuka above the fox’s head and her feet are spellbinding.  Only a true master could cut those that way without leaving the “hesitation” marks that we see on most katakiri and kebori carving.  Every part is just perfect - once again, it amazes me how the artist can convey so much power in such a small space.  So many different carving techniques on a single item and each masterfully done!  Your kozuka makes it clear why Haruaki Hogen was considered one of the three great modern masters along with Goto Ichijo and Kano Natsuo.  I’ve posted a better photo of the tsuba that Dale posted above from the Kano Natsuo School, and it’s fairly clear to me that yours is far better. 

 

As you know, Fox (Kitsune) are seen as shapeshifters in both China and Japan.  Some are considered benevolent, but many are malevolent - causing everything from minor mischief to great destruction and even death. The good Foxes are usually related to Inari - God of the Rice Harvest (e.g., the Fox who helped Munechika forge his famous sword), and there are also tales of Foxes who rewarded people for doing good (in some cases becoming their Wives and even bearing them Children).  In other cases, the Fox masquerading as a woman merely represents a cunning, seductive and evil nature.  Much like the Witch Trials of the Western World, until fairly recently, in China and Japan they actually killed women accused of being shapeshifting Foxes.  Tosogu will often depict a Fox with certain clues like a paint brush in the Fox’s mouth, a drum, flaming jewel, etc. to indicate a particular story.  Your kozuka probably depicts the story of Tamamo no Mae.  She was the most famous and reviled of the Fox shapeshifters having enchanted and destroyed the kings of three different countries before coming to Japan and seducing the Emperor causing him to be deathly ill.  She was eventually exposed and chased into the Nasu Marshes where she was killed.  The wonderfully evil stance and expression of your Fox, as well at the marshy setting makes me believe that Haruaki Hogen was probably thinking about her when making your kozuka.

 

Finally, the Japanese have a word for the kind of human face we see reflected in the water on your kozuka (which they found to be very attractive): “kitsune-gao” (fox-face) and means people with close eyes, high cheekbones and and thin eyebrows.  I’ve included some photos of Foxes in human form from the Anime Pom Poko which illustrate this kind of face.

 

Bob, thank you so much for sharing your wonderful collection with us over the past few years!  It has certainly been the highlight of the tosogu section.  I hope that your collection continues to grow and that you will continue to share it with us whenever possible.
 

 

[Brian]

George, couldn't agree more. Thanks for that writeup.