Study project: early Tosogu Collections

[tosogu_eu]

Dear friends of tosogu,

A few months ago I started a little project about early European Collectors of tosogu.

 

I wanted to understand the start of the "japnonisme", to people behind the first collections, their perspectives and networks they operated in.

 

My goal is to make this knowledge accessible and build a series of essays to share.

 

Please take a moment and have a look: https://tosogu.eu/essays/

 

It's not complete, so I invite you warmly to share your feedback, discuss with me and help to find some blind spots

 

Also I would be very happy to identify objects of these provenance, understanding the symbols, markings or numbers used by the early collectors. One example I can share is the tsuba (sign. Sadamasa) from the Fahrenhorst Collection: https://tosogu.eu/walter-fahrenhorst-the-collection-that-came-home/

 

Thank you for your time and help already. 

Regards from Frankfurt, Alex

[Matsunoki]

Have you looked at the Tomkinson collection?

….or the Edward Wrangham collection? (See Bonhams past auctions for this one)

[Spartancrest]

I have done a three book set on the subject, along with five others centering on specific collections from the 19th century and early years of the 20th. Plus a few related design references - the books mentioned concentrate only on tsuba other objects from those collections are not included.

  Total pages 934 

 

  1924 100 pages        1894 > 1902   88 pages

 

   1916  98 pages       1911  68 pages 

 

 

  1884  and 1898  82 pages

 

  I did the Wrangham collection along with the Hartman collection for my own study source. A thick book of 415 pages

[I guess it is a "pirate book" as it is the only one in the world ]

 

The Georg Oeder collection was translated from German to English - the original German is here:  https://archive.org/details/japanischestichb00vaut/mode/2up

 

Willkommen bei NMB, Alexander!

 

Edited April 19 by Spartancrest
MORE LINKS

[CSM101]

One of the earliest german collections: the Alexander Mosle collection.

 

From the Baden-württembergische Landesbibliothek: https://www.transfernow.net/dl/20260419JxVfaYEM

 

The whole catalogue Verlag E. A. Seeman, Leipzig 1914

 

Btw: don' the forget Gustav Jacoby, Otto Kümmel, Oskar Münsterberg...

Edited April 19 by CSM101

[tosogu_eu]

Thanks everyone, that was very helpful. The books about early tsuba articles are already in library (at least the first) 

 

- Moslé is funny, I did already write it but forgot about it in draft status.. so this will definitely come.

- Weber & Poncetton will complete the French series soon

- Hawkshaw, Tomkinson, Hartmann will enhance the British folks. Actually I am waiting to receive the Hartmann catalog... damn customs.

 

Thanks for your input!

Please feel free to add, share your thoughts and tell me: which is your favorite?

 

Best, Alex

[Tim Evans]

There is an English copy of the Mosle catalog in the NMB Downloads > articles area. Brian my need to fix the link. A big pdf, it may take a while to download.

 

 

https://www.nihontomessageboard.com/articles/Mosle.pdf

 

 

 

[Tim Evans]

Here is some interesting background and context information on Alexander Mosle' as written by one of his employees. The Mosle' episode starts about page 5. 

 

https://antonymaitland.com/hptext/hp0001.txt

 

Also, you may check here for some commentary about early collectors. 

https://shibuiswords.com/haynesarticles.htm

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

And do not forget the BEHRENS collection, auctioned off in Paris (I think 1912) with a four volume catalogue by H. Joly.

[CSM101]

Behrens was 1914.

 

(only 2 out of 3)

[tosogu_eu]

Thanks for the additions.

 

Please take a moment and have a look at my page. You will already finde some essays: would love to hear your feedback 

 

Behrens: https://tosogu.eu/w-l-behrens-the-taste-for-the-archaic/

 

Church: https://tosogu.eu/sir-arthur-herbert-church-the-chemists-eye/

 

Joly: https://tosogu.eu/henri-l-joly-the-man-behind-the-catalogues/

 

Baur: https://tosogu.eu/alfred-baur-the-collection-that-became-a-museum/

 

Vever: https://tosogu.eu/henri-vever-the-art-of-seeing-twice/

 

Krohn: https://tosogu.eu/pietro-krohn-the-Japanese-argument-for-danish-design/

 

Halberstadt: https://tosogu.eu/hugo-halberstadt-the-collection-he-could-not-keep/

 

And the German collectors of course: Oeder, Jacoby, Brinkmann, Fahrenhorst, Tikotin...

 

[Spartancrest]

Alexander I also did a four volume book series on the A.H.Church collection - the unpublished Koop catalogue in book form with the addition of both views of the guard, which unfortunately the museum's online resource does not have.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

Thanks for your articles Alexander . The thought that items that I now own have passed through the hands of previous collectors ,who have also treasured them , has always interested me .

One minor correction. In your article on Walter Behrens you perpetuate the myth that Henri Joly was  Belgian . He was born on the 24th of Feb 1878 at Chartres France . His 1901 and 1911 census entries confim that he was French .

The attached tsuba is one of two I have that were once part of Henri Joly's collection .

 

[Tim Evans]

12 hours ago, Ian B3HR2UH said:

The attached tsuba is one of two I have that were once part of Henri Joly's collection

Since we are showing off our early documented tsuba, here is one from the Mosle' collection. This one is described as number 804. TSUBA, thin iron, with two circular perforations, shigure-yasuri-me. Unsigned work of Prince Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai-Ko). 32. Higo province. Plates LX-LXIV

 

Background on the Mosle Collection

“Alexander Mosle’ (1862-1946) during several stays in Japan from 1884 to 1907 representing Gruson Werke, a subsidiary of Krupp, put together the core of his collection through Amiya with the advice and teachings of Akiyama Kyusaku. Back in Europe, he exhibits his collection in Berlin in 1909 (he will continue to buy until 1920). His collection was made of about 1600 pieces among which a unique group of some 300 Goto works, a number of which had the origami issued by Goto masters in works attributed to their ancestors before they were in the habit of signing. “(from 100 Selected Tsuba from European Public Collections, by Robert Haynes and Robert Burawoy)”

 

Mentors of Mosle’ as listed in his 1914 catalog include:

Paul Vautier (put together the Oeder collection)

Wada Tsunahiro (put together the Furukawa collection)

Akiyama Kyusaku

Ogura Soemon (Amiya)

 

“Mosle’ was one of the few devotees who actually lived in Japan (1884 -1907) during this historic period and had through his position as armament representative to Japan from the Gruson/Krupp company and as acting consul of Belgium to Japan access to experts in his fields of interest of the highest order. He counted as personal friends the likes of Tokugawa Iesato and General Nogi and mingled with the aristocracy of Japan. From this he was able to access information rarely accorded anyone, not to mention non-Japanese, and with his scholastic mind was able to document much research in these fields. (historic information has been taken from the catalog, ‘Japanese Sword Fittings from the Alexander G. Mosle’ Collection, Mosle’ and His Collection’, Sebastian Izzard LLC, 2004).

 

Edited April 29 by Tim Evans

[MauroP]

Dear Alexander, I finally had the opportunity to review your project: very interesting and exceptionally well done. It offers a historical perspective that is not often appreciated by modern collectors. I especially valued the inclusion of relevant bibliography for each chapter. Thank you for your effort.

[tosogu_eu]

On 4/29/2026 at 9:53 AM, Ian B3HR2UH said:

Thanks for your articles Alexander . The thought that items that I now own have passed through the hands of previous collectors ,who have also treasured them , has always interested me .

One minor correction. In your article on Walter Behrens you perpetuate the myth that Henri Joly was  Belgian . He was born on the 24th of Feb 1878 at Chartres France . His 1901 and 1911 census entries confim that he was French .

The attached tsuba is one of two I have that were once part of Henri Joly's collection .

 

 Thank you so much! A) for sharing that great tsuba, l love the color of the iron and also the motive is exquisite!

B) for that correction, because I was actually not sure in the first place. What also kind of confused me, is that there was a french philosophy professor, also in the 1800s by the same name.

[tosogu_eu]

On 4/29/2026 at 9:55 PM, Tim Evans said:

Since we are showing off our early documented tsuba, here is one from the Mosle' collection. This one is described as number 804. TSUBA, thin iron, with two circular perforations, shigure-yasuri-me. Unsigned work of Prince Hosokawa Tadaoki (Sansai-Ko). 32. Higo province. Plates LX-LXIV

 

Background on the Mosle Collection

“Alexander Mosle’ (1862-1946) during several stays in Japan from 1884 to 1907 representing Gruson Werke, a subsidiary of Krupp, put together the core of his collection through Amiya with the advice and teachings of Akiyama Kyusaku. Back in Europe, he exhibits his collection in Berlin in 1909 (he will continue to buy until 1920). His collection was made of about 1600 pieces among which a unique group of some 300 Goto works, a number of which had the origami issued by Goto masters in works attributed to their ancestors before they were in the habit of signing. “(from 100 Selected Tsuba from European Public Collections, by Robert Haynes and Robert Burawoy)”

 

Mentors of Mosle’ as listed in his 1914 catalog include:

Paul Vautier (put together the Oeder collection)

Wada Tsunahiro (put together the Furukawa collection)

Akiyama Kyusaku

Ogura Soemon (Amiya)

 

“Mosle’ was one of the few devotees who actually lived in Japan (1884 -1907) during this historic period and had through his position as armament representative to Japan from the Gruson/Krupp company and as acting consul of Belgium to Japan access to experts in his fields of interest of the highest order. He counted as personal friends the likes of Tokugawa Iesato and General Nogi and mingled with the aristocracy of Japan. From this he was able to access information rarely accorded anyone, not to mention non-Japanese, and with his scholastic mind was able to document much research in these fields. (historic information has been taken from the catalog, ‘Japanese Sword Fittings from the Alexander G. Mosle’ Collection, Mosle’ and His Collection’, Sebastian Izzard LLC, 2004).

 

 

Thank you Tim!

This is exactly the input and background that I was looking for Since I dont have access to all the primary litr. and catal. of the "old days".
Will see if I can work that piece of information into a version 2 for A. Moslé. You will find it here in day or two: https://tosogu.eu/alexander-g-mosle-the-collection-he-could-not-give-away/

I have a lot of sympathy for Moslé since we share the the first name and the place of birth.

Best, Alex

[Tim Evans]

Alex, 

 

here are some more quotes about Mr. Mosle'.

 

Henry Joly is quoted as saying, "Mosle was fortunate beyond all but two or three Europeans in securing the friendly help of Japanese collectors and experts to impart the personal knowledge necessary to weed the master’s own works from the productions of pupils, followers and imitators." “Bashford Dean (Honorary Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC) writes in 1910 about this collection: “It contains objects which will never again be secured by a Japanese collector, and the actual value of it, of course, cannot be estimated in money. The set of your Goto objects alone, would be a collection which give class to any museum, Japanese or foreign”.” “(100 Selected Tsuba from European Public Collections)”

 

“Mosle’ moves to the United States without any political pressure in 1935. He will die there in 1946 having lived like a prince. His collection will be sold by Parke-Bernet on April 22, 1948. The catalog (5 X 8”) had 53 pages!” “(100 Selected Tsuba from European Public Collections)”

 

In 2004, the New York Times published "...Alexander G. Moslé, a German businessman who worked in Japan from 1884 to 1907. As the representative of the Gruson Company, a subsidiary of Krupp Steel, Moslé was able to persuade the Japanese government to switch from French to German arms just as Japan was asserting itself as a military power. (The first Sino-Japanese War was in 1894-95 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-05. ) The arms trade made Moslé wealthy; at one point he had 2249 Japanese swords, armor, more than 1600 sword fittings, Japanese paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, lacquer and textiles. Moslé retired in 1907 and returned to Germany, working with scholars and dealers to learn more about his collection. In 1909 he exhibited it at the Königliches Kunstgewerbe Museum in Berlin. It was published in two catalogs in 1914, which are still considered important reference works..." Two portfolio cases. Portfolio 1: Title page, Introduction and catalogue, followed by Plates 1-102. Portfolio 2: Plates 103-204.

 

Address of Mr. Mosle: 5 East 66th St., New York City, N.Y.

 

There are some more Mosle' details in this article.

https://shibuiswords.com/joshuHaynes.htm

 

 

[tosogu_eu]

Seems that I ve only touched the surface, thanks a lot for that valuable input and additional sources, Tim!