Anyone familliar with this artist (Mito) Katsukuni?

[Lance]

I wanted to post this tsuba and some of the research I've done to see what others might think and if they might have any images of fittings or info about Katsukuni:

 

Iron tsuba with extensive carving and inlay; design of Yoshitsune at the battle of Dan-no-ura depicting his famous eight boat leap, escaping from Taira no Moritsune. After Moritsune realizied he'd never catch Yoshitsune, he commited suicide by grabbing a Minamoto warrior under each arm and jumping into the ocean, drowning himself and his two victims.. Reverse with mei and crashing waves with silver and shakudo dot inlay with carved rim. Tsuba measures 2 7/8 by 2 3/4 inches so in hand the detail is pretty amazing and very crisp (to me)

 

Patina is darker/less brown than images

 

Signed Katsukuni with kao on the back instead of the face of the tsuba, I've seen this referred to as being used on presentation tsuba as a gift?

The only likely Katsukuni I found worked in Mito, Hitachi province. Famous for making copies of Toshinaga and Yokoya school fittings and producing a double form rim. Also forged signtures of a large scale on swords, was warned against it and as a "just punishment" went blind when he was middle aged. Died 1775

 

Most of the info about Mito Katsukuni I got from Hayne's index of Japanese sword fittings that I recently purchased (thanks Grey) and general reading about some Mito artists copying other schools. There's other examples listed in the index Sotheby's November 11, 1993 lot 73 and Naunton collection pages 189 and 258, I was hoping if anyone had these books they might post an image of them or images of any other fittings by Katsukuni?

 

couple links to a Toshinaga tsuba depicting waves and another tsuba with Yoshitsune and Moritsune in almost the same poses but on a flat plate.

 

http://educators.mfa.org/objects/detail ... a+Sanemasa

 

http://www.emuseum.jp/detail/100516/000 ... os=1&num=8

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewhatlucid/6041216756/

 

 

Thanks for reading,

Lance

[Ludolf Richter]

Hi Lance,from Mei and Kao it's not the Mito guy.So your Katsukuni is probably one of the 8 generations from Haynes H 02798.Ludolf

[Lance]

Hello Ludolph,

I don't see it belonging to the Kaga group who were originally sword smiths, described as producing iron plate tsuba, seems like they would probably resemble tosho or other Kaga style tsuba, with flush inlay, except for Kaga Goto I haven't seen many fittings that had people, mostly plants and insects, I thought that's what they were known for)

To me it looks more like Nara/Hamano work, maybe with a little Soten mixed in, that's what pointed me more towards Mito as they were supposed to have been influenced/copied that style,

below are a couple links to the Boston Museum of Mito and Kaga style work to at least illustrate my thoughts:

 

http://www.mfa.org/search/collections?k ... aga+school

 

http://www.mfa.org/search/collections?k ... mito+tsuba

 

Regards,

Lance