Opinions and translation please

[peterd]

Recently purchased this but I'm not sure on the translation. It's signed on the back. All comments welcome, thanks.

[Marius]

The motif is Minamoto no Nakakuni and Kogo no Tsubone. The courtier playing his flute and the lady her koto.

[John A Stuart]

I can't make out the 1st kanji in the right column. ? 永軒 藤静壽 Touseizu ??? I can't find this artisan if these kanji are correct. John

[Curran]

Without translating the signature, a tsuba related to or within the Mito school.

 

Is the tsuba really stamped or etched "24" on the front underneath the nakago ana?

[John A Stuart]

Yes, it is and that must tell us something?? eh!! John

[cabowen]

A museum catalog number perhaps?

[John A Stuart]

I've seen museums put numbers, but, they are usually good about using something that doesn't deface the piece, paint, sticky labels etc. If they did this it would be bad. When you blow up the images and look at the work I think you may come to a conclusion that the 24 is indeed a catalogue number, but, not from a museum. John

[peterd]

Yes there is a 24 stamped. I was told the tsuba came from an old german collection, why on earth they stamped a number in it i dont know but i bought it anyway.

[Curran]

That is part of why I asked.

 

Even museums know better than to deface these things with a permanent mark. Yet is seemed very museum catalog-like and still patina looks fine. I thought I'd never seen something like this before, but your german comment helped me remembered one of the kozuka in the 100 Kozuka book has the coat of arms of the western owner tastefully etched into the backside.

 

The '24' is something different.

I don't have access to my books to translate the signature, but if John cannot do it ~ I doubt I could either.

[Toryu2020]

楽水軒藤静寿

 

Rakusuiken Tou Seiju or Fuji Seiju

 

Rakusuiken is his Go and not a place name i am thinking...

[Curran]

Thank you Toryu (Big T).

 

Anyone able to find him in Haynes?

[george trotter]

楽水軒藤静寿

 

Rakusuiken Tou Seiju or Fuji Seiju

 

Rakusuiken is his Go and not a place name i am thinking...

 

Hi,

I checked my Wakayama p.601 and it says:

Rakusui. Name Kobayashi. Yoshimasa is the same man. Signed Kobayashi Rakusui (Kao) and signature, An-ei (zodiacal cycle year) 8 month, his work is recorded.

Yoshimasa (p.415) : Kobayashi Yoshimasa. Signed Kobayashi Yoshimasa Saku and signature afterwards was a go name, Rakusui. Middle Edo period.

I don't know if this is the same man as yours, but it is the only Rakusui I found...I know little about fittings and a former very important member has severely criticised the standard of Wakayama's book (and my reading of it), so take this as a possibility only.

 

My old copy of Hara 1905 p.137 gives Rakusuido...Tsunenari (Tsuji)

Tsunenari (p.191): family name Tsuji. Name Magosuke Rakusuido. Omi Province. Follows? the school of Mitsumasa c.1770.

As Hara is in German I am not sure of some abbreviations.

 

So, that's all I have...good luck.

Geo.

[Brian]

Haynes has a few Seiju, but none of them seem to have the same kanji as this one. No Rakusui. Are we sure about the name?

 

Brian

[Ludolf Richter]

Hi,I cannot find him in the index books and in my database.There is no Rakueiken Fuji (-wara?) and probably Sei (as in Seimyo-Haynes H08094-or Seiryo-Haynes H08097) plus Toshi as the 2nd Kanji.The name-proposals from above do not apply.The artist may be in the books with a different Go and the one from this fine Tsuba is probaby not yet recorded.Ludolf