Furukawa Genchin F/K

[Pete Klein]

I recently found this F/K and thought I'd share it with you. The kata-kiri bori is most interesting, IMHO, from shibuichi ground.

Paraphrased and condensed from Sesko, M. 2012, 'The Japanese toso-kinko Schools', pg. 246: 'Genchin appears to have been active about 1716-1736 and was a student of Yokoya Somin'.

 

BTW: finding this in Hayne's was a bear. If you look closely at the illustration from the meikan I suspect this fuchi is one of the the examples used.

[Soshin]

Hi Pete K.,

 

Thanks for sharing the katakiri-bori looks really nice on the shibuichi base. I would agree the illustration from the Meikan was likely taken from the fuchi in your fuchi-gashiwa set.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[kaigunair]

Thanks for sharing Pete. Seems like a top quality piece, but alittle to hard to see the full strengh of the carving in the pics as they are alittle fuzzy (I think it more my monitor though). Was wondering if the underside of the f&k also showed similar signs of additional care/finishing? Would love to see a pic if possible.

 

Love the machi bori pieces!

[Pete Klein]

Sorry but I don not have a camera. Those pictures were from the sales page.

[Brian]

Pete,

Strongly suggest that before you purchase any more fittings, you purchase a camera

Really, no camera?

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

OK -- here's the issue. In the 1970's I was involved in professional level photography, medium and large format. I was trained darkroom, lighting, you name it. We used Hasselblad, Linhof, Sinar etc. cameras/equipement. I left the field to go to college and professional school and pretty much everything I learned back then is no longer pertinent to photo technique. I guess it's simply a matter of having been spoiled working at that level and now the whole computer thing is simply a turn off for me. I know I just need to get over it but old habits die hard, unfortunately. Same thing happened with my involvement in professional sound recording. Analog then - digital now. Whole different style (although I can't say I would miss the hiss)...LOL!

[jamesicus]

I am intrigued by katakiri-bori carving. I include several photos (not very good I am afraid) with some comments on my Utilitarian Tanto koshirae web page

 

James

[Pete Klein]

I received a PM from George M this morning where he mentioned the motif of shishi mother dropping her young off a cliff which I believe is what this design represents and solves a riddle for me to boot. According to Henri l. Joly in, 'Legend in Japanese Art' the term for this is, 'shishi no saka otoshi', where the young were tested for vitality by being thrown from a cliff-top. Should the young survive it was certain to live long. The design of the kashira now makes total sense as the parent is looking down from the cliff edge with the young falling depicted on the fuchi.

Good observation George and thank you kindly!

[kaigunair]

Hey Pete, I've dabbled in both audio recording and now photography, and I must say that while I've envied all the pre-digital stuff, the barriers to entry are much easier to surmount. It still costs $$$ to get the better digital equipment. Since I've only played in digital, I was always under the impression that the analog guys would be able to tweek the digital equipment a whole lot better with that foundation; really tap into the possibilities that digital affords.

 

Regardless, thanks for pics of a good quality kata kiri bori piece.

[Soshin]

Pete,

Strongly suggest that before you purchase any more fittings, you purchase a camera

Really, no camera?

 

Brian

Hi Everyone,

 

As much as I like Pete K., wonderful piece I am with Brian R. please purchase a camera. If you worked with the old analogue camera I sure you can learn how to use a DSL in short order. I learned most of "technique" reading the manual and emailing questions to Richard G. and Rich T. Keep in mind I also practiced taking many photographs. Richard G. has a really nice PDF in the documents section of NMB that was very helpful. Just my two cents and the end of my ranting.

[Guido]

Pete,

Strongly suggest that before you purchase any more fittings, you purchase a camera

Really, no camera?

As much as I like Pete K., wonderful piece I am with Brian R. please purchase a camera. If you worked with the old analogue camera I sure you can learn how to use a DSL in short order. I learned most of "technique" reading the manual and emailing questions to Richard G. and Rich T. Keep in mind I also practiced taking many photographs. Richard G. has a really nice PDF in the documents section of NMB that was very helpful. Just my two cents and the end of my ranting.

[Curran]

Holy hana, Guido-batman.

That pun was so bad, it rung my head like a Deacon Jones helmet slap.

 

Let's face it- RKG can teach even me to do digital photography, but I have seen enough of the old art that Peter K, Reinhardt, and my wife all worshiped to agree something was lost with the /dark art/ of the pre digital photography.

[Geraint]

So what we are saying is that Pete should overcome his understandable reluctance, spend a heap of money from his fittings fund, dedicate hours to producing the sort of quality that he would wish, not to mention straining any personal relationships to breaking point over the waste/use of time and resources just so that we can enjoy better photographs of his stuff?

 

Have I got that about right?

[Brian]

Yep. That's about it. It's for the kids.

But seriously though, thanks for sharing the theme. I hadn't heard of that one before, and it makes sense. I'll have to remember that.

Perhaps someone will be able to expand on this shishi/cliff subject.

 

Brian

[Pete Klein]

Geraint

 

Thanks for understanding. You hit the nail on the head. Perhaps someday, but not now.

[christianmalterre]

not really "possible" to expand Brian-

as i am still bit puzzeled...(can not really attribute it actually/somehow criss-crossed in several points)

Maybe but someone here will get it right?

"Shishi/Rock" but yes-at least...

I actually think this Tsuba got worked out in "spe"-to Furukawa Genchin...

However it´s execution is generally more individualistic "maybe"?

Either way-enjoy-or not?-LOL!

(just do see this actually as an add.picture into this stylism-)

 

Christian

[Tanto54]

I really like Pete's F/K - looks like good carving. I think he summarized the "Shishi dropping its baby off a cliff" motif very well, but in response to Brian's request for a little expansion on the subject, I'd add the following. I think that this motif symbolizes overcoming adversity and the samurai's tough, spartan approach to training and various other pursuits. The Shishi mother drops her babies off a cliff and will only rear the ones that survive and climb back to the top. Having this theme on your sword would be a daily reminder to polish yourself and those in your charge through hard work and difficult training. Here's my katakiri-bori tsuba from Soyo II who also trained with Somin and was part of the Yokoya School - all the lines are fluid and cut without hesitation.

[kaigunair]

Beautiful George!

 

(I am curious what design is on the other side?)

[Tanto54]

Apologies for the highjack Pete... Junichi, here's the back of the Tsuba, I'll post the matching F/K and Kozuka later.

[kaigunair]

Very nice george! Plus a matching f/k and kozuka, by soyo?!?!

[Tanto54]

I really like the katakiribori on Pete's F/K. I understand that this type of carving was designed to emulate sumi-e (traditional charcoal ink painting), and I've seen several Kano School scroll painting masterpieces that look very much like the carving on Pete's fittings. I know it is a generalization, but while living in Japan, I was often told that while the Japanese love and highly value good katakiribori, Westerners don't seem to appreciate it very much. I imagine that one of the factors could be that the Japanese have more exposure to the sumi-e masterpieces. I've also noticed that the price of katakiribori kodogu appears to be depressed in the West (when compared to work by the same master in a different technique) but not in Japan. I wonder what other kodogu enthusiasts on NMB think about this style of work, and does the apparent Japan/West generalization hold up?

[Pete Klein]

This is important to help you on your quest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_(negative_space)

 

PS: for those not familiar with the terminology this can be enlightening: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aesthetics

 

To me the Genshin F/K have a bit of what 'shibui' implies.

[Pete Klein]

Reading a bit this afternoon in Markus Sesko's, 'The Japanese Toso-Kinko Schools' about Genshin and found his studying with Yokoya Somin would have coincided with Somin's friendship with the artist Hanabusa Itcho (英 一蝶) which began when Somin was about 40, therefore around 1710. Apparently Somin (the father of Machibori) used works by Itcho as themes for his work and the Genchin Kara Shishi F/K bear a resemblance to Itcho's work. Here is an example from the book, 'The Butterfly Picture Book' by Suzuki Rinsho after designs by Itcho Hanabusa, about 1778 :

 

Here is another example of Genchin's work from the 'Machibori' tome by Fukushi sensei:

[runagmc]

Hi George M.,

Personally, I love good katakiri bori... it takes a huge amount of skill with the "iron brush" to do it well and make it look somewhat organic, like the lines were painted rather than chiseled...