Kozuka bird and moon - Osuke school

[Ron STL]

Pictured here is a very nice shibuichi kozuka of flying bird, moon and clouds. The bird is relief in shakudo, the moon in relief, silver with some clouds. Clouds and rain of gold hira-zogan. There is a signature (more likely a catalogue marking?) on the end of the kozuka. The kozuka came with a certificate from the now closed fittings museum designating this work of the Osuke school. Can someone enlighten me on the Osuke group and their work? Also, does anyone have any idea what this "mei/marking" is all about? I do know that years ago a German collection was auctioned off and that the house "stamped numbers" on seppa-dai of tsuba (once owned one). Thanks in advance.

Ron STL

[Pete Klein]

Ron - do you mean the 'Otsuki' School?

[John A Stuart]

From Markus' Lexicon. The names on the left are Takaoki, Takatoshi, Takao, Kano Natsuo. John

 

Korin or Mitsushige 光林 supposed to be the family founder worked at his shop Senya 扇屋 Kyoto.

[Ron STL]

Perhaps it is Otsuki. If so, I mispelled it in my records. Running out the door, but will check the actual certificate tomorrow and post a copy of it then. Sorry for the rush-rush. Ron STL

[kaigunair]

Otsuki = Big Moon. 大月

 

Its one of the schools I really enjoy...must be the moon themes. I also posted an aritsune tsuba, one of my first "quality" pieces and he had trained under this school. Must be why I look out for this school's work.

 

The kozuka pic is very pixelated, so perhaps a better quality photo would showcase the work. Moon in clouds seems like it could be well rendered, but as it is, the pixels make it looks a bad knock-off. Also can't see the quality of the crow(?) or perhaps a egret of some sort?

 

Looking forward to learning and seeing more.

[Ford Hallam]

The mark on the end appears to be a European, or at least Western, monogram. If you do a google image search for monograms you'll find 100's of similar design. It was almost certainly hand engraved and applied when the number was stamped on. It has nothing to do with the actual kozuka's origin.

 

As Junichi points out the image is not adequate to form a proper idea of the workmanship but stylistically it's not unlike the sort of thing the Otsuki school produced.

[Geraint]

Might I suggest a nightingale and moon theme?

[Ron STL]

Okay, I've tried more photography which might still be not up to par, but the best that my camera (and the photographer) can do. The color is somewhat off on the kozuka, being shibuichi, but you get the picture. I've also check the Fitting Museum certificate and as expected, it does attribute the work to Osuki school.

 

A lovely theme, I am also attaching an iron tsuba that's here, signed Masayoshi (kao) that received TokuHo level paper. The theme is the same and may very well also be Osuki work. I've never figured out just who Masayoshi was, but have always loved the tsuba. Also photographed is a fuchi and kashira, shakudo, mumei, that is on the tsuka of a wakizashi of mine that is mounted in handdashi-style koshirae. Being shakudo, perhaps the f/k could fall into Osuki kinko work. Open for discussion of course, all "learning" for me. I've also copied the TokuHo paper and Museum certificate so you can read what it says about the tsuba and kozuka. As for the "bird," I suspect it is indeed a nighengale. Hope you enjoy the fittings and that somebody can expand upon their origins.

 

Ron STL

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ron, the tsuba I would think is Mito school work. I see it says 花押 which is not helpful. The fuchi really reminds me of Ishiguro style, although, of less detail and the ground is not nanako; it is the water, bird elements combination that sway me, of course, again, Hamano school does so frequently as well. The kashira is really attractive and I wonder if they are a mismatched pairing. Thinking out loud. John

[Baka Gaijin]

Hi John

 

Can you explain 花押 please.

 

I get 花 as hana or ka

 

and 押 as ō or osu

 

I'm missing something here.

 

Cheers

[John A Stuart]

花押 Kao. John

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning John

 

What do they say about not seeing the wood for the trees..............

 

Thank you

 

Cheers

[docliss]

Are not the mei and kao on Malcolm’s tsuba those of Ichiryū Masayoshi (H 04897.0)? Kinkō Meikan, on p.462d, illustrates a very similar signature.

 

John L.

[kaigunair]

花押 = flower stamp aka seal/kao

 

Don't feel bad! I had the same question before.

 

All are lovely pieces. I think the rendering of the nightingale shows the differences in the workmanship and points to different smiths. I personally like the kozuka the best of out of the three. I also like the kabutogane moon theme and the background texturing ....

 

Thanks for sharing!

[Ron STL]

The kashira is really attractive and I wonder if they are a mismatched pairing. Thinking out loud. John

 

I looked again at the f/k and the fuchi does have that same wonderful technique used to show the clouds on the kashira. It is just out of sight (on the other side) in the fuchi photo. Seeing this, I'm sure the f/k are made together. The "soft" look technique on those clouds is just wonderful, to my eye. I took a quick photo (very quick) of this side of the fuchi to show this.

 

Ron STL

[John A Stuart]

Ah, that is reasonable. Thank you. John