Minayama Oki

[Darcy]

Gents I am bringing home this wonderful set by Otsuki school Minayama Oki. I don't know a lot but also put in some of his magnificent reference examples. The gold tosogu set, I can't get over the cicada. It looks like a bug got mixed in with some tosogu.

 

In this silver set the details are amazing. Faces and shadows, the animals... looks like a tiger on one side and what on the other? Wolves?

 

This is seeming to tell some story so I'm wondering if anyone can figure out what the story is. It's Juyo just don't have the zufu yet to translate. It will likely be for sale later. I had to buy two to get a discount and couldn't get help.

 

 

He is famous the the elephant tsuba he made which is mind blowing.

 

 

And this set went at $27k with no papers. EVEN THOUGH BUGS ARE CRAWLING ON IT

 

[Tanto54]

Dear Darcy,

 

These are Sennin (Sages). The one you asked about is Koshohei who uses his wand to turn rocks into goats (that's what you are seeing instead of wolves - a rock that is being transformed into a goat).

[Darcy]

Here's a translation of the Elephant tsuba writeup if anyone is interested. I found it in the NBTHK journal.

 

Meitan Kansho

Appreciation of Famous tsuba

Zo-zu( elephant design) tsuba

Mei: Minayama Ooki (stamp)

 

The definition of an elephant is a mammal belonging to the chobi zo (long nose elephant) family. There are

two kinds of elephants, one is the African elephant, and the other is the India elephant, and they are biggest

animals living on land. With their huge body and unusual appearance, elephants appear in many old religious

stories. One famous story is about Maya Fujin (Buddha’s mother) who dreamed of a white elephant which

came down from heaven and entered her womb, and subsequently she gave birth to Buddha. At Tai and

Myanmar (Burma), elephants are known as vehicles for Fukenbosatsu (a woman’s god), and as a symbol of

the King’s standing. From stories like these, the elephant was recognized as a very interesting animal. In the

Buddhist story “Sanbo-e” (edited by Minamoto Tamenori) from the mid-Heian period in Eikan 2 (984),

references to elephants are mentioned. From early times in Japan, the elephant’s existence is supposed to

have been known from Buddhist stories. In Japanese, the first time people are supposed to have actually seen

an elephant was in Oei 15 (1408). In mid-Edo times, an elephant appeared in the city of Edo. From his long

nose, slow movment, cute eyes, and strange appearance, many people recognized him. Can you imagine how

much people were surprised with their view of an elephant at that time. Because of this, many smiths,

including Yasuchika, used an elephant theme as a tsuba design. This artist Minayama Oki belonged to the

Otsuki Mitsuoki school, a great master who lived in Nijo in Kyoto. There are not too many of his works left

today, but from his school’s influence, his carving technique is excellent, and there are couple of

masterpieces left today. This masterpiece shows a huge elephant’s body fitted into the small tsuba. There is

an excellent conposition, and this work shows his unique and excellent carving technique. It also shows a

well expressed elephant theme, and the elephant was an unusual and unseen animal beyond people’s

imagination at that time .

(Explanation by Iida Toshihisa and photo by Kubo Ryo )

[Darcy]

And the sages is right on by the way. He's named the theme as Yusen in his mei.

 

“Going on a Journey through the Country of the Immortal Saints”

 

kozuka, mei: “Yûsen no zu mitokoro dôsaku Chikuhô Ôki + kaô” (遊仙之図　三所同作　竹鳳応興, “Motif of yûsen, mitokoro[mono] also made by the same artist, Chikuhô Ôki + kaô)

 

menuki, divided mei at the edge: “Ô – Ki” (応・興)

 

fuchigashira, mei: “Reiyodô Ôki + kaô” (麗誉堂応興)

 

With thanks to Markus for the translation.

[Brian]

Great write up, thanks for sharing it. Really talented artist. I think that elephant tsuba is a masterpiece.

Love that kozuka too. Interesting sword he has slung over his back. Doesn't look Japanese...I wonder what is being depicted?

 

Brian

[Tanto54]

Dear Brian,

 

As I said these are Sennin, which were adopted by the Japanese from the Chinese "Eight Immortals". Look on Wikipedia for their various attributes (the Japanese have changed some of the attributes over time). The strange sword that you referred to belongs to Lü Dongbin (Lü Tung-Pin), who is usually depicted in art as a scholar wearing a straight Chinese sword on his back that dispels evil spirits. Some of the other Sennin have gourds with magic horses inside or endless supplies of alcohol. Darcy should be able to match each figure in this set to one of those "Eight Immortals".

[Brian]

Thanks George,

Appreciate you sharing your considerable knowledge of Eastern Mythology with us.

 

Brian

[Darcy]

They seem to be a mix of some of the Eight Immortals and then some other more native Japanese sages and at least one Indian.

 

I need to get a look at the other side of the fuchi but it is in Tokyo and I am not at the moment.

 

Koshohei and Lu Dongbin look like straight forward identifications.

 

Another is Li Tieguai who has a gourd that shows steaming vapors.

 

Those look like the three locks for ID.

 

The other menuki I think is Hattara Sonja who is one of Buddha's disciples and is pictured taming a tiger. I feel about 50/50 on that.

 

After this it gets opaque to me. The red faced guy should be straight forward but I can't find anything related to him. Some of the other of the Eight Immortals we're supposed to identify by something small like a jade tablet and will require going back to look more closely at this set.

 

I'm not sure if those are horses or mules or kirin or unicorns of some sort on the fuchi. Looks like they are horned. So that may be a clue on that guy as will the other side.

 

Going to require a lot of book reading.