Show Us Your High Class Tosogu

[Darcy]

This is Sano Naonubu who was very rare but pretty skilled. Not a grand master. This is telling the story of the mother scaring the shishi cubs off of the cliff and making them fall. The menuki are the falling shishi. You can see who the mother is because the cub is terrified of her. Only the strong survive.

 

[Jean]

Speechless in front of such quality.

[Steve Waszak]

Steel tsuba. 8.9cm.  Uchikaeshi mimi.  Otafuku-mokkogata.  Owari Province.  Momoyama Period. 

 

Interesting tsuba:  though it has both NTHK papers and a shumei to Sadahiro (referring, I believe, to Owari Sadahiro, Keicho era, Momoyama Period), there is, on the left side of the seppa-dai on the omote, the remnant mei of the nidai Nobuiye.  It has been abraded significantly, to the point that, in most light and in most angles of light, it is gone.  But in the right light, at the right angle, the characteristics strokes forming the "Futoji-mei" Nobuiye (nidai) signature can be seen.  It is, unfortunately, extremely difficult to capture this "ghost mei" in photos. 

 

 

[Jean]

Ex Haynes' collection. Hosono Masamori, shakudo.

[Gordon Sanders]

Quite interesting. I have something similar that I will post later. Not as beautiful as yours

[DirkO]

OK -- here's a little something. I happen to really like Sanbaso theme so here are a pair of Sanbaso menuki:

 

I love the paper - Goto. Really? No kidding. Anyway, I really don't know which generation but not one of the first five, at least not to my eye.

Here's my generic Goto Sanbaso - mounted on an aikuchi tanto koshirae (about 3cm each) - the detail is really incredible!

 

[Darcy]

No guessers, so the makers on the Mitokoromono are in order, Ko-Goto, Ko-Mino and Waki Goto (I kind of think that is a bit conservative, I saw an almost identical Kogai made by Goto Renjo to this kozuka). This isn't papered but is in the Fittings Museum book if any of you have the book.

 

The birds are Yurakusai Sekibun and signed. Hard to photograph due to the colors, should be put on white to show properly but it's kind of dramatic like this. They have a very beautiful lustre.

 

The Kozuka is Ko-Mino. I did a trawl through the Juyo some time after I got it and there is a nearly identical one that is Juyo. It's nice to see because there is some complaining about the papering process but this shows some consistency at least in attribution. Fun to photograph kodogu because it's so much less work than swords.

 

[rkg]

 

 

 

Fun to photograph kodogu because it's so much less work than swords.

 

 

 

Funny, after spending several days working on getting a particular piece/set of kodogu to look right/their best I sometimes say that about swords :-)

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Brian]

Darcy,

In some ways, yours looks more refined than the published one. Maybe a bit later too?

There appears to be more attention to detail. Beautiful.

[rkg]

I don't really have any pieces that compare to these/are at this level, but how 'bout this - ezo kanagu (they're huge so I doubt they were menuki) not early-early, but not edo period umetada utushi either:

 

 

 

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Brian]

 Nice! What do you consider huge Rich?

[rkg]

Brian,

 

Oops, size would help, huh? :-)  They're 56mm long X 14.5mm high

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Darcy]

They look very old to me Richard. I know next to nothing but Ezo is very cool. Used and loved obviously and one of the things that looks better for being used and loved.

[Pete Klein]

Richard - If you have a picture of the ura would you be so kind as to post it? It say a lot about the piece (as you already know).

 

Pete

[Michael 67]

 Fuchi signed  Zaichôshi Iriyama Gikin sei . ca. 1760.

 

Kozuka/ Kogatana signed Ushu-ju Masakane ca 1704 to 1711.
 

[Gordon Sanders]

Here is my boat kozuka. That I think is quite fun Papers arrive this week

[Ian]

Another Hosono 

 

 

[Darcy]

Darcy,

In some ways, yours looks more refined than the published one. Maybe a bit later too?

There appears to be more attention to detail. Beautiful.

 

 

The Juyo one is Muromachi I think, they put end of Muromachi as the earliest and Momoyama as the latest on its date. They use 1576 for the border between the two. Mine is Momoyama so is coming along a bit later, working off the same design clearly. The Juyo one has matching menuki, mine has not. Sadly. 

[Curran]

Agree with that Darcy's 'Momoyama' one is better condition than the Juyo one.

I tend to avoid mythological themes and creatures, but that is a Dhamn fine one.

 

To keep this thread going:

   Higo tsuba by Kohrin.

According to one Japanese source, there are only 25 to 30 supposedly in existence. 

I've seen 2 at the DTI, this dealer has 2 out of somewhere:  http://www.t-touken.com/archives/4856, and another list member owns one. Plus those in Ito-san's book or possession and the Higo Kinko Taikan, I have record of about 17 of the supposed 25 to 30.

 

He was known for inlay work.

All that gold is not applied, but inlaid.

The one belonging to another NMB member has multiple silver moons inlaid and shakudo trees along the ridges of a mountainside.

---->  Often they are unsigned, but have a distinctive rope mimi- usually done in shakudo.

---->  Design elements used by the artist:   silver moons, grasses that travel across the seppa dai of the tsuba, distinct shape, lack of humans in what is usually a contemplative scene.

[Henry Wilson]

The kozuka belonging to Gordon above appears to be ex Wilson collection that was published in one of the KTK catalogues.  Glad to see it surface again.  If you have time Gordon, I would love to see the papers.

Lacquer seems to be poorly misrepresented in this thread so to rectify that here is something else from the Wilson collection:

[Bazza]

Lovely TSU JIMPO kozuka from a friend's collection.

 

Bestests,

BaZZa.

 

 

[Gordon Sanders]

As soon as they are translated. I have been told they would be ready today :-)

 

Do you have a scan of the catalogue you mention?

 

The kozuka belonging to Gordon above appears to be ex Wilson collection that was published in one of the KTK catalogues. Glad to see it surface again. If you have time Gordon, I would love to see the papers.

Lacquer seems to be poorly misrepresented in this thread so to rectify that here is something else from the Wilson collection:

Koshirae.jpg

[Henry Wilson]

As soon as they are translated. I have been told they would be ready today :-)

 

Do you have a scan of the catalogue you mention?

 

Hi Gordon

 

Not at hand but I can do you a scan this weekend.  I can post it here or message it to you if you like.

[Heringsdorf]

Daisho tsuba set. Mokume forged from tamahagane.

Signed Sankei and Kao.

This set has NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon and NTHK kanteisho papers.

[Heringsdorf]

Another mokume tsuba.

Signed Bushu ju Masatsugu, and dated 1748.

This tsuba also has NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon and NTHK kanteisho papers.

[Heringsdorf]

Two of my favorite Fuchi & Kashira sets.

First set (Crane motive) is signed Sakai Yoshitsugu and has NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon papers.

 

The second set is signed Yoshimune. And has IMHO very good Nanako.

This set also has NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon and NTHK kanteisho papers.

[Heringsdorf]

My best set of menuki.

Gold, signed Yoshioka inaba no suke.

Probably 6th or 7th generation.

NBTHK Tokubetsu hozon papers.

[Heringsdorf]

Kogai signed Yanagawa Naotaka and kao.

With NBTHK hozon papers.

[Guido]

The kozuka belonging to Gordon above appears to be ex Wilson collection that was published in one of the KTK catalogues.

 

I always liked that kozuka, and still remember when you bought it (with a little nudging from me  ).

 

Lacquer seems to be poorly misrepresented in this thread so to rectify that here is something else from the Wilson collection:

 

The day will come when I finally break your resistance / refusal to sell this koshirae to me. Consider this a threat.

 

Btw: "The Wilson Collection" - I really like the nice, almost royal ring it has to it!

[Heringsdorf]

Kozuka signed Tokiyoshi and kao.

I like the calm atmosphere on this piece. I especially like the moon in the upper left corner inlaid in silver.

This kozuka has NBTHK hozon and NTHK kanteisho papers, but it's currently going through NBTHK shinsa for Tokubetsu hozon.