Sakura Yamakichibei

[Jason K]

Hello all,

 

I was re-reading the “Art and the Sword†Vol 3 and it sparked an interest in Sakura Yamakichibei. Other then the wakasashi tsuba posted here by Pcfarrar, I’m unable to find any examples on the net. I know the work of the first two Yamakichibei are highly collectable and expensive, is it the same for the third? Can someone point me in the right direction for more information on this tsuba maker (books, web)?

 

Jason

[Pete Klein]

Hi Jason -- I just re-read the article in the JSSUS vol. three and I think Wakayama Homatsu pretty well sums it up. The first was the best, second, second and third, third. I think there is always a rarity factor with these items but Sakura YKB does not come up to the first two in many ways so the prices will reflect this. I would imagine if you collect the YKB then you might want one for interest but his work is not highly sought after, at least from what I've seen. This is from

Torigoye, 'Tsuba, An Aesthetic Study';

This is the name given to the third generation of this family. He lived at Nagoya in the Genroku era (1688 - 1704). He signed Yamakichibei, but his work may be easily distinguished by his use of a koku-in (incised stamp) in the form of a cherry blossom following his signature. The characters of his signature are cut with deeper strokes making them more distinctive than the first two generations. His style varies through his use of a polished surface, ko-sukashi (one or two small perforations), or hoso-sukashi (very narrow perforations) from that of the first two generations. In some respects he should be considered as a worker in the Yagyu school style, using the designs found in the first period of that school.

I hope this helps.

[Jason K]

Pete,

 

Thank you for the information.

 

Jason