Matt Garbutt Collection - Information Needs

[Kurikata]

Hi,

 

I have just purchased a tsuba and after some researches, I found that it was at a time in the "Matt Garbutt Colection". I guess that Matt Garbutt lived beginning of the 20th century as my tsuba is decribed in the "Catalog of Loan Exhibition of Japanese works of art and handicraft" published in 1915.

 

Does someone from the NMB community has information on Matt Garbutt? Who was he? Did he collect Japanese fittings only but swords also? When did his collection appear at auctions? 

 

All information on him and his collection are more than welcome.

 

Thank you

 

Bruno

[Thierry BERNARD]

Garbutt, Matt, Auction Catalogue. London, 1920.

Garbutt, Matt, "Japanese Armour From the Inside," Trans. of the Japan Society of London, Vol. XI. London, 1914.

[Geraint]

Dear Bruno.

 

Matthew Garbutt was one of the small circle of Japanese art collectors who contributed to the 1915 exhibition,  Japanese Art and Handicraft.  He is listed as one of the four collectors of metalwork along with Naunton, Hawksham and Joly, who contributed to the exhibition which was held in aid of the Red Cross.  The catalogue is universally known as the Red Cross catalogue and a reprint was produced in 1976.  He lent one sword to the exhibition, a tanto in what are described as Hamano mounts but it is not illustrated.

 

Garbutt contributed to many publications including those mentioned by Thierry.  I have a volume called "Japanese Craft Materials and their Applications", in which he has a paper on "Military Works in Old Japan".  He was a member of the Japan Society and FRIBA.

 

If you have a reference number or picture of your tsuba I will see if I can find it in the catalogue.

 

Hope this helps.

 

All the best

[Kurikata]

Thank you Thierry and Geraint for the information.

 

My tsuba is listed in the"Catalog of Loan Exhibition of Japanese works of art and handicraft" as N° 954. I don't know if pictures are available somewhere......

 

Thanks again

[TETSUGENDO]

Hello all,

 

Perusing NMB and reading RED CROSS....how is that for serendipity!  Bruno,Your tsuba is illustrated on plate CXLVI.

 

-StevenK

[Kurikata]

Thank you Steven but if the N° 954 is common to both lists, the tsuba is different (the one you mention has a crab design). The description of mine is " a stork in flight - Signed Noshuro Kazutsugu - Dated 1866".

 

Signature is: 能城一次

[Geraint]

Dear Bruno.

 

In my reprint edition the tsuba you have is described exactly but numbered as 937.  Regrettably it is not illustrated, one of many that did not make it into the illustrations in the book.

I do not know why the lists should be at odds with each other but in any event you have a very attractive tsuba!

 

All the best.

[ROKUJURO]

Bruno,

we have a member here at NMB named Garbutt. Perhaps there is a relation and you might get some direct information.

[kissakai]

Have you tried contacting the Ashmolian Museum?