An Omi Hakkei tsuba ...

[docliss]

Any suggestions as to a possible attribution for this mumei tsuba would be gratefully received. Made in a darkly patinated, granular iron, this tsuba is nade-kaku-gata and measures 8.0 cm – 7.2 cm. It has a squared mimi, 0.6 cm in depth, and is slightly ‘dished’ in profile. On both surfaces are inlayed silver plaques displaying, in low relief, the Omi Hakkei, five on the obverse and three on the reverse. Each of these is surrounded by delicate, gold hira-zÅgan decoration. The nakagÅ-hitsu is well worn, and there are two, conventionally shaped ryÅ-hitsu. Examination of the edge of one of the plaques shows them to be of copper with a silver surface.

 

Two similar tsuba are illustrated in the literature. No 618 in the Dr E Mène’s sale catalogue bears the seal for TÅu and is questionably described a being ‘by one of the Yauchikas’. The other, on p. 93 of Tomihiko’s publication of the Dr W Fahrenhorst collection, demonstrates an identical distribution of the plaques. This is attributed to SatÅ Yoshiteru, but my tsuba is surely earlier than this.

 

With thanks, John L.

[Ford Hallam]

Good evening John,

 

I don't know that I can really add much but for what it's worth...

 

The first thing that I am inclined to comment on is the fact that the plaques are silvered copper. This, in my experience, almost invariably points to a fairly late date of manufacture. I'd suggest last quarter of the 19th cent. The fact that they are silvered copper also raises the likely possibility that they are stampings. Why would an artisan spend all that time carving such delicate scenes in copper only have them plated to appear silver? If the work was worth doing only once then the material used would surely reflect that.

 

The actual shape and appearance of the plate doesn't give us much more to go on but if I consider the date suggested to me by the plaques then I would begin to consider a provincial origin in that it it an honest and unassuming form. Putting the delicacy of the plaques ( albeit they're possibly stampings ), the rustic feel of the plate and taking into account the time frame I'm looking at, I'd plump for very late Mito work. It may also be a Kyoto piece ( the nunome touches around the plaques could be seen as evidence of that possibility ) but the nakago-ana and hitsu-ana feel more Mito-esque to me. Not necessarily as late as Yoshiteru though.

 

Just my observations though, I wonder what others may think of them.

 

Best regards, Ford

[docliss]

Thank you for your comments, Ford. The plaques were, I am, sure, ‘mass produced’ in series of eight. Looking at all three tsuba, it is interesting to note, if you compare their individual plaques, that every example of a specific scene is a constant shape, even if their positioning varies from tsuba to tsuba. It was the appearance of the plate that lead me assume an earlier date. Your suggestion of late Mito work is gratefully acknowledged.

 

Regards, John.

[Ford Hallam]

Hello John,

 

as I said, I'm not sure what I can definitively say so those were merely my impressions. If nothing else they might provide ground for further speculation.

 

I must also confess that I've not had a chance to study your own work on Namban tsuba, but I'll try and rectify that asap.

 

Very best regards,

 

Ford

[SSt]

Hi John

An almost identical tsuba, same plaques, but different mimi was on was eBay back in June 2007.

The eBay tsuba was NTHK papered, 75 points, to "Ichijo Group" in 2001.

 

Steve

[SSt]

Hi John

No plaques, different school, but the same motif/theme.

 

[No.21(page 34)] TSUBA, OMI HAKKEI, BUSHU JYU MASATOYO

 

http://www.choshuya.co.jp/0705/thanks_info.htm

 

http://www.choshuya.co.jp/0705/34/omi8_kei.jpg

 

Steve

[docliss]

Dear Steve

 

Thank you for posting the new images. It is interesting that the distribution of the eight ‘views’ on the first tsuba is identical to that on my own; also, that corresponding plaques are identical in their profiles. Clearly this is yet another ‘set’ of these Omi Hakkei plaques.

 

John.

[Bob M.]

Hi John , Steve , Ford ,

 

Will try to upload some images of the tsuba mentioned by Steve as being sold on ebay last year . At the time the plaques were thought to be of pewter . Should be useful to compare...

[Bob M.]

Pics as promised.

 

Don't know what I am doing wrong here - the pics should be small enough to upload onto the posting - approx 530x530/82Kb each.

Will try again but any suggestions ?

[Bob M.]

Obviously , please disregard last comment...

[Brian]

Fascinating comparisson. I would love to find out more about this theme and links between the 2. The inletted plates are too close to be just a casual copy.

 

Here is a side-by-side to compare them.

 

Brian

[Stephen]

not sure here but some memory banks are firing up the eight heavens,,,,sure somebody...er Nobody will take me down the right path.

 

Deva (Jp. = Tenbu) - Protectors of Buddhist Law, Japanese Bu...

八方天The eight heavens and devas at the eight points of the compass: E., the Indra, or Śakra heaven; S., the Yama heaven; W., the Varuna, or water heaven; ...

 

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/tenbu-top.shtml - 86k - Similar pages

[docliss]

Thanks to Bob for posting the images of the Omi Hakkei tsuba, attributed to the ‘IchijŠGroup’. He suggests that the plaques were described by the vendor as being of pewter, but I feel certain that they are actually of badly tarnished silver.

 

On p. 107 of the publication by Koop and Inada, these Eight Views are listed as:

 

1. the Autumn Moon at Ishiyama

2. Lingering Snow on Mt. Hira

3. Evening Glow at Seta

4. the Evening Bell at Miidera

5. Returning Sailboats at Yabase

6. Glorious Sunset Sky at Awadzu

7. Night Rain at Karasaki

8. Wild Geese alighting at Katata.

 

It is stated that ‘there is actually no fixed order in this ... series’, but the consistent arrangement of these views on the various tsuba in this thread causes me to question this statement.

 

John.

[Nobody]

  Stephen said:

not sure here but some memory banks are firing up the eight heavens,,,,sure somebody...er Nobody will take me down the right path.

I do not know right path or not. :lol:

http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/h/hakkei.htm

http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/o/oumihakkei.htm

 

At the middle of the page below, you can see the eight scenes of Omi Hakkei ukiyoe by Hiroshige.

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BF%91% ... B%E6%99%AF