Naogo Kanemasa Tsuba

[Rodenbacher]

Dear fellow Board members. I have recently purchased a Tsuba and asked here for translation assitance: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/24595-shoki-and-oni-tsuba-late-edo-please-help-with-mei/which led to the translation of the Mei as Naogo Kanemasa (see detailed pictures of the Mei in the translation topic). I couldn't find any reference altough this is a well-made Shibuichi plate and a well-carved motif. So this wasn't a very bad artist, I suppose and obviously this is late Edo. Does anyone of you know this artist, school or can help me further?

 

I find it very interseting that the trees, the clouds and all of the background are carved very sketchy and rather like a painting with hasty brush-strokes while the figure of Shoki is an extremely detailed carved one and the Oni also sculpted very exactly. Such a concept would be considered very modern in western art, while it has of course deep roots in asian pictorial art, esp. chinese. So this artist must have had a good knowledge of art history.

[kyushukairu]

Hello Peter. When I translated the mei I also did a search for the artist, as I'm always eager to increase my knowledge of different schools and artists. However, there were no examples in the Kinko Meikan, which contains thousands of references, nor was I able to find anything online, in English or Japanese.
Although your tsuba is a very nice piece, and of a good level of workmanship, unfortunately I don't think you will ever discover anything more about the person who made it. It's possible they were a rich merchant, or court noble who made it as a hobby and not as a profession, but I don't think we will be able to determine anything definite.

[Rodenbacher]

Kyle! I really appreciated your help and did not want to disdain what you said in the translation post. Just tried to gain some aditional information from the other guys. But now I see that it was maybe in vain...

[kyushukairu]

Not at all, Peter. I teach philosophy for a living, which involves actively encouraging others to challenge norms, so I'm happy to be corrected.
I'm by no means an authority on tosogu, though I often encounter obscure kinko artists, and unless a record was made of them when they were alive, it is very unlikely that we will ever discover anything about them now.
I hope someone can help you, but I fear you may be waiting for Godot. In any case, whilst it is nice to add a biographical history to an object, your tsuba is a good quality example and which should be appreciated on its own merit

[Rodenbacher]

I studied Philosophy in Heidelberg when I was young and so we both know that sometimes it is very important to just ask the right question...

 

The Tsuba is very good and so at least our fellow board members may enjoy the pictures.

[TETSUGENDO]

I think Kyle may have a point, for me, the engraving looks rather ham-fisted and hesitant.

 

-StevenK

[Henry Wilson]

I think the workmanship is not bad.  Not stellar stuff but I think of a quality that is acceptable.