Gold kakihan on iron tsuba

[Bugyotsuji]

Would anyone recognize this mark in a little pot?

 

Iron Wakizashi tsuba, white plum (Japanese apricot) blossoms on branch in gold and silver. Andon/Shokudai light stand and nyoi-bo on reverse.

5.8cm x 6.3 cm

[Ken-Hawaii]

Umeboshi? Umeshu?

[Bugyotsuji]

Ken, as a maker’s mark, (see the character in the outline) it’s ringing a bell.

 

ヒ　ロ　ノ......................?

 

Oh, and the reverse.

[Bugyotsuji]

A friend says this has to be Nara school.

[Bugyotsuji]

Apologies. Not kakihan (nor Kao).

 

Gradually during my endless searches, I have come to realize that this is more properly called a 金印銘 Kin-in Mei.

 

Also the writing is not Katakana my friend said. Looking again at the nice large photo above, I have just noticed, duh, that one stroke of the character has lost its gold zogan, so now I think this may actually be something like 谷...? (Tani/Koku/Ya)

 

See

 

https://ja.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%B0%B7#/media/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:%E8%B0%B7-bigseal.svg

 

Is so, then...

[Bugyotsuji]

By Jove, after a little more searching I have found a Kinko smith with a single Tani 谷 family name. 金工谷寛治 Kinko Tani Kanji. From Izumo. He signed with the name 寛治 Kanji at first then 寛寿 Kanju. 横谷派 Yokoya School　岩本家 Iwamoto family. One book suggests around Kansei 寛政 1789-1801.

This has been the only nugget that I have managed to dredge up, so I am halting search operations for the time being. Thanks for watching!

 

PS, if the above is correct, then this has taken me months to crack. It does not change the tsuba in any way, but sometimes the chase can be much of the fun.

[ROKUJURO]

Piers,

I still see this as a NARA TSUBA, not KINKO.

[Tanto54]

Dear Piers,

 

I'm pretty sure that I've figured it out.  The standard set of three things for a Zen Temple's Tokonoma (entrance or alcove display) is: 1. incense, 2. nyoi-bo [shippei or priest's scepter] and 3. kakejiku (scroll painting).  Your tsuba has incense and nyoi on the back and a white plum tree (shiraume) on the front.  The white plum tree is actually the third item - the kakejiku (scroll painting of a white plum tree).  That's why it has a 金印銘 Kin-in Mei which are used to sign kakejiku (scroll paintings).  Based on the placement of the signature, I think that it is probably the painter's signature (from the Kakejiku that was copied) instead of the tsubashi's.  In this case, there are several famous kakejiku painters who were named Tani (like Tani Buncho) who painted shiraume (white plum trees) exactly like the one on your tsuba.

[Bugyotsuji]

Great feedback. 

 

Jean, thank you for keeping my focus on Nara. 

 

George, your interpretation is something outside the box that I had not considered. This has opened up a new avenue of exploration. Thank you kindly.

[Furin Kazan]

Could it be the Someya School, who were kinko artists that drew heavy inspirations from Tani Buncho? And the name Someya also has the kanji 谷(Tani) in it (might be a little far fetched haha)

 

Reference: https://books.google.com/books?id=OPfhAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA224&lpg=PA224&dq=%E8%B0%B7+tsuba+mei&source=bl&ots=_mQATN9Z0g&sig=ACfU3U1375k23TW8TH0GCW1SJVu4k-g2dg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiohfKM1K7pAhXUKs0KHaGfDmYQ6AEwBHoECAsQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false  (page 224)

[Bugyotsuji]

Mike, nice find! It's amazing what is out there! Thank you too.

 

Just a modest little tsuba I picked up as an odd extra somewhere, but this problem had been niggling away in the back of my mind. Actually it was the incense stand that originally attracted me as I sort of collect andon/shokudai.

 

Thanks guys for helping out. Feels like a weight lifting from my shoulders!!! 

[Bazza]

This beautiful thread illustrates the depth of meaning in seemingly simple decoration and the difficulties that present themselves collecting in this field. Most enjoyable Piers and all, thanks for the discoveries.

 

BaZZa.

[Tanto54]

Here's an example of the jar-shaped signature (not Tani, but you get the idea....)

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, George, thanks, and I saw earlier that Tani Buncho tended to use a gourd-shaped cartouche.

 

Thinking of the Japanese word for the jar/amphora shape of the little Kin-in Mei, perhaps it too is a 壺 tsubo. (Rare example of a Kanji actually somewhat resembling that which it depicts.) This is why I was also looking to see if there might not be an artisan called Tsuboya 壺谷

 

(Of course a switch in vessel could simply be a polite way of showing that you were not actually trying to imply it was actually by the real Tani Buncho, out of deference to the painter.)

[Bugyotsuji]

Maybe some distant relevance.

 

(Might have to change the description once more! 壺印 tsubo-in?)