Could anyone identify the theme of this tsuba?

[Babu]

Hi I'm trying to work out the theme as the title suggests.

This is a copper tsuba 80x90x4mm

Is it the tree poets?

Seems to be designed for collecting rather than mounting but it could be I'm wrong.

 

Is it perhaps the poet Sogi (1421-1502) and his major disciples Botanka Shohaku (1443-1527) and Saiokuken Socho (1448-1532) who composed one of the most famous of all renga to honor the memory of Emperor Go-toba (1180-1239), whose spring tanka written at Minase (the site of his detached palace) served as their initial inspiration.

Any thoughts?

Thank you Adam

[Surfson]

Don't know the theme but that one is suitable for a caption contest.  

[Furin Kazan]

There head wear, and clothes look very Song dynasty Chinese

[Yasaka Azuma]

It may be "李白観瀑図" rihaku-kanbakuzu.

 

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/tsuba_001/e/b9644a1a9f2a20dbc3a78a8704dd0d1f

 

 

Yas

[peterd]

Nice tsuba. Kao does not seem to match mei.

[Babu]

Thank you Yas I think that's exactly what the theme is.????

 

Peter I'm not sure that the mei is meant to emulate Yakoya Soyo. I've seen a few gimei and they do try to copy his style of signature. This seems to be a proud artisan with confident hand signing in his own name and Kao (A different Soyo perhaps ) . Or the Soyo may be an honorary attribute "nod in the direction of“and the Kao is the artists stamp. Even the style is not traditional yakoya Soyo.

Can there be a way to identify the Kao?

Any thoughts? I believe It's quite reasonable skill level.

There's some detail in hand not visualised in the photos like the waterfall spray is tiny gold flecks .thank you

[Spartancrest]

Though a little dated, Henri. L. Joly's  'Legend in Japanese Art' is often a good source for themes, particularly as this book uses many tsuba images for reference. Print on demand copies are reasonable cost wise.

[MauroP]

I think the theme could be Kokei sanshō - 虎渓三笑

The three men in this case would be Huiyuan, Tao Yuanming and Lu Xiujing.

[Babu]

Yes I can see this also.

I think its a Very good call as well.

Thank you for finding this. Adam

[PietroParis]

Though a little dated, Henri. L. Joly's  'Legend in Japanese Art' is often a good source for themes, particularly as this book uses many tsuba images for reference. Print on demand copies are reasonable cost wise.

 

A (searchable) PDF version of the 1908 edition is downloadable for free at this address (scroll down the page for the list of available formats).

[Babu]

Ah brilliant. Thanks for the link.

Also apologies for the typo in original post. Its Yokoya. Thanks for pointing this out.