A series of fittings ( or how not to build a collection )

[Bob M.]

Re. This Thread.

 

There are a total of 265 items posted to this thread and I have decided , after consultation , to stop posting any further pieces on it . ( Some items have a number and suffix , rather than their own unique number ).

 

The thread itself is becoming unwieldy and because of being pinned , although available as a reference , it is somewhat hidden and it is not always apparent if a new item or comment has been posted .

 

There are approx. forty more tosogu to be shown and they will appear under a new thread with the rather catchy name of ' A Series of Fittings Part II '. This will also be pinned upon completion ,

probably sometime next year.

 

I will start posting these in the next few days. 

 

The fittings comprise of a number of personal favourites together with a mixture of types , schools and ages and a few more possibly familiar pieces.

 

Could I please encourage everyone to comment or criticise - it really helps to keep the thread alive .

 

Thanks

[roger dundas]

I for one always look forward to seeing what next you have Bob.

Your collection also IMO sets something of a standard for those venturing into the world of tosogu collecting to aim at, to keep their sights up.

Looking forward to your new thread, including some of your favorites (and why they are?).

Roger j

[kissakai]

When you post these tosogu there is usually a good description and unless someone can add a worthwhile comment there not a lot to be said. I used to add words like, wonderful, great example etc but they were really superfluous as they just stated the obvious. I will add a comment if I can give a bit more background I will. From the views you can see how popular this post is. I wonder if it needs a separate thread as it's nice to keep it together but that is just my view

Looking forward to seeing more examples

 

[Brian]

What Grev said.

[GRC]

...same sentiment from me as well 

My gut feeling was to suggest keeping all your posts together, but if the two threads are getting pinned, then they'll stay together anyway, and it'll be easier to jump into either one more quickly.

Regardless, I'm really looking forward to seeing your favorites Bob. 

   

 

[b.hennick]

Thank you for what you have provided so far. This is one of my favourite threads. Like many others, how many times can you write wow or amazing or beautiful? You have set a high bar. Carrying on with this thread is fine. Wow! Amazing! Keep up the good work!

[Bob M.]

As previously mentioned , this is the first new posting intended to compliment the existing ' A series of fittings ( or how not to build a collection )' thread.

 

I will start as I mean to carry on with -

 

Item No. 266  A brass ( sentoku ) tsuba with gold   7.38 cm x 6.82 cm x 0.41 cm  

 

Subject of monkeys , signed and inscribed ' Hizen Yagami ju Mitsuhiro saku , motte sentoku kin kore wo tsukuru '  late 18th/early 19th cents.

 

A not uncommon subject , perhaps a little better carved than most.

[Spartancrest]

Bob - worthy of the drool emoji  

[kissakai]

I had two of these but both were copies so you know they are liked. 

This was at the start of my collecting and it was a good lesson

 

[Infinite_Wisdumb]

why is the million monkeys theme so popular?

[Spartancrest]

Jesse - have you ever tried counting them- I have and these guards rarely if ever reach 100 monkeys let alone 1,000.  A million! They would be the size of one tenth of a grain of sand. Gritty 

Why can't the descriptions be accurate? The 50 monkeys?  [in this actual case 43!]

[Matsunoki]

5 hours ago, Infinite_Wisdumb said:

why is the million monkeys theme so popular?

Hi Jesse

i think monkeys have always been significant in Japanese folklore. In very early times they were regarded as messengers of the Gods and I think the Tokugawa Shogunate (Ieyasu?) designated them as a deity but I can’t remember what for. Then they became popular as “street entertainers” with their human trainer but conversely at other times were viewed as representing the “shifty” or unpleasant side of humans! In the UK we have a saying “crafty as a van load of monkeys”……maybe there is something similar in Japan? Whatever…..the design allows the craftsman to admirably show off his carving skills.

[Bob M.]

Item No. 267   Tsuba in shakudo or dark shibuichi  7.71 cm x 7.50 cm x 0.42 cm

 

Theme of tigers and bamboo by Ishiyama Mototada , Kyoto 1669 - 1734 . ( Haynes 05940.0 )

 

Son of a court noble , Ishiyama Motoaki , he inherited the title after his father's death and often stated this on his work .

 

He was a student of Yokoya  and Goto schools .

 

Nice , early ( ish ) Katakiri work .

 

Scratches on the reverse around the seppa dai are what happens when the sender ignores a request to separately wrap the tsuba and not send it in its box.

 

NBTHK papered.

 

 

 

 

[peterd]

My favourite. Tiger and bamboo 

[peterd]

Just now, peterd said:

My favourite. Tiger and bamboo 

Not made by ford just cleaned etc by him, for me.

[ROKUJURO]

On 9/26/2022 at 12:18 PM, Spartancrest said:

......Why can't the descriptions be accurate?.....

Dale,

it is just a way to say "very many" in Japan (and I think, also in China). The same can be said about O-MINO-GAME, the "1.000 year old sea-turtle". The obvious exaggeration is just a superlative.
 

[Bob M.]

Item No. 268  Pair of menuki in solid gold.

 

Subject of Sakura blossom ,  modern made by Ford Hallam about 12 years ago.

 

The subject and quality speaks for itself .

[Brian]

Wow..those are awesome!

[b.hennick]

Your collection of Hallam's pieces is amazing. Thanks for sharing.

[Bob M.]

Hi Barry ,

 

Thanks for your comments and support .

 

There are another four Ford pieces ( tsuba ) to go over the coming months .

 

When the thread is finished , we can then start on groupings of fittings by maker , subject , age , etc etc  .  Please let me know what you would like to see ( if anything ) - this should be better for making comparisons / study .

 

Regards

 

 

[kissakai]

Fitting my school would help me as I've a quite a few fittings (less tsuba) that I know nothing about

[Bob M.]

Item No. 269   Mokkogata Tsuba in Iron with gold , shibuichi and silver    8.94 cm x 8.36 cm x 0.35 cm

 

Subject of pigeons feeding . Unsigned , attributed to Kawarabayashui Hidekuni 1825 - 1891 ( adopted son of Hideoki ).

 

Unusual theme from an artist of the famed Otsuki school - nicely portrayed - those pigeons have Attitude . As usual , the piece looks far better in the hand with carefully worked details becoming apparent.

 

Haynes ref. H01054.0

 

NBTHK papered

[Bob M.]

Item No. 270   Iron tsuba with ( single ) gold detail  7.00 cm x 6.68 cm x 0.43 cm

 

Subject of a horse , its head raised towards a stream and hills in the distance as depicted on the rear. Mito School , 19th cent. , by Hagiya Katsuhira & kao

 

Superior workmanship , shown off in the hand , far better than in photographs , with many subtle, raised details to give a three dimensional effect . In fact the horse appears to be looking back towards the viewer , just before galloping away.

 

Provenence-

W. W. Winkworth collection

Edward Wrangham collection

[Bob M.]

Item No.  271  Tsuba in iron with gold and silver/shibuichi  7.08 cm x 6.45 cm x 0.50 cm

 

Subject of Shoki and Oni  unsigned , design after Toshinaga.

 

A determined looking Shoki in pursuit of a realistic, powerfully muscled oni . Good detailing throughout with a micro nanako ground to half of the tsuba - not easy to do on iron.

 

Although without signature , papers or provenance , one of my favourite pieces , acquired nearly twenty years ago off ebay , before the Chinese fakes started to appear . Difficult to assess age , but possibly about 150 years old . 

 

Has been mounted at least once.

[Bob M.]

Item No. 272   Silvered iron with gold and silver   7.12 cm x 6.91 cm x 0.41 cm

 

Subject of flowers and leaves by Sunagawa Masayoshi , 3rd generation Sunagawa school , early 19th cent.

 

Is there a gardener / botanist out there who can identify the subject of this piece ? As far as I can see it could be an Orchid or possibly an Iris or a Lily.

 

There is a lot of dirt obscuring detail on this - I think a good soaking in a detergent solution is called for , see if any of the grime will lift.

[Bob M.]

Item No. 273   Fuchi-gashira in shibuichi with gold detailing.

 

Subject of flying ho-o bird with a kiri branch , signed Joi.

 

Carved and inlaid with a fine ishime ground.

 

Painstaking detailing appears on all the feathers of the bird with delicate gold inlays.

 

Looking deceptively simple ,once again , workmanship that only fully reveals itself in hand and under magnification .

 

Provenence -

 

Ex T. B. Blow collection

Ex T. B. Kitson collection 

 

 

 

 

[MauroP]

The subject of tsuba no. 272 should be orchid (蘭 - ran).

[terminus]

On 10/14/2022 at 1:39 AM, Bob M. said:

Item No.  271  Tsuba in iron with gold and silver/shibuichi  7.08 cm x 6.45 cm x 0.50 cm

 

Subject of Shoki and Oni  unsigned , design after Toshinaga.

 

A determined looking Shoki in pursuit of a realistic, powerfully muscled oni . Good detailing throughout with a micro nanako ground to half of the tsuba - not easy to do on iron.

 

Although without signature , papers or provenance , one of my favourite pieces , acquired nearly twenty years ago off ebay , before the Chinese fakes started to appear . Difficult to assess age , but possibly about 150 years old . 

 

Has been mounted at least once.

Wow impressive tsuba. Just realized that's nanako on iron! Thanks for the share, an unusual but interesting tsuba.

[1kinko]

Tony- the term iron gets used a lot here but iron is not the same as steel. I’ve had pure iron that’s as soft as copper. 

[terminus]

4 hours ago, 1kinko said:

Tony- the term iron gets used a lot here but iron is not the same as steel. I’ve had pure iron that’s as soft as copper. 

Aww I see. That's interesting. I wonder if some tosogu artists in the past purposely used softer iron for some certain techniques. ex. I heard Tanaka school used iron that was a softer type that tended to rust faster.