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

[Bob M.]

Item No. 297   Tsuba in Shakudo with gilt   8.00 cm x 7.85 cm x 0.36 cm

 

Subject of Shishi and cub with peonies and stream signed Soyo with kao

 

Together with the three previous items makes up the Yokoya Soyo/ Yanagawa Naomitsu set of fittings.

 

High quality workmanship in katakiri and kebori on the theme of a Shishi testing its cub.

 

NBTHK papered.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob M.]

Re Item Nos. 294  - 297

 

The full set together in its box.

[Bob M.]

Re. Items 294 - 297

 

Many Thanks to George Miller for the following research and commentary on this set.

[Bob M.]

Item No. 298   Kozuka in copper , shibuichi , shakudo and gold

 

Subject of the Bridge Post of Seta with centipede signed Masayuki.

 

Interesting fitting recently purchased at auction.

 

The signature is likely gimei -( can be read shozui ) but an unusual subject nontheless.

 

The back story to this is being researched and I hope to be able to add the information in the next few days.

 

The kozuka has been in the United Kingdom for well in excess of a hundred years - auctioned 23rd November 1910 Glendinings lot 107 ( part ).

 

 

[Bob M.]

Re. Item No. 298

 

Thanks once again are due to George Miller for the information below and background to this piece.

 

' The motif is very interesting and is allegory for proper Samurai behavior that comes from an actual historical event.

 

Fujiwara no Hidesato (aka Tawara Toda) was a famous Samurai from the Heian Period who helped quell the revolt of Taira no Masakado who had declared himself royalty in opposition to the Emperor.  Hidesato had met Masakado before and had deemed him to be a bad Samurai from some fairly minor transgression of eating food off the floor (shows you should always have good table manners…)  Masakado knew Hidesato was coming after him and he knew of Hidesato’s prowess with a bow, so he employed many doubles who dressed like him to try to avoid being shot by Hidesato.  Hidesato ended up cutting off Masakado’s head and was given many rewards for his valor in that battle.

 

There is a famous legend about Hidesato (also know as Tawara Toda or “My Lord Bag of Rice”) meeting the Dragon King (or his daughter) on the Seta Bridge and agreeing to help the Dragon King by killing a giant centipede that had been plaguing his family.  Many scholars believe that the centipede legend is an allegory for Hidesato’s action in killing Masakado on behalf of the rulers in Kyoto.   As the legend goes: Hidesato was walking across Setagawa bridge and saw a huge dragon laying across it.  Being courageous, Hidesato simply climbed over the dragon’s back and continued on his way.  Then he heard a voice calling to him from behind and turn to discover a feeble old man dressed like a king with a dragon crown.  It turned out to be Ryujin the King of the Sea (who represents the Emperor in this allegory).  Ryujin explained that he had been laying across the bridge for a long time waiting for someone courageous enough to walk over him because he needed an exceptional warrior to kill a giant centipede (which represents Masakado and his army) that had been eating his family members one-by-one.  Apparently dragons are only afraid of centipedes (and five colored cloth - but that’s a story for another time…)  Hidesato immediately agreed to help Ryujin and kill the giant centipede.  The giant centipede (omukade in Japanese) was coiled around Mount Mikami (the image of the centipede wrapped several times around a mountain represents the many Masakado troops filing down the road that spirals down the mountain).  Hidesato only had three arrows and the first two that he shot simply bounced off the centipede’s exoskeleton.  Then Hidesato remembered that human spit is poisonous to centipedes… so he licked his last arrow and let it fly - hitting the Giant Centipede in the forehead and killing it instantly.  Ryujin was delighted and insisted that Hidesato accept many gifts and rewards including and inexhaustible bag of rice (where Hidesato gets his nickname My Lord Bag of Rice) and the Bell of Miidera (which features in several other legends - like Benkei).  The story demonstrats proper Samurai behavior - helping the weak without asking for reward, being courageous, etc.

 

Tosogu artists refer to this legend in several different ways, sometimes with a bridge post and centipede, sometimes with Hidesato speaking with the Dragon King (or the Dragon King’s daughter in other versions).  Your kozuka has the added treat of Hidesato’s famous bow in kebori on the back. '

[rematron]

Here is a beautiful papered tsuba currently up for auction that illustrates the mythos. 
 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/k1088726504

 

 

[Brian]

Thank you George, for that interesting story, and to Bob for sharing it.

[Bob M.]

Item no. 299   Tsuba in yamagane with gold  6.15 cm x 5.54 cm x 0.35 cm

 

Subject of autumn scene  signed Togakusai Keikan & kao, can anyone find a reference to this artist ?

 

This is truly one of my favourite pieces - although small and bearing a simple design , it is a tour de force of the carvers art. When viewed deeply or held in hand , it is easy to imagine yourself on the Musashi Plain or by a water margin . The day is crisp with the promise of winter to come and the Silver Grass is just on the edge of dying down . The geese are returning in skeins and their calls add to the feeling of fading seasons...

 

It may only be a tsuba for a tanto but in my view it is a sublime and evocative piece in the best tradition of Japanese Art.

 

The tsuba was so dirty and discoloured that the dealer I bought it off, some ten years ago, thought it to be Shakudo. Some TLC from Ford Hallam changed all that. I will try and dig out some old pictures for a before and after comparison.

 

 

[Bob M.]

Re Item No. 299

 

Before and after pictures - I'll leave you all to decide which is which.

[SteveM]

Very interesting Bob. I looked in Wakayama for a reference for this smith, and couldn't find anything. 

Tōgakusai is listed, but Wakayama has this as the gō for a metalsmith called Masatsugu (政継) - and as far as I can tell this Masatsugu has never used the name Keikan. So its a slight mystery. 

[Bob M.]

Item No. 300   Kozuka in shibuichi with gold

 

Subject of a tiger glowering beneath stormy skies . 

 

A naturalistic rendition of the subject by Sasayama Tokuoki ( 1813 - 1891 )of the Otsuki School in Kyoto. The lightning bolt rendered in typical School fashion.

 

A Masterful carving in katakiri from the end of the Edo period.

 

 

[terminus]

As you know Bob, I love this kozuka. Amazing katakiri work and has the signature Otsuki school lightning. While Tokuoki isn't ranked as high as Ichijo or Natsuo, I personally think Sasayama Tokuoki is one of the very best tosogu metalworkers of all time. 

[Bob M.]

Item No. 301  Kozuka in Shakudo , Shibuichi and Gold

 

Subject of ants on bark , signed Haruchika , 19th cent.

 

Made in two separate sections of Shakudo and Shibuichi, joined with Gold clips and a dovetail joint, ants are inlaid onto a bark texture ground.

 

A pleasing, unusual piece which also has an attestation by Amiya Soemon on the interior of the box lid. Can anyone help with the translation please ?

[SteveM]

春親在銘  傑作

赤銅四分一削継戸尻金朽込彫下
金二足蟻之圖苔金キチリ金銀
昭和庚寅夏

阿弥屋　惣右

 

Haruchika zaimei  Masterpiece
Two tone with shakudō and shibuichi arranged diagonally, with kojiri rot effect in gold
Image of a pair of ants in gold. Moss in gold, and dovetail joints in gold and silver.
1950 Summer  Amiya Sō

[1kinko]

Termites and Japanese joinery?

[SteveM]

Actually 二足蟻 has me slightly baffled. I said "pair of ants" but 二足 would be "two pair of ants", which it isn't. Not quite sure how to translate 二足蟻. 

 

Edit: On further reflection, "pair" wouldn't work at all in this context regardless of the number. Still scratching my head over this one.  

[Larason2]

Interesting. There's two sticks and two ants, 足 (ashi) can also be translated as sticks. Maybe two sticks with ants, or two sticks, two ants. 

[1kinko]

Those aren’t ants. Look at them. That’s why there are signs of repair to the wood. The artist knew what he was carving but the “attestation” isn’t right or the kanji has dual meanings.

[Bob M.]

Re Item No. 301

 

The placement of the moss might also be an indicator as it only appears on the shakudo ( representing older ? ) bark/wood.

[Bob M.]

Item No.  302   Tsuba in Iron with gold, shakudo and shibuichi   7.54 cm x 6.85 cm x 0.43 cm

 

Subject of Tiger  with pine trees and crashing waves by Hoshinsai Toshikage ( Haynes 10383 )

 

Toshikage was a student of Tanaka Kiyotoshi and therefore worked in the Tanaka style.

 

Beautifully crafted with a lot of fine detail.

[dimitri]

hello Bob, well I think you have been told this before and you know it but you have a fantastic collection, I used all my emoticons of the day on the first 2 pages, congratulations and thank you for showing us your treasures from all eras. I couldn't even tell you which of your pieces amazed me the most, each one of them has a story to it, the tsuba with the rabbits in a storm is incredible in detail, or the map of the Japanese provinces on another tsuba tells me amazed but so much enchanted me. THANKS.

[Bob M.]

Re Item No. 302

 

George Miller has sent through the following contribution to this item regarding the positioning and style of the kao.

 

' My guess is that the kao on the back is a ' stamp of approval ' by Kiyotoshi of his student's work or a joint effort ( and that's why it is a combination of the two artist's kao and on the back ).  I haven't see this written about anywhere for Kiyotoshi, but it would make sense to me about why the kao is on the back. '

 

Many Thanks, George.

 

Any thoughts or comments on this from anyone ?

[Bob M.]

Item No. 303  Fuchi Kashira in copper with gold and silver.

 

Subject of Fukurokuju being annoyed by some Karako . Signed by Joi ( Nara School ) 19th Cent.

 

Crafted with great attention to detail , the face of the god is particularly expressive and is carved in 3d  , wrapping around the side of the fuchi.

 

I should be able to post some background information in the next few days , courtesy of George Miller.

 

 

[Brian]

How much do I have to pay George Miller to just participate here?
He's so knowledgeable and helpful it seems. Do I have to drag him kicking and screaming back here? lol

[Bob M.]

Re. Item No. 303

 

As mentioned above, the following commentary is received from George Miller with Many Thanks.

 

 

'  Fukurokuju and Karako.  Fukurokuju is one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. His name is made up of 'fuku' (happiness), 'roku' (wealth) and 'ju' (longevity). He carries a scroll that has everyone's lifespan in it and is said to be the only god who can resurrect the dead.

 

Karako is the generic name for small children depicted on tosogu in Chinese garb (kara=China and ko=small or child).

 

Fukurokuju is often confused with Jurojin - both have elongated heads. Some sources say that you can tell the two apart by the implements that they carry, and Jurojin carries a Chinese fan (like the one that the boy is playing with on your fuchi), but I have also seen Fukurokuju with that kind of fan.

 

I think that the look on Fukurokuju's face (and sleeping Karako on his head) on the kashira and the Karako using his magic fan to chase butterflies away on the fuchi allude to Rosei's Dream.

 

Rosei's Dream is a famous motif in Japanese art about a guy who dreams of great success (happiness, wealth and longevity). He is depicted in Japanese art with a Chinese fan (like the Karako is using on your fuchi) and butterflies flying around his head as he sleeps.

 

I think that your Fukurokuju is upset that the Karako is chasing away the dreams of success that Fukurokuju represents.  '

 

 

As usual, a fascinating back story that is hidden within the fittings and brought into the light for our education...

 

Thanks again, George !

[Bob M.]

Item No. 304   Tsuba in shakudo with gold   8.00 cm x 7.33 cm x 0.39 cm

 

Subject of ripe millet stalks and heads by Ford Hallam - 2011.

 

A commissioned tsuba featuring in the documentary film ' Yugen '.

 

Although without verbal commentary, Yugen does illustrate thought processes as well as manufacturing technique in the production of a masterpiece.

 

Links to the film through this section of the Message Board ( above ) or through Ford Hallam's You Tube channel.

[Brian]

Ab-so-lutely incredible!
I think you have the best collection of Hallam work anywhere. This is just so stunning. How about a really close pic of that millet? Araki Tomei would be proud.

[kissakai]

I've seen this tsuba using a loupe and as you say it is incredible

 

[Bob M.]

Re Item No. 304,

 

Following up Brians suggestion about closeups , the problem is that the closer you get to the piece with a camera, the more you lose the visual context.

 

It really is a case of can't see the wood for the trees.

 

I will keep trying to get better images but will have to wait for optimal natural light conditions.

 

Thanks for the interest.

[Winchester]

Thank you very kindly, Bob, for sharing these with us. There is subtle beauty to appreciate, reflect on the process and be moved by.