Interesting tsuba but unknown carver (Natsuo den ?)

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Eric,

 

If you like you can get even bigger images of those tsuba from

my Picassa gallery here.

 

Natsuo was very famous in his own time so was very well collected. According to his own records his studio apparently produced, on average, 50 pieces a year. This was during his later years in Kanda, Tokyo. His assistants included some very skilled artists, Tsukada Shukyo in particular who was later designated a "Teishitsu Gigeiin" ( Artist to the Imperial Court ) just as Natsuo himself was one of the very first such appointments.

 

Genuine work by the master was therefore always very highly sought after in Japan by the most refined connoisseurs. If you consider his later, mature style you'll notice an emphasis on fairly simple subjects, a wind blown peony, a single iris, and as we've seen also various studies of trees, in the wind and rain. His work becomes very refined and almost understated. Perhaps not quite to the taste of early European and American collectors and he was very expense then too.

Such was his fame though,I'm pretty sure that most wealthy collectors of the time would have wanted at least one example from his hands and where there is a demand there will always be unscrupulous dealers to meet that demand. This is precisely why there are so many "fake" mei on tsuba purporting to be by Natsuo. In his case he was being faked while still alive.

 

Some of the non-Japanese collectors had reliable advisors and bought through reputable dealers so we are in fact fortunate to have some extremely fine examples of his work in the Boston Museum collection. His Iris tsuba is in my opinion one of his greatest masterpieces...in the flesh it is quite tiny but it has all the presence of a work by Michaelangelo. It's worth going to Boston for that alone.

 

As for why his ( genuine ) work rarely comes up for auction we can only speculate but one reason may be the serious desirability of the real thing. It may be quite difficult to get someone to part with one ...so you have to wait until someone dies and his family might sell the collection. Often, in cases like this, specialist dealers are the preferred route.

 

The Hartmann collection had at least 5 tsuba with Natsuo's mei on; Lot's No; 255, 381, 406, 576, and 636. There was also a very convincing shibuichi tea-scoop signed with his mei. As for which of the tsuba were genuine...who knows? Certainly not all of them.

 

The Carlo Monzino collection ( Sotheby's London June '96 ) one of the finest collections I've seen at auction in a long time, had one piece, a kozuka, with the Natsuo mei but was described as "after" ie, a copy...or fake. Lot no; 403

 

In the Sotheby's sale of July 2005 London, the excellent collection of Alan L. Harvie, there was a Myochin Muneharu tsuba with an inlaid panel signed "Natsuo" Lot no: 894. Sold for £4560.

 

There was a pair of menuki ( probably genuine ) in the Bushell collection auctioned at Christie's in October '98 in New York

 

Sotheby's London March '95 had a tsuba with Natsuo's classic peony design and signed with his mei. Lot No: 259...but described as a copy.

 

So you can see, the real thing is not that easily acquired.

[Eric H]

Ford

 

Thank you very much for these concise, enlightening informations about NATSUO.....truly, it's a benefit to have you on the NMB

 

Eric

[Ford Hallam]

You're most welcome, Eric...glad to have been of help. I love talking about my favourite subject :D

 

btw; there are at least 20 pieces ( tsuba and kozuka ) in the Baur collection that bear Natsuo's name. Some may even be genuine...

There's also a fairly convincing tsuba in the Ashmolean museum in Oxford. Oliver Impey was very proud of that one.

There are a few in the V&A too. Can't remember if the British museum has any..., I can't remember ever seeing any there in the repository. But I blame Victor Harris for the memory lapses there....

[Ted Tenold]

According to his own records his studio apparently produced, on average, 50 pieces a year. This was during his later years in Kanda, Tokyo. His assistants included some very skilled artists, Tsukada Shukyo in particular who was later designated a "Teishitsu Gigeiin" ( Artist to the Imperial Court ) just as Natsuo himself was one of the very first such appointments.

 

Although I am not intricately involved in this craft, I realize the process is intricate due to the nature of the work. Given those processes and the time required, I think that this production number speaks another set of volumes to the skills Natsuo and his "team" possessed. The ability to create such works, as well as produce them skillfully in these number is facinating to me. Basic arithmatic shows this as about one work every 7 or 8 days, and that is based on a straight 365 days...no days off for inspirational study, meetings with clients, recording and design, travel, rest, recreation, etc..

 

Facinating artist and excellent information. I've learned quite a bit from this thread, thank you!

[myochin]

Many thanks Ford, Mark and all for this very enlightening thread!

Paul.

[Brian]

In the interests of continuing this thread, as it will make a wonderful future reference, would you care to comment on his mimi working Ford?

I notice that his mimi were usually quite distinctive, with that distinctive rustic and uneven look.

Of course he didn't do this every time as the pics show, but when he did, they are done quite similarly and distinctively. Is this fairly unique to him, or was it a common method of working, and is there anything to look for when comparing the mimi particularly on tsuba supposedly by him?

 

Brian

[Jean]

Ted, forgive me but I find you particularly involved in this topic

 

Although I am not intricately involved in this craft, I know the process is very involved due to the processes involved

[Ted Tenold]

:lol: Yes, Jean, I guess you are correct..... I cannot dispute this involvment.

 

Our internet service is sporadic right now, so I am writing somewhat quickly to take advantage of little windows of opportunity. Forgive my repetitiveness.

 

Duely noted, and edited.

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Brian,

 

I wouldn't say this mimi treatment is absolutely unique to Natsuo but there is a subtle sensitivity and delicacy that is there...I would say that even he was in a constant process of development. In fact this is one of the reasons I find him so interesting ( appealing even ) Unlike some big names who's work shows relatively little development during their careers Natsuo continued evolving and refining his mode of expression. In this he is, for me anyway, a real creative force.

 

From what I see I'd say his mature style ( such as we've been looking at here ) was much influenced by the Otsuki school. This isn't surprising as he is actually considered to be of that school although clearly he also stands alone in his own right.

The 4th master of the Otsuki school, Mitsuoki, is justly famous for his very expressive kata-kiri which he blends with raised inlay and a lovely textural touch. His most notable students, Kawarabayashi Hideoki, Sasayama Atsuoki and Tenkodo hidekuni then develop equally distinctive traits of their own. I think that their influence on Natsuo shouldn't be underestimated.

 

In terms of rim treatment, and the sort of subtle modelling he is rightly famous for, you can see very clear precedents in the work of the Otsuki artists I mentioned but his own work achieves at times a depth and subtle profundity that is incredibly rare in this medium and is so hard to present in images.

 

In terms of technique the rims are mostly created by having the adjacent ground carved away, sukidashibori would be the technique while the resultant rim could be described as sukinokoshi. It does also appear that at times he used a certain amount of hammering to "upset" the rim and thus thicken it, not quite uchikaeshi ( hammered over ) but just the start to provide additional volume which would then invariably be modelled and carved further. part of his genius in this regard is the way his actual workmanship remains invisible leaving you feeling as though the ground is somehow organic and that it simply always was like that. He attains a degree of un-contrived...ness ( I made that word up ) that is deceptively "natural".

 

I don't know if this will help but one of the ways I have come to see his overall work recently is related to the two schools that he learned from early on in his training. His first teacher was actually of the Goto school in Kyoto so you do see certain aspects of that kind of technical precision and almost formal court aesthetic that one would expect in Kyoto. In Edo he seems to me to have responded to the more cosmopolitan vibe and embraced his true "machibori" status. Here, older and more confidant perhaps, he really comes into his own and produces work that is genuinely unique and his Otsuki school background would seem to me to be the stronger influence here. He was also clearly influenced by the Tanaka group, Kanaka Kiyotashi was in fact a friend of his. Natsuo's lovely Iris tsuba may actually have been partly copied from an earlier version by Kiyotoshi that is in the V&A in London. The very strong presence of Goto Ichijo and his students, Funada Ikkin, Wada Isshin, Nakagawa Issho et al, at that time would have been a further breath of fresh air stimulating their collective development.

 

It was suggested, in the NBTHK article I mentioned earlier, that as he owned a sketch book of Ichinomiya Nagatsune he was obviously most influenced by him. It's true Natsuo did copy the work of a number of earlier masters including Nagatsune but I'm personally very sceptical that he was all that much influenced by him in particular.

 

His earlier studies, in Kyoto, of painting were with Nakajima Raisho of the Maruyama school.

This is the sort of style they developed....it's influence on Natsuo is clear I think.

 

 

 

 

Edit notice: For some reason I got myself confused back there and described Nagatsune as one of three "Nara-sankau" of course I was thinking of Nara Toshinaga. Nagatsune was not one of the Nara-sansaku.

[John A Stuart]

A way anyone can have a genuine piece by Natsuo is to try and get the one yen silver coin minted in 1870. This is a .900 fine coin that had the carving designed and carved by Natsuo. The new Meiji government had British presses make these coins in Osaka. As with all Natsuo related artwork this coin is faked a lot also. Real ones are not cheap, but, do have a direct connection to his work. John

[Ford Hallam]

Just to add, here's a picture of one of the Natsuo/Myochin Muneharu tsuba mentioned in the Christie's catalogue.

 

I've included an enlarged view of the mei as they make for an interesting study and comparison with the Christie's example.

 

 

[Ted Tenold]

A completely interesting and enjoyable thread, worthy of full exploration but with respect, we've drifted a bit from Marc's first post about what might be thought of his tsuba. So to touch back back a bit on his tsuba; does anyone perhaps have any thoughts on it's true origins? I get the impression of perhaps a Mito school work.

[Eric H]

Ford

 

You are right concerning the BAUR- Collection...unfortunately I didn't check carefully enough the index. There are 4 Tsuba's, fotos attached, 12 Kozuka's mainly Shibuichi and 4 Fuchi Kashira mainly Shakudo.

 

D 1714 Shakudo

D 1715 Shakudo

D 1716 Iron

D 1717 Shibuichi

 

Following Ted Tenolds advice I will stop now.

Anyway, once more, many thanks for your most useful explanations.

 

Eric

[Ford Hallam]

Ted,

 

perhaps the discussion around Natsuo could be split off into a new topic as I think there is still a lot that can be explored and may be of value to the membership. Marc's tsuba would then get the attention it properly deserves. Apologies for leading the topic astray.

 

Regards,

 

Ford

 

p.s. Eric, re: the 4 images you posted, my view would be: yes(maybe), no, yes(maybe), no.

[Brian]

I's like to hear what Marc suggests, as I am not sure if there is anything else we can say about his. Have we reached the end of possibilities for that one?

And the whole thing does come together nicely as a Natsuo thread including the debate surrounding his. I'll leave the choice up to Marc

 

Brian

[Ted Tenold]

Ford,

 

No apology necessary. Examining the temperment with which threads usually go astray, this one is the prime example of a constructive and optimal manner. The contributions by yourself and others have built an excellent topic. I just didn't want Marc to feel as if his tsuba got left behind. Despite the questionable nature of the mei, the work is very nice and that was really the impetus of my comment. I agree that the discussion on Natsuo could be moved to a dedicated thread, but I would not want to interrupt the flow at this point if Marc doesn't feel slighted. If he so desires, then we'll happily dedicate a thread to Natsuo.

[docliss]

For what it's (not) worth, my opinion of Eric's four posted, Baur tsuba would be: no (maybe), no, no, no!

 

John L.

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Doc,

 

I'd probably have to agree with you but no: 3 is just so cute I want to believe it's genuine

 

regards,

 

Ford

[Marc BROQUIN]

Hello all,

Thanks a thousand time for this very intresting and enriching exchange. Yes we can close the subject on this tsuba. You have produced a lot of monkeys from different artists so I will share with you one apparently carved by SEISHINKEN MOTOTOMO as a cherry on the cake (as we say in french).

Best regards to all.

Friendly, yours

Marc