Hamano Kozuka - Rare Motif

[Vermithrax16]

A few weeks back a kozuka came up for sale via a Japan vendor and something in my mind went on high alert. I could swear I had come across the very theme presented on the kozuka. It was a rare theme, and perhaps that is why I found it both striking and familiar. I made arrangements for purchase.

The Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849) is most well known for his famous work "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". His woodprints and paintings make him one of the most well known artists in Japanese history. Due to the very specific theme of the kozuka, a simple search of my bookmarks revealed an interesting tidbit:

Hokusai had printed a work named "Gathering Rock Tripe". Sadly, the year made is not given. It was the very artwork I had remembered when I saw the kozuka.

The kozuka is made by the great Hamano Naoyuki (1754-1827), and he's one of my most favorite metal smiths. The detail work and depth is spectacular, and the shibuichi has great colors and tone. The kozuka could very well have been made after Naoyuki saw the Hokusai artwork. Or he just fancied the theme or saw it locally. No way to tell unless he wrote it down somewhere.

Included below, the painting by Hokusai and pictures of the kozuka as best as I could do. Also a couple pictures from the vendor which show the fine details better than mine.

Sorry for the long story, but this sort of thing excites me and represents one of the most fun aspects of Nihonto collecting.

 

[Curran]

A+ topic.

Most cool.

[ChrisW]

I love the attention to detail in the water, there's so much depth to it. A masterwork in my eyes for that alone!

[GRC]

Fantastic!

Congrats on the purchase and making that awesome connection 

[Vermithrax16]

1 hour ago, Curran said:

A+ topic.

Most cool.

To me, it makes the time I spend (many, many hours) looking through books, scanning the web for Japanese art renderings to better understand influences on fittings makers and their work styles worth it. They were often as you know intertwined. And once something like this comes up, it's just very rewarding.

[Brian]

It's a fantastic kozuka, and agree with your assessment.
Amazing how such a wide and detailed scene can be depicted on such a limited medium. Stunning.

[Bazza]

Brilliant coup, brilliant.  Surely this can be classified as a horidashimono.  However, as Jeremiah illustrates, such luck comes with hours and hours of study and appreciation - and lateral study at that.  I've seen a very few such finds in my own pond, once myself finding a Shodai Sukehiro (Soboro) katana that is on my polish list.  Bask in the glow of your find mate, as we bask with you.  Thank you so much for showing and sharing this lovely piece.

 

BaZZa.