Iwamoto Konkan

[Chris swords]

I have this fitting which I have been told has been signed by 岩本昆寛 (花押) = Iwamoto Konkan (Kaō) does anyone have any more information on this maker? Thank you 

[Matsunoki]

Hi Chris

Below is the entry in Haynes giving much info. Sadly 99.99% of pieces carrying his signature are fake or “tributes” or “school of” or “after” etc etc
His work is truly unbelievable…..a top drawer metalworker.

 

[PNSSHOGUN]

This Tsuba by Iwamoto Konkan was in a book I had at a young age and has held my fascination ever since:

 

[Matsunoki]

1 hour ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

This Tsuba by Iwamoto Konkan was in a book I had at a young age and has held my fascination ever since:

Hi John. Anything with a nocturnal fox on it gets my vote. I believe this tsuba shows a fox admiring its reflection in the moonlit water having “decorated” itself with some flora. However, honestly, lovely as it is I don’t think it’s good enough to be by Konkan…..but I’d buy it!

[YOJIMBO]

konkan is konkan ONLY with papers

[Matsunoki]

Just for interest, here’s another carrying the Konkan attribution that I once owned.

[PNSSHOGUN]

Hi Colin, I found the source of the Kitsune Tsuba, now they have quite a few Iwamoto school Tsuba listed but not this one, so perhaps it was identified as a dud. 

 

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=iwamoto&page=1&page_size=15&kw_object_type=Tsuba&page=1

 

 

Quote

 

https://www.vandaimages.com/2006BB4706-Tsuba-with-design-of-a-magic-fox-by-Moonlight.html

 

Tsuba with design of a magic fox, by Moonlight design, signed by Iwamoto Konkan (1744-1801). Silver. Japan, 1780.

Image ID

2006BB4706

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London

 

 

[Matsunoki]

Hi John 

Some lovely tsuba in that link. I love the one with fish. Trouble is lots of the “tribute” output is damned near as good as the real thing. Nightmare!……but ultimately does it really matter if the quality is “right”?….maybe financially …but usually all of these good mixed metal pieces sell simply on their design and quality irrespective of Mei don’t they? Difficult to believe they were made by human hand sometimes. In this “advanced” day and age we will never see anything close to these being made again…..except for Ford of course!!