Ian Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 Hello all Tosogu people Can you please give an opinion if this is a Hamano school Tsuba Kind Regards Ian Quote
John A Stuart Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 The artist that signed Yanagawa Naomasa was from the Yoshioka school. I am not confident this is correct for him. John Quote
Ian Posted November 7, 2009 Author Report Posted November 7, 2009 My thoughts also, then I saw this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT Ian Quote
John A Stuart Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 The tsuba pictured on Kanetoyo's auction is a world away in quality although there is a similarity in theme. I think the one you pictured is Mito. There are tsubas of this exact theme within multiple schools. I have two, one Mito and one Aizu-Shoami. To save space I show one side only, but, the ubiquitous waterfall in a glade is on the reverse. John Quote
Ludolf Richter Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 Hi Ian,there is no Yanagawa Naomasa with "your" Masa-Kanji in the books: a not yet recorded artist or a student or Gimei!?Ludolf Quote
ottou812 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 Previous thread had the same Naomasa mei. Looks like tsuba from the same "artist". viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6292 Quote
John A Stuart Posted November 7, 2009 Report Posted November 7, 2009 What are the chances of two Naomasa in a row? :lol: However the mei are dissimilar. The one in this thread is poorly cut, don't you think? As Ludolf said the Masa kanji is not the one associated with the Yanagawa Naomasa making me think gimei as a first impression. John Quote
Mark Green Posted November 8, 2009 Report Posted November 8, 2009 Hey Ian, GREAT looking tsuba. That's one mean looking Shishi I love the multi-colored leaf bunches. Quote
Jean Posted November 8, 2009 Report Posted November 8, 2009 I've the same Aizu shoami tsuba that John has pictured, mounted on my Naoe Shizu Quote
John A Stuart Posted November 8, 2009 Report Posted November 8, 2009 Where do you think I got it? You had better check. Really though, this has to be one of the most popular themes. BTW, Jean, does your's have a fukurin? John Quote
Jean Posted November 8, 2009 Report Posted November 8, 2009 Here it is my friend and yes, it has a fukurin - Aizu Shoami papered Quote
John A Stuart Posted November 8, 2009 Report Posted November 8, 2009 Hi Jean, As I suspected mine had at one time. Your's is papered to Aizu-Shoami, that is good to know since that attribution was only mine. I bought it from Alan Bale some years ago and he was surprised when I told him I reckoned it was Aizu-Shoami. I think he was leaning to Mito. A couple of years ago here on NMB I had a conversation with Curran on the Mito/Aizu connection. They are after all bordering each other and probably had artists from both schools in direct competition/collaboration. John Quote
Jean Posted November 9, 2009 Report Posted November 9, 2009 Hi John, I got mine from Seikeido, the iron is a bit rough, makes me think of hone pounce. Quote
Marc BROQUIN Posted November 9, 2009 Report Posted November 9, 2009 Hello, Some complements about that artist. According to Kinko Meikan, "YANAGAWA NAOMASA was a JOKO tsubako". It means a tsuba carver above the average. Obviously the work depicted in the first pic can not be that one of an artist above the average. And it is why he was well known that copist have signed with that name. Furthermore he has always written his name (according to my knowledge) with a kakihan or kao at the end. The presented signature has not. Anyhow the way the tail of the shishi is done ressembles the way the Yanagawa artists were carving it even if the fineness is not present there. And also the general structure of the design as a certain look similar to Yanagawa School. But here stops the comparison. Yanagawa school was founded by YANAGAWA NAOMASA the first (1692-11757). According to the Baur Collection book he was a pupil of the early Yokoya and of the Yoshioka. And it is said he combined the characteristics of both these schools. The Yokoya (YOKOYA SOYO I) were working for the Shogunal court in Edo in the classical Goto school style and the 4th Yoshioka master was a pupil of YOKOYA SOYO the first. Even if each school has certainely influenced the others and reciprocatively, there is apparently no link between HAMANO and YANAGAWA. In the 19th century (period of the depicted tsuba) most of the carvers have been influenced more or less by the various schools and it begins difficult to separate the styles. SHOAMI Schools have copied all the existing styles and this tsuba is probably from a Shoami carver. Aizu or not the characteristics are not obvious to follow a particular track. :? Hoping not to have been too much professoral. :D Sincerely, Marc Quote
Marc BROQUIN Posted November 10, 2009 Report Posted November 10, 2009 Hello, :D Just another little comment about the subject : Shishi male, female and baby shishi are often depicted with a waterfall. A Japanese legend says that the Shishi tested the courage of their youngs by throwing them in a waterfall. The fatal issue of this Spartan (from Sparta in Greece) test was considered as an evidence of their weakness. This scene is, after KOJI HOTEN, called Shi-Shi no saka otoshi. I bet our distinguished Japanese members to amend my message if any mistake has been made and if they can give more development of the legend. Sincerely Marc Quote
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