Nishigaki Kanshiro Paulownia? Hakogaki Translation?

[Iaido dude]

There is a listing on Jauce of a nice classic paulownia design with hakogaki that my translator app can’t decipher. Kebori is weak, but composition is exactly like a 2nd generation Kanshiro. Hard to tell if smaller hits-ana for kogai is instead a reflection of Akasaka school or just the reflection of a composition/design element. 

 

Any thoughts?

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/h1143443304

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Mumei Kanshiro. Early summer, Showa 56(?) Kanzan. Tetsu-ji.

Everything is roughly as you describe, but it says 'Nage-Kiri Sukashi Tsuba' which means... a 'thrown paulownia' what ever that is! (Thrown, slapped in higgledy piggledy, like clay?), a favored technique of the Hayashi school.

 

(PS Can't yet make out the top right wording inside the lid.)

[Iaido dude]

Thanks very much. I’ve noticed that sometimes the usage doesn’t translate so clearly, but it makes sense that the reference is to an appearance not unlike Jackson Pollack throwing ink at a canvas. Who wrote the hakogaki? Maybe those kanji under the lid are a mei. 

 

So, at least the author thought this was mumei Kanshiro. The identification is outside my knowledge base, but has me intrigued. Price won’t break the bank and certainly not the market value of millions of JPY for Shodai or Nidai Kanshiro, but it would be interesting to get a better sense of whether this is a later generation Higo or a very good homage piece. 

[Bugyotsuji]

Kanzan is Satō Kanzan.

(Kanzan 極 kiwame = in the judgement of Kanzan)

[Iaido dude]

Well, what do you know? Cool. This tsuba is nearly identical in form to plate 203 in Sasano's gold book. A bit longer in height. The leaf edges and kibori are worn (especially below and upper left of omote, better preserved on ura), but the remnants still have tracings of the original kebori design. This Nidai design isn't as fluid (a bit stiff), tasteful, and refined as Shodai from my brief study, but I think it succeeds on its own merits. It's like a Frank Lloyd Wright home built into a cliff with an original tree preserved and growing through it. It feels wild and untamed.