Information on the Kikuchi School or Kikuchi Jyosui

[Jake6500]

So I have been doing some research into different schools and I came upon an interesting tsuba from the kikuchi school. I was wondering if anyone had any additional information about the Kikuchi school artisans/lineage as I am curious about the particular artisan who created this piece. I am particularly interested in knowing if this is an example of musume-bori from a female artisan.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

https://www.aoijapan...sui/#google_vignette

 

[Jake6500]

As this thread didn't get any responses the first time around I am going to bump it up in the hope of receiving some new responses...

I recently found this papered Kikuchi tsuba on Jauce and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to snatch it up... It appears to be signed "Kikuchi Joukaku".

 

https://www.jauce.com/auction/1160942560#

 

Does anyone have any information they could share about this artist or the Kikuchi school generally?

Most everything I've been able to find is that the Kikuchi school were big on Katakiribori and not much else...

 

And of course, whilst it is papered it is green papered... Do you think this is an authentic Kikuchi school piece or gimei?

[Kurikata]

Hi Jake,

 

I recently purchased a shakudo tsuba by Kikuchi Seijo. He is from the very late Edo period (around 1870), with Haynes reference 08077.0.  As you see,  another very different style from yours.

[Jake6500]

1 hour ago, Kurikata said:

Hi Jake,

 

I recently purchased a shakudo tsuba by Kikuchi Seijo. He is from the very late Edo period (around 1870), with Haynes reference 08077.0.  As you see,  another very different style from yours.

 

Interesting, your tsuba seems a lot more similar stylistically to the first example...  As you said, not much similarity to mine.

 

I did find these examples of Kozuka by "Kikuchi Tsunesada", circa 1800 that has a similar design and style to my tsuba (shishi lion/tiger, katakiribori)

 

 

 

 

Now I don't know what to think! Are these two different branches of the Kikuchi lineage?

 

 

[Jake6500]

Just managed to find this in 'Japanese Sword Guards' by Okabe Kakuya, Published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:

 

Perhaps my guard comes from a student of these artisans.

[kyushukairu]

Jake, I don’t think the first tsuba which you posted (from Aoi Art) is linked to the Kikuchi school, there is no artist listed with that name, and the style isn’t in keeping with the Kikuchi school, who specialised in katakiribori. In my opinion, it’s a Mito school tsuba with a fictitious mei.

 

The second tsuba which you posted is by Kikuchi Tsunekatsu, the founder of the Kikuchi school. I had a quick look at the meikan and the kao looks good to me. Here’s some information about him from Sesko’s Signatures of Japanese Sword Fitting Artists:

 

24.1 Kikuchi Tsunekatsu (菊池序克), 1st gen.
The founder of the Kikuchi school was Tsunekatsu, a student of Inagawa Naokatsu (稲川直克). He also received the character for „Katsu“ from the latter. He was born in the first year of Hōei (1704) and was called „Seijirō“ (清次郎). Because of his artistic background in the Inagawa school he worked mostly in shakudō with nanako ground and takabori-iroe ornamentations but his strong point was katakiribori. In his later years he entered priesthood and took the nyūdō-gō „Sōju“ (宗寿). Other pseudonyms of Tsunekatsu were „Sōryūken“ (草流軒) and „Gidōken“ (蟻洞軒). There are also works extant which are signed with the characters (常克) for „Tsunekatsu“ and it is assumed that they go back to his earlier years. In addition, we know a joint work (gassaku, 合作) with Naoharu (柳川直春, 1750-?), the 3rd gen. Yanagawa, which is signed with the supplement „made at the age of 60“. That means Tsunekatsu was also in direct contact with the Yanagawa school. His year of death is unknown but the latest extant information about his age mentions „made at the age of 64“. That means he was at least active until the Meiwa (1764-1772) era. 

[kyushukairu]

Here's the Kikuchi School's genealogy for future reference. Also from Sesko’s Signatures of Japanese Sword Fitting Artists pg.25.

[Jake6500]

On 11/17/2024 at 9:31 PM, kyushukairu said:

Jake, I don’t think the first tsuba which you posted (from Aoi Art) is linked to the Kikuchi school, there is no artist listed with that name, and the style isn’t in keeping with the Kikuchi school, who specialised in katakiribori. In my opinion, it’s a Mito school tsuba with a fictitious mei.

 

The second tsuba which you posted is by Kikuchi Tsunekatsu, the founder of the Kikuchi school. I had a quick look at the meikan and the kao looks good to me. Here’s some information about him from Sesko’s Signatures of Japanese Sword Fitting Artists:

 

24.1 Kikuchi Tsunekatsu (菊池序克), 1st gen.
The founder of the Kikuchi school was Tsunekatsu, a student of Inagawa Naokatsu (稲川直克). He also received the character for „Katsu“ from the latter. He was born in the first year of Hōei (1704) and was called „Seijirō“ (清次郎). Because of his artistic background in the Inagawa school he worked mostly in shakudō with nanako ground and takabori-iroe ornamentations but his strong point was katakiribori. In his later years he entered priesthood and took the nyūdō-gō „Sōju“ (宗寿). Other pseudonyms of Tsunekatsu were „Sōryūken“ (草流軒) and „Gidōken“ (蟻洞軒). There are also works extant which are signed with the characters (常克) for „Tsunekatsu“ and it is assumed that they go back to his earlier years. In addition, we know a joint work (gassaku, 合作) with Naoharu (柳川直春, 1750-?), the 3rd gen. Yanagawa, which is signed with the supplement „made at the age of 60“. That means Tsunekatsu was also in direct contact with the Yanagawa school. His year of death is unknown but the latest extant information about his age mentions „made at the age of 64“. That means he was at least active until the Meiwa (1764-1772) era. 

 

Thank you very much for the information. If this is an authentic 1st gen Tsunekatsu piece I will have done even better than I thought on this purchase!

 

I have had some pretty good luck on my last couple purchases, I can safely say the purchase before this one (I believe it is an authentic Hamano Sozui fuchigashira) is probably the best piece in my entire collection. I will make a thread about that piece shortly as well. Whilst I thought this latest piece was nice, I had not expected it to be a close second!

 

Thanks again for the assistance!