Tsuba signed " Ichijosai Hirotoshi"

[Bruno]

Hi,

 

I post this on behalf of a friend, as I know very little on tsuba in general.

 

He bought it recently and could not find a similar example yet.

 

Any info regarding, age, school, style etc, would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Bruno]

[ROKUJURO]

The right side image shows an ONI, chased by SHÔKI.

From he Inet: The legend of Shôki originated in China. Shôki was an aspiring scholar in China who committed suicide when he failed the examinations to become a government official. The emperor, when he realized the degree of Shôki's commitment to service, awarded him the title of doctor. Shôki then appeared to the emperor in a dream where he vowed to protect the empire from demons to show his gratitude.

This side looks like iron while the other side - probably with FUJI-SAN, a river with a boat and a jumping carp - seems to be brass. Very unusual combination.

My guess would be late 19th century, don't know a specific school.

From the internet:  Hirotoshi studied in Edo. He studied under Tamagawa Kichiyoshi.

[Rivkin]

I would take both to be late Meiji period's work of the kind often described as hamamono: the topics are traditional, but the design is both crowded and dominated by large elements with overly grotesque execution.

[Kurikata]

Hammer price at 2300 euros plus 30 % taxes and fees....

[FlorianB]

Sorry to correct the "jumping carp": It's a KOINOBORI, a windsack in form of a carp used as an auspicious symbol on boy's day on May 5th.

An UKIYO-E by Hiroshige (maybe the model for the TSUBA in question?):

 

 

Best, Florian

[Bruno]

18 hours ago, Kurikata said:

Hammer price at 2300 euros plus 30 % taxes and fees.

That looks like this one. I was aware of the final price...

 

I forwarded the link of this thread to my friend so that he can follow the discussion.

 

Thanks all.

[vajo]

Both are nice late Edo/Meji Tsuba.

I like the iron tsuba. Can't read the signature clearly.

Well done.

[Matsunoki]

Strange tsuba. The brass side looks like it could be a shiremono pressing affixed over an iron plate? I even wonder if the iron plate is cast with mixed metal onlay. Shoki’s face looks shibuichi or maybe shakudo and the Oni is also mixed/patinated soft metal.

Might look/feel totally different “in hand” but its definitely “unusual”

[vajo]

Is this one tsuba🤔

[Matsunoki]

I think so🙂

[Kurikata]

Yes it is...

[vajo]

strange. How does it hold together.

Is it possible to see a picture from the Mimi?

[Kurikata]

[vajo]

Thanks a lot. Really cool.

[Matsunoki]

@Spartancrest

Dale…..ever seen anything like this one?…I mean the construction?

Yes popular subject matter of course but hmmmmm……

 

[BIG]

We do not have good luck with Hokusai, and now the same with Hiroshige ??

Where is the only man to judge that mistery, Dale please..

[Spartancrest]

 

9 hours ago, Matsunoki said:

ever seen anything like this one?…I mean the construction?

Actually quite a lot of Bi-metal construction - https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34359    https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34366  https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34373   https://wwwhttps://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34460.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/34392   https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34423   https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34452   https://www.metmuseu...lection/search/34459   https://www.metmuseu...ection/search/642492    

These are just in the Metropolitan Museum of Art alone. [handy that I did a catalogue of that museum's collection ]

The image below is perhaps the closest -  iron on one side sentoku on the other. Regrettably the museum has no images of the side view of the mimi.

 

I hope this helps

 

 

 

 

Two different metals fixed side by side https://www.the-sale...23-b4f2-ae8201239793

 

You can check out the Walters for more https://thewalters.o...erience/collections/     see these  - 51.96   51.97   51.218   51.26  51.303  51.369  accession numbers - some are triple metal.

 

[handy that I did a catalogue of that museum's collection as well! ]

[Matsunoki]

4 hours ago, Spartancrest said:

Actually quite a lot of Bi-metal construction -

As usual, Dale saves the day! Amazing. Loads of research potential there. we are so lucky to have @Spartancrest🙂

Ignore my earlier reservations, it’s obviously a good piece.