Shakudo menuki of a shishi, signed

[Zantetsuken]

Hi everyone,

 

I‘m new to nihonto and tosogu. I recently got my first menuki. Sadly single, but I really like the subject and treatment. It’s signed on the back, maybe someone knows the artist or can translate it. 

 

Thanks a lot,

Simon

 

 

[vajo]

 

Yanagawa 柳川  school

Someone of the shimizu family. My guess. 

[Zantetsuken]

Thanks a lot. I found a lot information about the school in this thread.

 

 

[Curran]

  On 2/1/2025 at 12:42 PM, vajo said:

 

Yanagawa 柳川  school

Someone of the shimizu family. My guess. 

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Feels right.  Nice little menuki.

The attached gold Kirin menuki were mine. Note the similar spiral sunburst carved patterns.

 

NBTHK said these were Yanagawa.

NBTHK mostly got it right. Near miss....

Darcy and I later established they were identical to a Kikuoka school pair that was in a Juyo set mitsukoromono.

[Jake6500]

  On 2/1/2025 at 8:08 AM, Zantetsuken said:

Hi everyone,

 

I‘m new to nihonto and tosogu. I recently got my first menuki. Sadly single, but I really like the subject and treatment. It’s signed on the back, maybe someone knows the artist or can translate it. 

 

Thanks a lot,

Simon

 

 

Expand  

 

I've taken a couple weeks off the forum so I'm super late to this one...

 

I'm yet to delve into menuki in my own collection (they sort of scare me risk wise, unless they have a signed attribution like this one!) but this one is beautiful and a great pickup!!!!

 

Yanagawa school as has already been said! I just picked up a kozuka signed Yanagawa Naomitsu which I believe is authentic and I hope to share with the forum once it arrives from Japan! Makes me wish I had found this menuki as well! 

 

Great find!