Translation help please

[kuromido]

Hello All,

 

Can anyone help with this kozuka translation?

Here is as close as I can get.

 

Pic one,

Right hand line:

Nobugawa munemichi +kao (probably wrong)

Left hand line:

Gyonen shichi ju ichi okina or “aged 71 years old”

 

Pic two,

Shimosa ori jo ? mura cho koku ?

Any help with the translation or the maker would be of great help.

 

Thanks,

 

PeterD

[reinhard]

Pic one:

 

Egawa SORIN (+kao) made this when he was 71 years old.

 

Egawa SORIN is a very big name and his (potential) works need to be cross-checked very carefully.

 

reinhard

[kuromido]

Hello reinhard and once again Thank you for your help,

Do you have any suggestions on how you would crosscheck it? I found one kozuka on the net with mei and it is close but not exact.

The strokes are slightly different but are all in the proper directions. I tried the jsl index but nothing

for egawa Sorin , Sorin, or egawa masatoshi which is said to be another of his art names.

I am still digging but if you (or anyone) can give any leads I would appreciate it.

Also, I am now more curious about picture 2 than before.

Can anyone help?

 

Once again Thanks,

PeterD

[reinhard]

Peter, before checking details of the mei, you better start with the characteristics and the quality of the work itself. First you need to know when, where and how SORIN worked before checking tiny details of a mei. For his biographical background (quoting):

 

"Egawa SORIN was born in Mito in 1774. He began as a highly renowned metal worker by the name TOSHIMASA. Later, becoming heir in-law of Katsura EIJU who was a leading disciple of Yokoya SOYO he succeeded in combining the two different types of carving methods of Yokoya and Mito schools."

 

You will find a representative example of his great skills in the koshirae (tokubetsu kicho koshirae) he made for a blade by UNSHO. It was lot No.261 in the first of three auctions selling the Compton-collection (Christie's NY, 1992).

The two mei on kozuka and kogai from this koshirae look like this:

 

reinhard

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Peter,

JSL Index on the JSS/US website, searching in the index of fittings artists gives these results for Sorin: JSS/US Newsletter 35,6,30, the Solingen Museum book 206, Compton auction at Christie's 1,172, 100 Masterpieces 300, Nippon-to: The Compton Collection 118, and the Boston Museum book 198&227.

Grey