Images needed - Araki Tomei milet

[Ford Hallam]

I'm doing a bit of research in preparation for a new project and am looking for some good high resolution (preferably close up) images of Araki Tomei's millet heads.

 

I've got a good image of some menuki but I'm keen to see some that are inlaid into a solid ground. I've got a number of good images in various books so I'm really hoping someone has a tsuba they'd be able to photograph....unless I can borrow it for a while. :D

 

Any and all assistance gratefully received.

 

Thanks,

 

Ford

[Curran]

Perhaps the f/k on Cyrus' site would help?

 

Otherwise, must check a few books. I don't remember the millet on any tsuba. Would be quite the knuckle grater.

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Curran,

 

thanks, I'll check them out.

 

There are a number of well published tsuba by Tomei that feature his famous millet. I don't think functionality was foremost in this particular artist's mind though. :D

[Martin]

Hi Ford,

 

here are some images I can provide. But unfortunately I am not able to offer self made pictures...

millet.zip

[Akitombo]

Hi Ford,

Is this any help?

David

[Eric H]

some pics

 

Eric

[Ford Hallam]

Martin, David, Eric

 

thanks very much this is all very helpful. I starting to get a much better feeling for his style and technique now. A bit of experimenting shortly and I should be on my way. I may have something pretty to show in a couple of months

 

If anyone has any more images I'd still be keen to see them.

 

Thanks again gentlemen,

 

regards,

 

Ford

[Curran]

Just for others and a bit of reminder confirm:

 

Tomei millet should be 7 down the central row and 7 a head? That is the rule of thumb .

ie. In the zip file Martin provided, the ones not meeting this criteria are the non-Araki Tomei copies.

<<< This is not to say that all the ones that do _are_ Araki Tomei works, as Ford is about to prove >>>

 

Eric, I haven't seen that koshirae in a while. Saw different photos before, but never saw it in person. A real beauty.

[Kevin Adams]

I can't open the preceding zip file on my Blackberry to see what it is so I hope I'm not repeating anything, but I found a tsuba with millet by this artist in "100 Tsuba and Sword Accessories" by Kazuo Iida and Michiko Hiruta (page 102). It's not a large image, but I'll scan and post when I get back to my computer/scanner, if no one beats me to it

[Eric H]

in almost circular form - signed Issai Tomei

 

Eric