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    Iron tsuba with a bat and moon motif. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of mokko form with rough surface decorated in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori) and openwork (sukashi) with a flying bat, a crescent moon, and a cloud over the moon. Bat's eyes inlaid with gold. Crescent moon and cloud on the reverse. Copper sekigane. Kogai hitsu-ana plugged with shakudō.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period.

    Size: Height: 83.7 mm; Width: 80.3 mm; Thickness: 2.9 mm; Weight: 141 g.

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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with design of lake and rudder. Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of octafoil form with design of rudder (kaji) and lake in openwork (sukashi) outlined with brass wire. Thin plate also decorated with three concentric circular rows of brass dots (nail heads) in ten-zōgan. Center of the plate outlined with the inlaid circular brass wire. Cut-outs for kozuka and kogai probably added later.  Slightly raised rim between the indentations (suki-nokoshi-mimi). The inlaid metal of red-ish hue, so it may be copper, not brass. Sekigane, visible on the NBTHK paper photo, are missing, possibly removed by a previous owner. Muromachi period. Ōnin school. Unsigned. Dimensions: 81.2 mm x 81.8 mm x 2.7 mm. Weight: 79.0 g. Large nakago-ana: 34 mm high and 10 mm wide. NBTHK certificate №455786: Hozon. Note regarding design: it was quite hard to interpret the big oval opening. The first suggestion was 'sea cucubmer', and it was based on a design published by Kazutaro Torigoye [Kodogu and tsuba. International collections not published in my books (Toso Soran), 1978] on page 202: Katchūshi tsuba: Sea cucumber and butterfly. Look and judge yourself:

    Torigoye: sea cucumber and butterfly.

    The second suggestion - 'lake' - came from [Iron tsuba. The works of the exhibition "Kurogane no hana", The Japanese Sword Museum, 2014], page 14 №5:

    Ko-Katchūshi tsuba: Lake and pine.

    Opening on my tsuba looks more like the 'lake'. Also, rudder and lake make more sense than rudder and sea cucumber. At least to me...    
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  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of temple gates, mountain pavilion and 5-storey pagoda. Muromachi period, 16th century.

    Thin iron plate of round form and black color carved in sukidashi-bori with design of rocks, waves, clouds, temple gates (torii), mountain pavilion and 5-storey pagoda on both sides, alluding to Todai-ji temple in Nara. Hitsu-ana pierced later. Very narrow very slightly raised rim. Copper sekigane.

    Late Muromachi period, 16th century. Dimensions: 88.7 x 88.0 x 2.4 mm (seppa-dai), 1.8 mm (base plate).

    Reference: “Art of the Samurai” on page 232, №140: ”Kamakura tsuba with Sangatsu-do tower and bridge. Muromachi period, 16th century. 83 mm x 80 mm. Unsigned. Tokyo National Museum. The mountain pavilion and bridge carved in sunken relief on the iron tsuba – both part of Tōdai-ji, a temple in Nara – are detailed in fine kebori (line) engraving. As a result of the chiseling used to create the relief, the ground of the piece is relatively thin".

     
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  • Utagawa Kunisada. A young woman reading a book in the light of a lamp, ca. 1844.

    Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese: 歌川 国貞; also known as Utagawa Toyokuni III (三代歌川豊国); 1786 – 12 January 1865).

    A young woman reading a book in the light of a lamp. Series: Arigataki miyo no kage-e (Shadow Pictures of an Auspicious Age). There are five known prints, half-length portraits of beauties, in this series, designed by Kunisada in ca. 1844. Another print from the series in this collection: SVJP-0306.2020: A young woman adjusting her hairpins in the light of a paper lantern.

    Signed: Kōchōrō Toyokuni ga (香蝶楼豊国画).

    Publisher: Maruya Kiyojiro.

    Size: Vertical Ōban (37.5 x 25.4 cm).
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  • Utagawa Kunisada. Five types of haiku in shōfū style / Fan print, 1842-46.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香蝶楼国貞画] in a double-gourd cartouche. Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, 1776 – 1862); seal: Ue [上] (Marks 02-041 | 156a). Inscription in the red stripe: Five types of haiku in shōfū style [俳諧五流蕉風] (Haikai gōryū shōfū). Censor's seal: Watari [渡] (Watanabe Shōemon), VI/1842–V ic/1846. Media: Fan print [団扇絵] (Uchiwa-e); size: 225 x 292 mm. An uncut fan print depicts a young woman with an insect (firefly) cage in her left hand. Her striped kimono is adorned with the design of white, grey and blue cherry blossoms. Two of the Seven Grasses of Autumn [秋の七草] (aki no nanakusa), namely Platycodon grandiflorus (kikyō) [桔梗] a.k.a. Chinese bellflower (or balloon flower) and Patrinia scabiosifolia (ominaeshi) [女郎花] a. k.a. Eastern (or Golden) Valerian, are seen on her right-hand side.
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  • Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Decorated sake cups, from the series ‘The pride of Edo’ / Fan print, 1827.

    An uncut fan print showing a young woman checking her makeup in a mirror from the series The pride of Edo [江戸じまん] (Edo jiman). The head portrait in the red circle is of kabuki actor Danjūrō VII. Ichikawa Danjūrō VII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1791 – 1859); other names: Ichikawa Ebizō V, Ichikawa Hakuen II, Ichikawa Shinnosuke I. Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Publisher: Ibaya Kyūbei [伊場屋 久兵衛] (Japanese, fl. 1804 – 1851). Artists signature: Ōkō Kunisada ga [應好国貞画] (Drawn to satisfy the taste of Kunisada) Publisher’s seal:久 – Ibakyū [伊場久]. Censor's seal: Kiwame; date seal: Bunsei 10 (1827). Saze: Aiban uchiwa-e; 23.2 x 28.9 cm. Ref.: [LIB-2967.2022] Utagawa Kunisada (1786 – 1865): His world revisited / Catalogue № 17, Exhibition March 17-21, 2021. — NY: Sebastian Izzard, LLC., 2021; p. 102, Cat. 28–fig. a.
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  • Heianjo brass inlay tsuba with swastika and other symbols. Momoyama period (1574 – 1603).

    Iron tsuba of round form pierced (sukashi) in a chessboard fashion and decorated with linear (sen-zōgan) and cast (suemon-zōgan) brass inlay, including symbols of the swastika, flower-lozenge, maple leaf, pine needle, etc. on both sides; rim and openings outlined with brass inlay. Nakagō-ana plugged with copper fittings (sekigane).

    Momoyama period. End of the 16th - beginning of the 17th century. Dimensions: Diameter: 75.5; Thickness: 4.5 mm.  
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  • Jūzō Suzuki, Isaburō Oka. The decadents / Translated by John Bester (Masterworks of ukiyo-e, №8). — Tokyo; Palo-Alto, CA: Kodansha International, ©1969.

    Description: Hardcover 26.5 x 19 cm, grey cloth, red lettering in kanji over black stripe to front, lettering to spine, tan endpapers, pictorial slipcase 27 x 19.5 cm; pp.: [1-6] 7-95 [96], pasted frontispiece and 79 colour illustrations with captions, within a collation. Series Masterworks of ukiyo-e, №8. ISBN: 9780870110986; 0870110985. Ref.: Worldcat Title-page (in frame): MASTERWORKS OF UKIYO-E | "THE DECADENTS” | by Jūzō Suzuki and Isaburō Oka | translation by John Bester | {publisher’s device} | KODANSHA INTERNATIONAL LTD. | Tokyo, Japan & Palo-Alto, Calif., U.S.A. || (Vertical text in kanji to the right, between rules). Artists: Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese [歌川 国貞], 1786 – 1865); Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese [歌川 国芳], 1798 – 1861); Keisai Eisen [Japanese [渓斎 英泉], 1790 – 1848). Contributors: Jūzō Suzuki [鈴木重三] (Japanese, 1919 – 2010) – author. Isaburō Oka [岡畏三郎] (Japanese, 1914 –2010) – author. John Bester (British, 1927 – 2010) – translator Kunisada's fan print in this collection (exactly the same copy) [SVJP-0380.2022]:
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  • Utagawa Kunisada. Jisei ha-uta no tsuma-biki / Fan print, 1856.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche Publisher: Iseya Ichiemon [伊勢屋市右衛門] (Japanese, fl. c. 1820s – c. 1860s); seal Tsuji [辻] (Marks 16-029). Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 225 x 295 mm, plus 10 mm paper strip glued on top (235 mm total height). Title: Plucking Popular Songs in Those Days [時世葉歌の爪弾] (Imayo ha-uta no tsuma-biki). Date seal and aratame seal: Ansei 3 (1856). Seller's Description: Uchiwa-e; picture intended for a summer fan. Here we see a relaxed beauty wearing loose layers of kimono and playing her shamisen instrument. She appears to be in the happy mood of spring, her singing inspired by the cherry blossoms in full bloom that we see outside of her window. She enjoys leisurely plucking with the plectrum of the shamisen and singing “ha-uta” (popular) songs. The title Ha-uta [葉歌] is normally written 端歌, which indicates a certain category of popular songs accompanied by shamisen with short texts that are drawn from daily life.  Here however, the title葉歌 uses phonetically the same “ha葉“, referring to the title of the book of a collection of ha-uta songs, Matsu no ha [松の], which was published in five volumes in 1703 by Shûshôken 秀松軒. It is said that this collection of songs was written and sung by the blind (who were often musicians by livelihood). Behind her, lying on the window sill, we see two ha-uta songbooks, one open and one closed. The last half of the title tsuma-biki [爪弾] translates “to pluck with fingers” instead of a plectrum, which is the usual way of playing the shamisen. 
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  • Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces. Sasano Collection.

    Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces. Sasano Collection.

    Sasano: Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces from the Sasano Collection. By Sasano Masayuki. Part One. Published in Japan in 1994 by Daisuke Saito, Mega Co., Ltd. Translated by Tomoko Saro. Printed by Mitsumura Printing Co., Ltd. 304 x 217 x 30 mm

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  • Utagawa Kunisada. Actor Morita Kan'ya XI as Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki. 1860.

    Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Actor Morita Kan’ya XI as Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki, 1860.

    Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Block cutter: Horikō (Kiyomizu) Ryūzō [彫工 柳三]. Publisher: Ebisuya Shoshichi [恵比寿屋庄七], Kinshōdō (Japanese, fl. c. 1846 – 1883). Actor Morita Kan'ya XI as Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki (Morito Kan'ya, Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki) Signed Toyokuni ga within the artist's Toshidama cartouche, publisher's seal Sho, Kinshodo, carver's seal Horiko Ryusan, censor's seal aratame with date 1860, 3rd month. Date: 3/1860. Oban tate-e; 36.5 x 25.3 cm. The actor Morita Kan'ya XI (1802-1863) is in the role of Saito Tarozaemon Toshiyuki from the play Oto no Miya Asahi no Yoroi (Oto no Miyo and the Armor of the Rising Sun). The play picks up following the Genko War of 1331-33 in which Emperor Go-Daigo (1288-1339) led a failed uprising against the ruling Hojo clan. Tarozaemon was a Hojo warlord and is credited with much of the victory. After the conflict, his lord Norisada receives a summer festival lantern from the courtesan Sanmi-no-Tsubone, which bears a riddling inscription. He and Tarozaemon deliberate over the courtesan and her message for quite some time until they realize that she is attempting to manipulate Norisada in the hopes of returning the Emperor from exile. Following this revelation, Norisada reinterprets the message to mean kiriko, literally "to cut a child," and determines that Sanmi-no-Tsubone's son must be killed. He instructs Tarozaemon to do the deed. However, unbeknownst to Norisada and in spite of his allegiance to the Hojo clan, Tarozaemon is sympathetic to Sanmi-no-Tsubone and her son. At one time, his own daughter had served in the Imperial Palace and was spared execution only through Sanmi-no-Tsubone's intervention. As repayment of that debt, he kills his own grandson in the other boy's stead and returns to Norisada to report that he had accomplished the mission. This print is from a series of portraits that Kunisada undertook very late in life and has been named Kinshodo-ban yakusha okubi-e (Kinshodo's Large-Head Actor Portraits) in reference to the publisher, Ebisuya Shochochi of Kinshodo. The series depicted great actors from the past and present in their famous roles. Kunisada was guided by images from his own oeuvre: he recorded Kan'ya in this role in the 8th month of 1829. As this was meant to be Kunisada's grandest actor series, it was executed on thick paper with the best possible pigments and the highest level of craftsmanship. In this unusual frontal portrait, Kunisada presents Morita Kan'ya XI as the loyal Tarozaemon with his eyes rolling upward and his jaw set in grim determination to commit the unthinkable act in an ultimate display of samurai honour. Text by Scholten Japanese Art, New York. Ref.: Waseda University Theatre Museum (enpaku.waseda.ac.jp), accession no. 100-5261 (for 1829 portrait of the same); [LIB-1212.2017] Robert Schaap. Kunisada: Imaging, drama and beauty. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2016, p. 165 (№ 16). Andreas Marks. Publishers of Japanese woodblock prints: A compendium. Ebisuya Shoshichi (1846-83) - P6032.
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  • Ōnin ten-zōgan tsuba with design of iris and snowflake. Mid Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of iris and snowflake in openwork (ko-sukashi or small cut-outs) outlined with brass wire. Three concentric rows of brass dots (ten-zōgan), with a brass circular line inside the innermost row of dots (missing on the back). Hitsu-ana is not outlined with brass wire, which let us suppose that it was cut out at a later date. Iron and brass. Ko-sukashi and ten-zōgan technique. Mid Muromachi period (1454-1513). Height: 74.0 mm, Width: 73.6 mm, Thickness: 3.0 mm.

    NBTHK certification of 1968: "Kicho". Condition is relatively poor: rust, missing inlay, scratches.

    While representation of the snowflake is rather standard, the meaning of the other cut-out design was initially less clear. Similar symbol was found at (1) "Kokusai Tosogu Kai, International Convention & Exhibition, September 24-25, 2005, The Frazier Historical Arms Museum, Louisville, Kentucky, USA"; on page 21 there is a photograph J-6 of a ko-tosho tsuba with "iris theme openwork"; (2) Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A. Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections. Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997; page 11, lot 6 - a ko-katchushi tsuba of early Muromachi period fith "simple design of stylized iris". In both sources the symbol is explained as 'iris" (kakitsubata).

    Freeman and Sharpe collections. Sotheby's, 1997.

    Kokusai Tosogu Kai, September 24-25, 2005.

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  • Tōshō tsuba with design of dragonfly. Muromachi period.

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with design of dragonfly in negative openwork (in-sukashi). It may be Ko-Tōshō (old Tōshō) or just Tōshō school, without a 'Ko'. Probably the dragonfly here is used as a family crest (mon). Muromachi period. However, Boris Markhasin and Skip Holbrook insist this is a 20th-century machine-made tsuba. Dimensions: Height: 95.0 mm. Width: 93.6 mm. Rim thickness: 2.1 mm. Center thickness: 2.3 mm. Nakago-ana: height = 30 mm, width = 7.8 mm. A dragonfly design is described by John W. Dower as following "During the period of feudal warfare, the dragonfly is reputed to have been am especially popular design applied to arrow quivers, and some warriors adopted it as a family crest. One reason for this was the insect's alternative names of katsu mushi and shogun mushi, both meaning 'victory insect'." Merrily Baird is even more talkative regarding the matter: "The dragonfly (tombo) in Japan is emblematic of martial success, as various names for the insect are homophones for words meaning "victory". The dragonfly is also auspicious because references in the Kojiki and Nihongi link it in both name and shape to the old kingdom of Yamato. This legacy has led to the use of dragonfly as an emblem on arrow quivers and as family crest. It also appears occasionally in conjunction with such imperial motifs as the chrysanthemum. Used in a context devoid of historical associations, the dragonfly is a seasonal symbol of late summer and early autumn." Dragonfly was an extremely often motif for the tsuba in all times, primarily in earlier times, before Tokugawa pacified the nation. The same motif is used on Ōnin tsuba in this collection:
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  • Katsukawa Shunshō. The Seven Gods of Good Luck in the Takarabune. Ca. 1780.

    The Seven Gods of Good Luck in the Takarabune (ship of fortune) with a crane (the phoenix) above them.

    Attributed to Katsukawa Shunshō, fl. 1726–92. Publisher: Uemura from Shiba (Edo). Marks "Publishers": U361|25-300: Uemura han (1793-1813). Marks "Artists, publishers...": Emiya Kichiemon (1688-1835). Artist signature absent. Looks very much like Pins #565 [p.223], but NOT the same. This exact design has not been found anywhere.

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  • Netsuke with design of a laughing peasant holding a giant mushroom. Late 18th century.

    Netsuke with a design of a laughing peasant carrying a basket and holding a giant mushroom in his right hand.

    18th century Dimensions: 55.7 mm tall

    Unsigned. According to Merrily Baird (Symbols of Japan, page. 93): ... This prominent use in the symbol-rich netsuke art form, however, reflects more their sexual symbolism than either their dietary appeal or interesting shapes. Mushrooms in Japan are generally a symbol of fertility, with some flat varieties, like shiitake, being associated with females. In contrast, the matsutake mushroom (Armillaria edodes) is a phallic symbol, as befits its thick, spearlike stem and the fact that it is consumed before cap opens.

    Female Daruma Riding a Mushroom [女達磨]. Ippitsusai Bunchô (1765–1792). MFA impressions: 11.18513, 21.4758

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  • Suzuki Harunobu . SHUNGA: COUPLE FAISANT L'AMOUR DANS UNE CHAISE A PORTEURS c. 1

    Suzuki Harunobu. Shunga. A couple making love in a palanquin / c. 1768-70.

    A shunga (erotic) print by Suzuki Harunobu  [鈴木 春信] (Japanese, c. 1725 – 1770) depicting a woman making love with a man in the palanquin (のりもの/乗り物) while the other woman "ties a sash about her hips below her obi."  The sheet is not signed; however, it is attributed to Harunobu. A reference image can be found in the Metropolitan Museum (NY) collection, Accession Number JP1635:

    http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/45071

    According to the MET "the palanquin ... has carried these courtesans to the shore for a spring outing". Some time ago, a similar print was sold by Richard Kruml (description: A chuban shunga print showing the occupant of a kago in flagrante with one of the porters, having seized the opportunity of a stop on the journey. Published late 1760s. Rare). Another copy was sold at Sotheby's in Paris for €3,360 on November 27, 2002 (Lot 24), with a reproduction of the print's detail and description on p. 39: Suzuki Harunobu (1725 – 1770) | Shunga: couple dans un palanquin, vers 1768-1770, non-signe, cachet non identifé, cachets Charles Mitchell, Huguette Berès, Format chuban, 20.1 x 28.6 cm | 3000 – 4000 € | Il s’agit probablement de trois voyageurs, l’un d’entre eux debout près du palanquin faisant mine d’ignorer la scène. Bibliographie: Delay p. 87. Reference: [LIB-3121.2022] Sotheby's: Collection Huguette Berès – Estampes, dessins et livres illustrés japonais / 2 volumes; vol. 1. — Paris: Sotheby's, 2002.
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  • Utagawa Sadahide. Five festivals, ninth month, full moon celebration / Fan print, 1835.

    Artist: Utagawa Sadahide [歌川貞秀] (Japanese, 1807 – 1879). Publisher: Iseya Ichiemon [伊勢屋市右衛門] (Japanese, fl. c. 1820s – c. 1860s). Size: Uncut fan print (uchiwa-e), 220 x 285 mm. Date-kiwame seal: 1835 (Tenpō 6). Signed: Sadahide ga in a double-gourd cartouche. Man trying to catch a catfish with a gourd during a picnic on an autumn evening. Five Festivals [五節句の內] (Gosekku no uchi), Ninth Month [九月] (Kugatu), Full moon celebration on the 15th night of the month (Tsuki machi)  [月まち]  or [月待]. The autumnal spirit is also supported by the presence of Patrinia scabiosifolia (ominaeshi) [女郎花] and Miscanthus sinensis, or Japanese pampas grass (susuki) [薄]. These two are part of the Seven Grasses of Autumn (aki no nanakusa) [秋の七草]. Description by Richard Kruml: "Viewing the full moon in the eighth and ninth months was a popular activity passed down from the aristocracy in Heian times; especially where the moon's reflection could be seen in the water. One such party is seen here where a member vainly attempts to catch a catfish with a gourd: A hopeless task with such an unsuitable utensil. This is based on a Zen riddle posed by the shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimochi [足利 義持] (Japanese, 1386 – 1428) on how to catch a catfish with a gourd, which inspired the 15th-century artist Josetsu [如拙] (Japanese, fl. 1405 – 1496) to paint the subject with accompanying poems on the conundrum by Zen monks".
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  • Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Geisha of Shimanouchi: Actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Danshichi no Mohei, 1821.

    The left sheet of (optional) triptych: Geisha of the Shimanouchi district: Actor Nakamura Utaemon III as Danshichi no Mohei, from Three Pleasures of Present-day Osaka (Tōsei Naniwa no sankō)「当世浪花の三興　島之内」　「団七の茂兵衛」　三代目中村歌右衛門. Publisher: Iseya Rihei [伊勢屋利兵衛] (Japanese, fl. 1790s – c. 1879) Year: 1821 (Bunsei 4). Size: Vertical ōban; 36.5 x 25.1 cm. Signed: 於浮瀬亭国貞画 – Drawn by Kunisada in Ukabuse (Ukabuse ni oite Kunisada ga). Ukabuse is the name of a famous restaurant in Osaka, this signature can be found only on a three print bijin series [Kunisada Project]. Censor's seal: kiwame 改印：極 Actor Nakamura Utaemon III [中村歌右衛門] (Japanese, 1778 – 1838); other names: Nakamura Tamasuke, Nakamura Baigyoku I, Nakamura Shikan I, Kagaya Fukunosuke I. Character: Danshichi no Mohei [団七茂兵衛]. Ref: MFA ACCESSION NUMBER 11.21936; LIB-2967.2022 Izzard. Full series (triptych) Three Pleasures of Present-day Osaka (Tōsei Naniwa no sankō):
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