//Edo Period (1603 – 1868)
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    Iron tsuba with knotted geese motif by Myochin Katsuharu of Echizen province. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of circular form with the knotted geese (kari) flying over the rough waves pierced (sukashi) and carved in low relief (nikubori). Hitsu-ana plugged with soft metal. Hitsu-ana plugged with soft metal (tin or lead).

    Signed: Echizen koku jū Myochin Katsuharu saku.

    Edo period.

    Size: Height: 80.7 mm; Width: 81.0 mm; Thickness: 4.5 mm; Weight: 110 g.

    Two tsuba of this master can be found at Georg Oeder Collection (Japanische Stichblätter und Schwertzieraten. Sammlung Georg Oeder Düsseldorf. Beschreibendes Verzeichnis von P. Vautier. Herausgegeben von Otto Kümmel.Oesterheld & Co / Verlag / Berlin, Oesterheld, 1915; LIB-1465 in this collection) under №№ 172 and 173, page 21, though no illustrations. SOLD.
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  • Iron tsuba with mokkō motif by Enju Kunihide of Higo province. Mid Edo period, ca. 1800.

    Thin six-lobed iron plate of brownish color is carved on each side with a groove that follows the rim and a concentric grooves around the center of the plate, also carved with six thin scroll lines (mokkō or handles, kan) that follow the shape of the rim. Mokume surface treatment. Hitsu-ana  possibly added at a later date, and kogai-hitsu-ana plugged with gold. Silver sekigane.

    Signed: Kunihide [國秀]. Higo school, 1st generation swordsmith.

    Mid Edo period, ca. 1800.

    Would be possibly attributed to Kamakura-bori school revival of the 19th century.

    References: Nihon Tō Kōza, Volume VI / Japanese Sword / Kodōgu Part 1, page 231: Enju Kunihide, a tōshō from Higo: "...forging of the jigane is excellent, and there are also pieces with mokume hada."

    Haynes Index Vol. 1, p. 741, H 03569.0: "Enju Kunihide in Higo province, died 1830, student of Suishinshi Masahide. Retainer of the Hosokawa Daimyō, etc."

    Additional Information from Markus Sesko:  This tsuba indeed is made by Enju Kunihide, who in his later years signed the HIDE [秀] character as HI [日] and DE [出], as here: Size: 77.4 x 74.9 x 2.7 mm Similar pieces are: 1. In this collection № TSU-0341: Kamakura-bori tsuba with mokkō motif. Muromachi period, 15th - 16th century. 2. Dr. Walter A. Compton Collection, 1992, Christie’s auction, Part II, pp. 14-15, №16: “A kamakurabori type tsuba, Muromachi period, circa 1400. The thin, six-lobed iron plate is carved on each side with a wide groove that follows the shape of the rim, and with six scroll lines and a single thin circular groove. […] The hitsu-ana was added at a later date, circa 1500-1550.  Height 8.3 cm, width 8.6 cm, thickness 2.5 mm. The tsuba was initially intended  to be mounted on a tachi of the battle type in use from Nambokucho to early Muromachi period (1333-1400)”. Sold at $935. 3. And another one in Robert E. Haynes Catalog #9 on page 24-25 under №23: “Typical later Kamakura-bori  style work. This type of plate and carving show the uniform work produced by several schools in the Muromachi </em period. Some had brass inlay and others were just carved as this one is. The hitsu are  later. Ca. 1550. Ht. 8.8 cm, Th. 3.25 mm”. Sold for $175.      
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  • Iron tsuba with noshi decoration in openwork, by Kinai of Echizen. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of round form pierced (sukashi) and carved (marubori) with a 'noshi' decoration design. Noshi - decoration made of dried abalone (awabi) and bearing an auspicious connotation of good fortune, prosperity, etc. Design was used as a family crest (mon).

    Size: 76.3 x 75.9 x 5.5 mm.

    Signed: Echizen jū Kinai Saku. Kinai school existed from mid 17th to mid 19th century; it is hard to tell which master (generation from 1 to 6) made this particular piece.

    SOLD
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  • Iron tsuba with pines, crescent moon, and torii in openwork. Edo period.

    $710.00

    Iron tsuba of round form decorated with the design of distant pines, torii, and crescent moon in openwork (sukashi). Copper sekigane.

    Size: 84.9 x 84.8 x 5.8 mm.

    Unsigned.

    Edo period, ca. 1750.

    Tosa Myochin or Akasaka school.

    Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter Ames Compton (Part I). Christie's, New York, March 31, 1992, pp. 28-29, № 53:

    "A Tosa Myochin School Tsuba. Edo period (circa 1750), signed Toshu ju Kuniyoshi saku. The round iron plate pierced with a design of a temple gate (torii) and a pine tree. It has a round rim and there are some carved details on the surface of the design. The Tosa Myochin school, despite its foundation in the classic Myochin armor school tradition, worked mainly in the style of Akasaka school of Edo. [...] Many are equal to the mid to later Akasaka school work and the two types have frequently been confused. Signed examples are rare. Estimated price $1,500-2,000."

    Compton Collection, Vol. 1, №53

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  • Iron tsuba with skull and grasses motif. Edo period.

    An iron tsuba of round shape inlaid with shakudō, gold, and silver with a motif of a weather-beaten (nozarashi) skull and grasses growing beside as well as through the eye-pit, and a crescent moon above the scene. Grasses on the reverse. Unsigned. Dimensions: 71.7 x 70.6 x 4.2 mm Reference: Skull, bones and grave markers SOLD  
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  • Iron tsuba with spider motif by Yatsushiro Jingo, Higo school. Late Edo period, ca. 1840.

    Very fine iron plate well hammered and turned, tapering and rolling to the rounded edge. Tsuba of a cross-form mokko shape (juji-mokko-gata) decorated with spider web inlaid in gold on both sides. The face is carved with a silver-damascened spider holding a gold-damascened butterfly (nunome-zōgan). Kozuka and kogai hitsu-ana of inome (boar's eye) form. The udenuki ana may be of purely decorative purpose.

    Signed: Yatsushiro [八代] Jingo Saku [甚吾作], a signature of Chisokutei Amatsune, one of the last Jingo masters.

    Late Edo period, Tenpō era, 1830-1844.

    Size: Height: 77.5 mm; Width: 72.8 mm; Thickness: 4.1 mm; Weight: 141 g.

    In a custom wooden box.

    Here is what Markus Sesko wrights in his book The Japanese toso-kinko Schools, 2012, on page 374:
    An artist who worked in the style of the Shimizu-Jingo school was Chisokutei Amatsune (知足亭天常). He was actually a samurai from Yatsushiro who made tsuba as a sideline. An extant old hakogaki of one of his pieces mentions that he died in Edo in the sixth month of An'ei eight (1779) at the age of 73. But the era of An'ei is probably wrong because Chikokutei (sic) is today dated by most experts around Tenpō (1830-1844). His relationships with the Shimizu school or under which Jingo master he had studied are unknown. From the point of view of production time and the finishing of nakago-ana, he is rather associated with the 5th and last gen. Shigenaga who died in the seventh year of Kaei (1854). A peculiarity of  Chisokutei was that he signed his Jingo copies with  "Yatsushiro Jingo Saku" ([八代甚吾作) but added the small syllable "chi" (チ) or the character "Chi" (知) for "Chisokutei" to identify them as copies.
    No longer available.
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  • Iron tsuba with spotted deer motif by Hamano Noriyuki. Edo period, 18th-19th century.

    $1,300.00
    Iron tsuba of ryō-mokko-gata form decorated with a spotted deer (Nara deer or sika deer) motif in low relief carving (sukidashi-bori) and flat silver inlay (hara-zōgan); deer's eyes and details in gold inlay. Signed on a copper cartouche: Noriyuki. Grass in low relief carving on the reverse. There were two Noriyuki in Hamano school - father (Noriyuki I, 1736-1787) and son (Noriyuki II, 1771-1852). Frankly speaking, I don't know which one made this particular piece. Edo period, late 18th or early 19th century.

    Size: 71.5 x 70.0 x 3.0 mm.

       
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  • Iron tsuba with the Sennins motif. Edo period, ca. 1700.

    Iron tsuba of oval form with the design of two immortals (Gama Sennin with the toad upon his head and Tekkai Sennin with his iron crutch) beside a waterfall carved in low relief with a high relief effect (takabori) and with details inlaid in gold. A waterfall carved on the reverse. Nakago-ana is plugged with copper sekigane. Unsigned. Allegedly, Mito School.

    Edo period, ca. 1700.

    Size: Height: 87.0 mm; Width: 82.8 mm; Thickness: 4.4 mm; Weight: 179 g.

    No longer available.
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  • Isoda Koryūsai. Evening Snow on Mount Hira, from the series Eight Views of Ômi in Modern Guise. Circa 1774.

    Evening Snow on Mount Hira (Hira no bosetsu), from the series Eight Views of Ōmi in Modern Guise (Ryaku Ōmi hakkei, (略近江八景). About 1773–75 (An'ei 2–4). Artist: Isoda Koryūsai (Japanese, 1735–1790) CATALOGUE RAISONNÉ: Hockley 2003, p. 202, #F-21-1 DIMENSIONS: Vertical chûban; 26 x 19.3 cm (10 1/4 x 7 5/8 in.)
    Signed: Koryû ga [湖竜画]
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  • Isoda Koryūsai. Poet Saigyō Hōshi admiring Mount Fuji. Ca. 1765-70.

    Isoda Koryūsai (礒田 湖龍斎, 1735–1790), flourished: 1769 to 1790. The print lacks signature (signature erased).

    Attributed definitely to Koryūsai: Jacob Pins, #491 [p.202] - Saigyo Hoshi admiring Mount Fuji. Signature erased but convincingly attributed to Koryusai. Tikotin Museum, Haifa. Catalogue raisonné: Allen Hockley: A3-J-5 (p. 261).

    Saigyō Hōshi (西行 法師, 1118 – March 23, 1190) was a famous Japanese poet of the late Heian and early Kamakura period.

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  • Kamakura-bori tsuba with design of hatchet and fans. Edo period.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of hatchet executed in openwork (sukashi) and three fan panels motif on both sides carved in low relief (sukidashi-bori). Designs on the fan panels - face: bellflower, plum blossom in mist, grass leaves; - back: clouds, grass, and half plum blossom in mist. Copper sekigane. Koga-hitsu-ana probably cut out on a later date. Kamakura or kamakura-bori school. Edo period. Height: 83.8 mm, Width: 82.2 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.2 mm. NBTHK certificate № 4005500: Hozon (worthy of preservation).
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  • Kanayama tsuba with the Chinese character motif. Early Edo period, 17th century.

    Iron tsuba of round form with design of the Chinese character for cinnabar (shu-no-ji) in openwork (sukashi). Round-cornered rim. Copper sekigane. Kanayama school. Early Edo period: Early 17th century (Kan-ei era). Height: 70.0 mm. Width: 69.6 mm. Rim thickness: 6.8 mm. Center thickness: 5.8 mm. Provenance: Sasano Masayuki Collection, № 139: "Many areas have a coarse texture and strong tekkotsu, with the thickness of the metal graduating from the rim to the seppa-dai. The combined color of the iron and motif date this work to the early Edo period".  
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  • Katsukawa School (Shunshō?). Portrait of an actor (Ichikawa Monnosuke II?). Circa 1780s.

    An unsigned print, presumably by Katsukawa Shunshō that presumably depicts a kabuki actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II. I was not able to find any reference of the image. Size: Hosoban. According to The actor's image. Print makers of the Katsukawa School. Timothy T. Clark and Osamu Ueda with Donald Jenkins. Naomi Noble Richard, editor The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Princeton  University Press, 1994, Ichikawa Monnosuke II was born in 1743, in Ōji Takinogawa, Edo. He died on October 19, 1974. His specialities were young male roles (wakashu) and male leads (tachi yaku). He was considered to be one of the four best young actors of his day.
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  • Katsukawa Shun’ei. Kabuki scene.

    Katsukawa Shun'ei. Signed: Shun'ei ga (春英画). Vertical Ōban. No reference whatsoever. Unidentified play, actors, roles, year, theatre. SOLD  
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  • Katsukawa Shun’ei. Portrait of an actor (Ichikawa Monnosuke II?). Circa 1780s.

    Print by Katsukawa Shun'ei that presumably depicts a kabuki actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II. I was not able to find any reference of the image. Size: Hosoban. SOLD  
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  • Katsukawa Shun’ei. Sawamura Sōjūrō III as Kakogawa Honzō in play Kanadehon Chūshingura at Miyakoza theater, 1795.

    Katsukawa Shun'ei (勝川 春英; 1762 – 1819).
    TITLE: Sawamura Sôjûrô III as Kakogawa Honzô.
    SERIES: Kanadehon Chūshingura (Kana practice book: Treasury of the loyal retainers").
    DATE: 1795
    Signed: Shun'ei ga (春英画). Publisher: Iwatoya Kisaburō, Marks 173/p.169. Vertical Ōban:  14.75 x 9.625 inch
    On 4th lunar month of 1795 Sôjûrô plays the roles of En'ya Hangan and Kakogawa Honzô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura" at Miyakoza theater in Edo.
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  • Katsukawa Shun’ei. The sumo bout between Yotsuguruma and Yamaoroshi

    Katsukawa Shun'ei. The Sumo Bout between Yotsuguruma (right) and Yamaoroshi (left). Date: 1800 or 1805/06. Similar sheet can be found at Edo Tokyo Museum. Size: Vertical Ōban. Sumo wrestler Yotsuguruma Daihachi (1772 - 1809) first appeared in the records of national tournaments in winter of 1794. Then he lost 3 matches and won zero. He first won in the spring tournament of 1797 in a match against maegashira (the fifth-highest rank of sumo wrestlers) named Kougamine. Yamaoroshi Gengo (born 1762) came in at the winter tournament of 1799 . He was much more successful in his career than Yotsuguruma, but he had never won a tournament. It was the time of great Raiden, who won most of them. In the spring tournament of 1800 Yotsuguruma and Yamaoroshi fought against each other for the first time. Yotsuguruma lost. The next time they met on the ring was at the winter tournament of 1805, and again in 1806. Both matches were won by Yamaoroshi. Yamaoroshi retired in 1809; Yotsuguruma died in 1809.  
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  • Katsukawa Shunkō. Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō IV, late 18th century.

    Artist: Katsukawa Shunkō [勝川 春好] (Japanese, 1743 – 1812).

    Actor: Matsumoto Kōshirō IV [[松本幸四郎]; other names: Omegawa Kyōjūrō, Ichikawa Komazō II, Ichikawa Somegorô I, Ichikawa Takejūrō, Segawa Kinji, Segawa Kingo] (Japanese, 1737 – 1802).

    Signed: Shunkō ga. Size: Hosoban; 14 x 33 cm. SOLD
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