/Collection
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    Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III). Iwai Kumesaburō III as Manjiya Yatsuhashi / Fan print, 1850.

    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: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847), seal: San [三] (Marks 11-001 | 127c). Block carver: Matsushima Fusajirō [松嶋房次郎] (Japanese, fl. 1843 – 1850); seal [彫工房] – Hori kō Fusa (Gordon Friese № 134). Double nanushi censor seal: Kunigasa & Watanabe (1849-50). Actor: Iwai Hanshirō VIII [岩井半四郎] (Japanese, 1829 – 1882); other names: Iwai Shijaku II, Iwai Kumesaburō III [岩井粂三郎], Iwai Hisajirō II. Play: Yukari no Hana Iro mo Yoshiwara [紫花色吉原], performed at the Kawarazaki Theater (Edo) from the 5th day of the 5th lunar month of Kaei 3 (1850) (see Kabuki Playbill at MFA (Boston) № 11.27996). A famous Yoshiwara courtesan named Manjiya Yatsuhashi [万字屋 八ツ橋] was killed by a provincial commoner Sano Jirōzaemon [佐野次郎左衛門] (on the second sheet of the pair):

    SVJP-0298.2019: Ichikawa Ebizō V as Sano Jirōzaemon.

    SVJP-0297.2019: Iwai Kumesaburō III as Manjiya Yatsuhashi
    Another Kunisada's print with the same characters in the same play and same performance can be seen at MFA (Boston) № 11.40190. One more example can be seen in the two upper images at Waseda University Cultural Resources Database, № 006-2707:  
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  • С. Варшавский, Б. Рест. Подвиг Эрмитажа: Государственный Эрмитаж в годы Великой отечественной войны. — М.-Л.: Советский художник, 1965.

    A book about the history and collections of The Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg during World War II; hardcover, 22.5 x 18 cm, in-8vo, grey cloth lettered black and red to front and spine, in pictorial dust jacket. Two similar copies of the 1st edition: LIB-3035.2022(1) and LIB-3035.2022(2). Title-page: (vertical black) С. ВАРШАВСКИЙ, Б. РЕСТ | (horizontal in red): ПОДВИГ | ЭРМИТАЖА || Opposite to t.p. (red on black): ГОСУДАРСТВЕННЫЙ | ЭРМИТАЖ | В ГОДЫ | ВЕЛИКОЙ | ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННОЙ | ВОЙНЫ || Pagination: [1-4] 5-190 [6], total 196 pages, multiple in-text b/w illustrations. Print run: 30,000 copies. Sergei Petrovich Varshavsky [Сергей Петрович Варшавский] (Jewish-Russian, 1906 – 1980). B. Rest [Б. Рест; Юлий Исаакович Шапиро] (Jewish-Russian, fl. 1940 – 1980).
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  • Denis Diderot. Les bijoux indiscrets / Œuvres philosophiques,‎ tome cinquième. — Amsterdam: Marc-Michel Rey, 1772.

    One volume, collated 8vo, 19.5 x 13 cm, later bound in brown full morocco by Pouillet, gilt-bordered covers, raised bands to spine, gilt in compartments, gilt-lettered, double-fillet on cover edges, gilt dentelle inside, signed, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Title-page: ŒUVRES | PHILOSOPHIQUES | DE MR. D ***. | — | LES BIJOUX INDISCRETS | — | TOME CINQUIEME | {vignette} | A AMSTERDAM, | Chez Marc-Michel Rey. | — | M. DCC. LXXII. || Pagination: [8] [1] 2-389 [390], total 398 pages, frontis., vignette, plates. Collation: 3 blank leaves at front and rear, π2 a2 A-Aa8 Bb3, total 199 leaves plus 7 unsigned engraved plates incl. frontispiece, and engraved vignette to t.p. Catalogue raisonné: Cohen-DeRicci 303; Lewine 145-6: …with the plates which have been copied and reduced in the undated Cazin edition (1771 and 1785). Contributors: Marc-Michel Rey (Dutch, 1720 – 1780) – publisher. Denis Diderot (French, 1713 – 1784) – author.
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  • Utagawa Toyokuni I. Early spring, from the series ‘Fashionable twelve months’ / Fan print, 1822.

    Title: Early Spring [初春之図] (Hatsuharu no zu); Series: Fashionable Twelve Months [今様十二ヶ月] (Imayo juni-kagetsu). Another version of translation: Modern Beauties of Twelve Months. Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I [歌川豊国] (1769–1825). Pubisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, 1815 – 1869), seal: Dansendō [伊場仙]. Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国画] and sealed with toshidama. Date-kiwame seal: Ushi (ox), Bunsei 5 (1822). Size: double-sheet uncut fan print ( aiban uchiwa-e), each 217 x 288 mm. Ref: Tokyo Museum Collection.
    Other five prints of this series: SVJP 0326.2020; SVJP-0362.2022; SVJP-0363.2022; SVJP-0364.2022; SVJP-0365.2022.
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  • Adolphe Granier de Cassagnac, Paul de Cassagnac. Histoire populaire illustrée de l’empereur Napoléon III / 2 vol. in one. — Paris: E. Lachaud et Cie, [1874].

    Hardcover, 28 x 20 cm, quarter sheepskin over marbled boards, marbled endpapers, gilt lettering to flat spine with gilt fillet bands, clipping pasted to front fep verso. Title-page: GRANIER DE CASSAGNAC — PAUL DE CASSAGNAC | ~ | HISTOIRE POPULAIRE | ILLUSTRÉE | DE | L'EMPEREUR NAPOLEON III | TOME I (II) | {publisher’s device} | PARIS | E. LACHAUD ET Cie, LIBRAIRES-ÉDITEURS | 4, PLACE DU THÉATRE-FRANÇAIS, 4 | – | Tous droits réservés || Collation: (v.1) π2 [1]-504, (v.2) π2 1-494; total 400 leaves plus albumen photograph pasted to frontispiece and 96 full-page woodcuts within collation. Pagination: [4] [1] 2-398 [2], [4] [1] 2-390 [2], ils.; total 800 pp. Contributors: Bernard Adolphe Granier de Cassagnac (French, 1806 – 1880) – father. Paul Adolphe Marie Prosper Granier de Cassagnac (French, 1843 – 1904) – son.
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  • Œuvres de Nicolas Boileau Despréaux. Avec des éclaircissements historiques, donnez par lui-même. Nouvelle Edition revuë, corrigée & augmentée de diverses Remarques. Enrichie de figures gravées par Bernard Picart le Romain (2 volumes). — Amsterdam: David Mortier, 1718.

    Description: two volumes, 38.3 x 25.5 cm each, uniformly bound in red morocco, boards decorated in gilt in the style of Luc-Antoine Boyet, with gilt dentelle inside out; spine with raised bands, gilt lettering, gilt in compartments; all edges gilt; marbled endpapers; printed on laid paper, text in the floral frame, engraved frontispiece (after Hyacinthe Rigaud), plates, t.p. vignette with the portrait of Desiderius Erasmus (after Quentin Metsys), head- and tailpieces (total of 40, some repeating) and 2 initials by Bernard Picart, folded portrait of dedicatee Guillelmine Charlotte Princesse de Galles &c &c &c by van Gunst after Kneller. Title-page (red and black, tall ‘s’): OEUVRES | DE | NICOLAS BOILEAU | DESPRÉAUX. | AVEC DES | ÉCLAIRCISSEMENTS | HISTORIQUES, | DONNEZ PAR LUI-MEME. | Nouvelle Edition revuë, corrigée & augmentée de diverses Remarques. | Enrichie de figures gravées par Bernard Picart le Romain. | TOME PREMIER (SECOND). | {vignette} | A AMSTERDAM, | Chez DAVID MORTIER. | — | M DCCXVIII. | AVEC PRIVILEGE. || Vol. 1. Collation: 4to; 1 ffl, a-c4 d1 A-3K4, 3L2, 1ffl; (K3 marked I3). Plates: t.p. vignette, frontispiece, 24 head- and tailpieces, f.t. in a grotesque frame and 6 full-page for ‘Le Lutrin’ in the same frame by Bernard Picart; folded portrait of Guillelmine Charlotte, Princess of Wales by van Gunst after Kneller. Pagination: [4] [i-v] vi-xviii [4] [1] 2-450 [2]. Vol. 2. Collation: 4to; 2 ffl, π2 A-3C4 3D3 2 ffl; (V3 marked T3, 2L4 marked A). Plates: t.p. vignette (same as vol.1) and 7 head- and tailpieces by Bernard Picart. Pagination: [4] [i-iii] iv-vii [viii] [1] 2-370 [2] [20]. Catalogue raisonné: Lewine 72-3; Cohen-De Ricci 165-6. Contributors: Luc-Antoine Boyet (French, fl. 1684 – 1733) – bookbinder. Claude Brossette (French, 1671 – 1743) – author, remarks. André Dacier (French, 1651 – 1722) – author, preface. Nicolas Boileau Despréaux (French, 1636 – 1711) – author. Pieter Stevens van Gunst (Dutch, 1659-1724) – engraver. Sir Godfrey Kneller (British, 1646-1723) – artist. David Mortier (Dutch-British, 1673 – 1728) – publisher. Bernard Picard (French, 1673 – 1733) – artist, engraver. Quentin Massijs [Metsys, Matsys] (Flemish, 1466 – 1530) – artist. Hyacinthe Rigaud [Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra] (French, 1659 - 1743) – artist. Guillelmine Charlotte, Princess of Wales (Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach) (1683 – 1737) – dedicatee
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  • Harold G. Henderson, Louis V. Ledoux. The surviving works of Sharaku. — NY: E. Weyne, Society for Japanese Studies, 1939.

    Hardcover volume, 31 x 23.5 cm, bound in full crimson canvas, reproduction colour print with black border pasted to embossed panel, ivory paper label with black lettering to spine, pp.: ffl, [1-4] (t.p./imprint, dedication/blank, 5-337 [338] colophon, 146 b/w woodblock prints by Sharaku photomechanically reproduced, within the pagination. Title-page: THE SURVIVING WORKS OF | SHARAKU | By HAROLD G. HENDERSON | and LOUIS V. LEDOUX | {device} | {blank} | PUBLISHED BY E. WEYNE • NEW YORK | ON BEHALF OF THE | SOCIETY OF THE JAPANESE STUDIES | 1939 || Colophon: PRINTED BY PETER BEILENSON AT THE WALPOLE PRINTING OFFICE | MOUNT VERNON • NEW YORK || Contributors: Harold Gould Henderson (American, 1889 – 1974)– author. Louis Vernon Ledoux (American, 1880 – 1948) – author. Tōshūsai Sharaku [東洲斎 写楽] (Japanese, fl. 1794 – 1795) – artist. Peter Beilenson (American, 1905 – 1962) – printer. Society for Japanese Studies – publisher. Walpole Printing Office (Mount Vernon, NY) – printer
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  • И. Мечников. Основатели современной медицины : Пастер, Листер, Кох. — М.: Научное слово, 1915.

    Paperback, 22.3 x 15.5 cm, publisher’s tan wrappers, brown lettering to front and spine, imprint and price to back, pp.: [1-3] 4-136 [2] blank/advert.; collated 8vo: [1]-88, 94 χ1, total 69 leaves plus 6 photomechanical plates, incl. frontispiece, four of them portraits. Title-page: И. Мечниковъ | ОСНОВАТЕЛИ | СОВРЕМЕННОЙ МЕДИЦИНЫ. | Пастеръ. — Листеръ. — Кохъ. | — | Изданiе | “НАУЧНАГО СЛОВА”. | Москва — 1915. Contributors and Characters: Илья Ильич Мечников [Élie Metchnikoff] (Russian, 1845 – 1916) – author. "Научное слово" – publisher. Типо-литография Товарищества И. Н. Кушнерев и Ко. — printer. Louis Pasteur (French, 1822 – 1895) – character. Joseph Lister (British, 1827 – 1912) – character. Robert Koch (German, 1843 – 1910) – character.
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  • [Hippolyte Prosper Olivier LISSAGARAY]. History of the Commune of 1871 / Translated from the French of Lissagaray by Eleanor Marx Aveling. London: Reeved and Turner, 1886. pp.: [i-v] vi-xv [1] 2-500.

    Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray. History of the Commune of 1871 / Translated from the French by Eleanor Marx Aveling. — London: Reeves and Turner, 1886.

    Hardcover volume, collated in-8o, 21.9 c 14.6 cm, bound in half red morocco over red buckram by Palmer, Hove & Co. (Manchester), ruled in gilt, marbled end-papers, top edge gilt, spine with raised bands, ruled in gilt, gilt lettering; bookplate "Ex libris William John Robertson" with black ink ms dated 1922 to front pastedown. Insert paper clipping “In Memoriam” marked “D.W. 25.1.61.” Graphite ms to t.p.: “[assisted by Karl Marx]”. Pp.: [i-v] vi-xv [xvi blank], [1] 2-500; collation: ffl blank first and last, π8 A-2H8 2I2. Title-page: HISTORY | OF | THE COMMUNE OF 1871. | Translated from the French of | LISSAGARAY, | BY | ELEANOR MARX AVELING. | LONDON: | REEVES AND TURNER, 196 STRAND. | 1886.|| Contributors: Hippolyte Prosper-Olivier Lissagaray (French, 1838 – 1901) – author. Eleanor Marx [Aveling] (British, 1855 – 1898) – translator. William John Robertson (Canadian, 1846 – 1894) – provenance. The Russian translation of the same title: [LIB-1158.2016] Э. Лиссагарэ. История Парижской Коммуны в 1871 г. (Дешевая библиотека, № 274) / Пер. под ред. В. Базарова. — С.-Петербург: Знание, 1906.
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  • Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche / vol. 1-3 plus vol. of plates. — Vienna and Göttingen, 1809-1835.

    Three hardcover volumes, in-12mo, 16.2 x 10.6 cm each, uniformly bound in quarter brown cloth over marbled boards, all margins marbled, gilt lettering to spine; plus an oblong volume of similar binding, 24.5 x 39.5 cm, with 88 engraved plates by Riepenhausen after Hogarth (83 pp, unnumbered). Catalogue raisonné of William Hogarth's engravings, published by Carl Armbruster in Vienna and Dieterichsche Buchhandlung in Göttingen. A detailed explanation of Hogarth's prints divided in 14 parts. Vol. 1.
    1. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Erste Lieferung. Wien, 1818. Bey Chr. Kaulfuß und C. Armbruster. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [i-v] vi-xxxvi, [1-3] 4-136, plus engraved t.p.
    2. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Zweite Lieferung. Wien, 1818. Bey Chr. Kaulfuß und C. Armbruster. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [i-iii] iv-viii [2] 11-207 [1 blank], plus engraved t.p.
    3. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Dritte Lieferung. Wien, 1818. Bey Chr. Kaulfuß und C. Armbruster. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [i-iii] iv-vi [3] 10-215 [1 blank], plus engraved t.p.
    4. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Vierte Lieferung. Wien, 1818. Bey Chr. Kaulfuß und C. Armbruster. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [1-5] 6-180 [1 blank], plus engraved t.p.
    Vol. 2.
    1. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Fünste Lieferung. Wien, bey Carl Armbruster 1819. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [1-3] 4-144, plus engraved t.p.
    2. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Sechste Lieferung. Mit zufåßen nach den schriften der englischen Erflårer. Wien, bey Carl Armbruster 1819. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [i-iii] iv-x [2] 13-100, plus engraved t.p.
    3. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Siebente und achte Lieferung. Mit zufåßen nach den Schriften der englischen Erflårer. Wien, bey Carl Armbruster 1820. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [1-8] 9-191, plus engraved t.p.
    4. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten Copien derselben von Carl Rahl. Neunte und zehnte Lieferung. Mit zufåßen nach den Schriften der englischen Erflårer. Wien, bey Carl Armbruster 1823. Gedruckt bey Anton Strauß. [1-7] 8-168, plus engraved t.p.
    Vol. 3.
    1. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten aber vollständigen Copien derselben von E. Riepenhausen. Eilfte Lieferung mit zufåßen nach den schriften der englischen Erflårer. Göttingen in der Dieterichsche Buchhandlung 1809. [1-3] 4-81 [82 blank].
    2. C. G. Lichtenberg’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten aber vollständigen Copien derselben von E. Riepenhausen fortgefeßt vom Berausgeber der fechsten Lieferung mit Benußung der englischen Erflårer. Zwölfte Lieferung. Göttingen in der Dieterichsche Buchhandlung 1816. [i-iii] iv [1-3] 4-76.
    3. J. P. Lyser’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten aber vollständigen Copien derselben von E. Riepenhausen. Dreizehnte Lieferung Göttingen in der Dieterichsche Buchhandlung 1833. [i-v] vi-xii, [1-3] 4-117 [118].
    4. Dr. le Petit’s Ausführliche Erklärung der Hogarthischen Kupferstiche, mit verkleinerten aber vollständigen Copien derselben von E. Riepenhausen, Berausgeber Karl Gutzkow. Vierzehnte Lieferung. Göttingen in der Dieterichsche Buchhandlung 1835. [i-iii] iv-xvi, [1-3] 4-132.
    Vol. 4.: 88 plates on 83 unnumbered leaves. Contributors: George Christoph Lichtenberg (German, 1743 – 1799) Johann Peter Lyser (German, 1804 – 1870) Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow (German, 1811 – 1878) Ernst Ludwig Riepenhausen (German, 1762 – 1840) Christoph Friedrich von Pommer [Dr. le Petit] (German, 1787 – 1841) Carl Rahl [Karl Rahl] (Austrian, 1812 – 1865) Carl Armbruster (Austrian, fl. c.1830) Dieterichsche Buchhandlung (Göttingen) Johann Christian Dieterich (German, 1722 – 1800) Anton Strauß (Austrian, 1775 – 1827) William Hogarth (British, 1697 – 1764)
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  • Géneral de division / Lithography, c. 1852.

    Chromolithography on thick wove paper, 473 x 315 mm sheet, 372 x 260 mm image, black ink stamp “5050” to reverse. Signed on stone "Jules Gaildrau"; below centre: "GÉNERAL DE DIVISION, GRANDE TENUE DE SERVICE"; Bottom left: "Paris, J. Gaildrau, rue de Seine, 16"; right: "Imp. Lemercier, Paris." Joseph Lemercier (French, 1803 – 1887) – printer. Jules Gaildrau (French, 1816 – 1898) – artist.
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  • Protected: Otto Rudolf Schatz. Erotic scene / Watercolour on paper, c. 1950.

    Watercolour on thick wove paper, unsigned. Attributed to Otto Rudolf Schatz (Austrian, 1900 – 1961). Size: 305 x 212 mm.
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  • Комедии итальянского возрождения. — М.: Искусство, 1965.

    Комедии итальянского возрождения. Пер. с итал. - М.: Искусство, 1965. Составление и вступительная статья Г. Бояджиева. Редакция переводов и примечания Н. Томашевского. Серия: "Библиотека драматурга".

    Лодовико Ариосто: Комедия о сундуке. Подмененные. Перевод Н. Георгиевской. 

    Бернардо Довици: Коландрия. Перевод А. Габричевского.

    Никколо Макиавелли: Мандрагора. Перевод Н. Ракинта.

    Пьетро Аретино: Комедия о придворных нравах. Философ. Перевод А. Габричевского.

    Джордано Бруно: Неаполитанская улица. Перевод Я. Емельянова.

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  • Jizai okimono bronze articulated model of a crab. Meiji period.

    Jizai okimono bronze articulated model of a crab. Japan, Meiji period(1868-1912). Size: Body: 6.5 x 6 cm. Total: 23 x 11 cm. Weight: 762 g
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  • Письма Азефа: 1893-1917. Москва, 1994

    Письма Азефа: 1893-1917 / Сост. Д. Б. Павлов, З. И. Перегудова. — М.: Изд. центр «Терра», 1994.

    Hardcover volume 20.7 x 13.4 cm, bound in black buckram with blind and grey lettering to front and grey lettering to spine, in a pictorial dust jacket, yellow pictorial endpapers, pp.: [2] 3-287 [1], collated in 16mo, 1-916, 144 leaves, 288 pages. Title-page: ПИСЬМА АЗЕФА | — | 1893 – 1917 | — | [blank] | {publisher’s device} | МОСКВА | «ТЕРРА» — «TERRA» | 1994 || Print run: 10,000 copies. Азеф, Евгений Филиппович [Евно Фишелевич], [Azef, Yevno] (Jewish-Russian-German, 1869 – 1918) Павлов, Дмитрий Борисович (Russian, b. 1954) Перегудова, Зинаида Ивановна (Russian, b. 1934)

    ISBN: 5-85255-395-6. Azef Letters (Rus).

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  • Ko-kinko tsuba with chrysanthemum motif. Early Muromachi period, 15th century.

    Yamagane tsuba of round form with design of a 14 petal chrysanthemum (kiku) in cast openwork (sukashi), with slightly raised rounded rim. Early Muromachi period (1393-1457). Size: Height: 64.5 mm; Width: 64.0 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai: 4.1 mm; Weight: 52.5 g. Provenance: Sasano collection (though not illustrated in the book 'Sasano: Japanese Sword Guard Masterpieces from the Sasano Collection, 1994', which only covers tsuba made of iron). Wooden box (tomobako) with inscription (hakogaki) by Sasano Masayuki. References: Illustrated on p. 140 at Tosogu: Treasure of the samurai by Graham Gemmell in the article Muromachi period tsuba by Robin Peverett, London, 1991, pp. 131-145. Sold at Sotheby's, London, Thursday 10 April 1997 Sotheby's, London, 1997 [Japanese Swords and Tsuba from the Professor A.Z. Freeman and the Phyllis Sharpe Memorial collections], p. 16: "A ko-kinko bronze Tsuba, early Muromachi period (1393-1453) of circular form, with raised rounded rim, pierced with kiku petals and with a small elongated kozuka-hitsu, the work appearing to be cast and finished by hand. 6.4cm, thickness at centre 4.15mm, at rim 4.8mm. With a Tomobako, bearing a hakogaki by Masayuki Sasano, with rating Shu. Estimated: £1,000-1,500." Hakogaki (courtesy M. Sesko): 古金工 鐔 Ko-Kinkō tsuba 菊花透 無銘 山銅地透 時代 室町前期 古雅入念 秀作 昭和戊辰年伏月 素心鑑 kikka-sukashi, mumei yamagane, ji-sukashi jidai Muromachi-zenki koga nyūnen, shūsaku Showa tsuchinoe-tatsudoshi fukugetsu Soshinkan Kikka-sukashi, unsigned. Of yamagane and with ji-sukashi. Era is early Muromachi period. Excellent and carefully made work of classical elegance. June in the year of the dragon of the Shōwa era (1988) Soshinkan (pen name of Sasano Masayuki).  
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  • Yoshirō mon-sukashi tsuba. Momoyama or early Edo period (1574-1650)

    Well-forged iron plate of round shape (maru-gata) is decorated with water weeds or arabesque (karakusa) in flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) all over and eight family crests (mon) of round form in cast brass with delicate linear carving (kebori) and openwork (sukashi). Crests represent: [at 9 hours] three counter-clockwise commas or swirls (tomoe); [at 10:30] plum blossom (ume); [at 12:00, 1:130, and 7:30] - stylized flower made by cutting out five suhama symblos (flower-shaped suhama); [at 3:00] bellflower (kikyō); [at 4:30] seven-star crest (shichiyō-mon); [at 6:00] cherry blossom (sakura). Brass-trimmed ryo-hitsu. Copper sekigane. Yoshirō school. Momoyama or early Edo period, end of the 16th to first half of the 17th century (1574-1650). Inscription on seppa-dai: 八幡 - Hachiman. Size: height 89.6 mm, width 89.3 mm, thickness at seppa-dai 3,0 mm. Weight 129.7 g. NBTHK certificate № 4007685, June 27, 2015: HOZON (Worthy of Preservation). As for the inscription, Nihonto Message Board blog discussion provides the following explanation of the inscription: "An expression of conviction as to being the best under the sun". On the other hand, there may be more in this confluence of symbols: the tomoe crest at 9:00 is "the kamon of Hachiman, the war god" [Family Crests of Japan; Stone Bridge Press, Berkeley, CA, 2007, p. 108]. The character 八 in the inscription cut stronger than the other kanji, and may be by a different hand in different time. 八 (hachi, eight): "The numeral eight was appreciated because its shape broadens toward the bottom, symbolizing eternal expansion" [ibid, p. 119]. It may be said that this tsuba is dedicated to Hachiman. Other crests (suhama, bellflower, seven-stars, plum and cherry blossoms) collectively allude to "good old times" when Fijiwara and Taira clans were in full bloom. Markus Sesko believes that the inscriptions reads: Hachiman: "the inscription is/was HACHIMAN (八幡), the God of War and a relatively popular inscription for tsuba, swords and armor." Elliott Long and Robert Haynes provide the following explanation of the inscription: "...hachi is correct and represents the name of the HACHI SHRINE. The inscription reads 'YAWATA' which is the name of the mountain in Mino Province where the HACHI Shrine is located". Details on Hachiman Shrine in Yawata (八幡市) can be found elsewhere, including Historical and geographical dictionary of Japan by Edmond Papinot. Van Ham auction house provides the following description: MON-SUKASHI TSUBA. MARUGATA. Japan. Momoyama period. Yoshiro school. Iron with inlays of brass. In hira-zogan technique with kebori engraving eight different family emblems (mon). An old inscription is dedicated to the deity Hachiman. D.4.5mm, Ø 8.3cm. Condition A/B. Supplement: Wooden box and NBTHK certificate.
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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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