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Moustiers faience plate: tin-glazed earthenware plate with a scalloped rim, with green monochrome grotesque decoration of a whimsical creature and a female archer, surrounded by flowering vegetation and insects. Marked "X" on the bottom. "Joseph Fouque/Jean-Francois Pelloquin, started in 1749, used an"X" in its pottery mark". Diameter: 31 cm; Height: 4 cm. -
A yamagane (unrefined copper) ko-kinko tsuba of slightly elongated round form with design of wisteria carved in sculptural relief (nikubori). Copper sekigane. Unsigned. Muromachi period, likely the 16th century.Size: 74.3 x 71.8 x 3.2 mm.
NBTHK certificate №4003986: Hozon (worthy preservation). In custom wooden box. -
Mokkō-form (kirikomi-mokkō-gata) iron plate of grey colour decorated on both sides with waves, reeds, cloud, pagoda, and thatched hut in low relief (sukidashi-bori). The kozuka-hitsu-ana is original, the kogai-hitsu-ana probably cut later (lacks raised rim, fuchidoru). Wide (5.7 mm) raised rim of rounded square dote-mimi type, decorated with fine cross-hatching. Momoyama period, 16th century. Dimensions: Height: 75.9 mm, width: 76.4 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 2.3 mm, at rim 4.4 mm. Kamakura-bori tsuba of such a form is unusual. The rim is also unusual; it is possible that cross-hatching was done as a preparatory step for damascening, or the the damascening (gold or silver) disappeared with passage of time.
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Round iron plate of grey colour decorated in low relief (sukidashi-bori) on the face with sea waves (both layered waves, seigaiha, and rough waves, araumi), sago palm (cycas revoluta, sotetsu), presumably orchid leaves (ran) - five of them - hanging from the above, and reeds (ashi), and on the back with waves (seigaiha only), rocks, chrysanthemums (kiku), clove (chori), reed, and presumably orchid leaves - three of them - hanging from the above. The kozuka-hitsu-ana was probably cut later. The plate is lacking the raised rim, typical for the kamakura-bori school. Muromachi period. Dimensions: Height: 76.8 mm, width: 76.1 mm, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.3 mm, at rim 2.0 mm. Height of nakago-ana: 29 mm. Weight: 82.4 g. NBTHK certificate № 402152: Hozon - "Worthy of preservation". A similar (most probably the same) tsuba is illustrated and described at Butterfield & Butterfield. IMPORTANT JAPANESE SWORDS, SWORD FITTINGS AND ARMOR. Auction Monday, November 19th, 1979. Sale # 3063 under lot № 66. It describes the piece as following: “Kamakura bori work of the Muromachi period. Round thin plate with some small iron bones in the edge. Carved with design of plants (sego palm) rocks, and waves on the face. The back has half of two chrysanthemums, waves, clove, and sego palm leaves. The kozuka-hitsu has been added and later enlarged. A good typical example without the rim most have. Diameter: 7.7 cm., thickness 2.5 mm. Estimated price $100-200":
Butterfield & Butterfield, 1979. Sale # 3063, lot № 66.
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Tin-glazed earthenware plate with lustre in blue and ochre, decorated in relief with a deer in the centre and a chain of tulips on the lip; base signed “CK” in blue. Restored. Diameter: 24.8 cm; Height: 2.5 cm. Attributed to Gubbio (Umbria, Italy), 1520-1550. -
Iron tsuba of oval form with design of a gourd or aubergine vine with fruits, leaves, and blossoms climbing a trellis, and a fence in yellow brass and red copper flat inlay (hira-zōgan); inlay engraved. Two latticed windows represented by openwork (sukashi). The iron web has deep black patina. The seller attributes this tsuba to Heianjo-Namban school, whatever it means. Momoyama or early Edo period, 17th century. Kaga or Heianjō School. Unsigned. Height: 77.3, Width: 73.1, Thickness at seppa-dai: 3.6 mm. -
Heianjō tsuba, carved and inlayed in brass with a somewhat primitive design of rocks, plants, and waves, and a man in a boat beside two jakugo stone baskets on the face and a religious structure (stupa, grave stone) on the reverse. Muromachi or Momoyama period.Size: 83.2 x 82.4 x 3.6 mm; 149.2 g
The Carlo Monzino Collection of Japanese sword fittings and swords (Sotheby's, London, 18 June 1996. p. 12-13) №9 provides an illustration of the similar tsuba with the following description: Heianjo tsuba, carved and inlayed with rocks, plants, and waves, also pierced with a jakago [sic] (stone basket).
Gary D. Murtha in his Japanese sword guards Onin - Heianjo - Yoshiro (GDM Publications, 2016) on page 53 shows a look-a-like tsuba (though, with a kogai-hitsu-ana) with the follwoing description: Iron, 77 mm, tsuba with brass tree, snake, jakugo baskets, and curved brass pieces (representing water flowing over rocks). Buddhist halo to reverse. Although showing Onin traits, a Shoami Heiamjo attribution would fit better. Azuchi-Momoyama period.
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Signature: UnsignedFuchi-kashira with rock and boar (iwa ni inoshishi zu) motif. Inlay of precious stones or colour glass. Shakudō, gold, gemstones. Technique: Sukibori zogan kiniroe.
Fuchi: 36 x 21 x 14 mm; Weight: 22 g; Kashira: 32 x 17 x 5 mm; Weight: 8 g; Material : Shakudō; Gold; Gemstones (Chalcedony and Rose Quartz). Possibly, Owari school. -
Fuchi-kashira made of shakudō carved and inlaid with gold and red copper with the design of a bat and a fruit (persimmon?). Nanako surface.
Fuchi: 37 x 19 x 7 mm. Kashira: 34 x 16 x 5 mm. Main material: shakudō. Other metals: gold and copper. Surface treatment: nanako-ji. -
Tin-glazed earthenware polychrome plate with a scalloped rim, decorated with a triton riding a dolphin, surrounded by flowers and arabesque. Diameter: 24.5 cm; Height: 3.5 cm. -
Iron tsuba of round form with dam-shaped rim (dote-mimi) pierced with hitsu-ana and two udenuki-ana (probably cut later on) decorated in flat inlay (hira-zōgan) with vines and symbols of thunder or lightning (possibly - family crest, mon). Hitsu-ana and nakago-ana with copper sekigane.
Ōnin or Heianjō school, or, possibly Kaga or Umetada school. Momoyama period or earlier (Muromachi), 16th century. Unsigned.Size: 64.5 x 63.8 x 2.2 (center), 4.2 (rim) mm.
Provenance: Lundgren Collection: [Japanese sword-fittings and metalwork in the Lundgren Collection. Published by Otsuka Kogeisha Co., Ltd., Tokyo 1992], №31; The Lundgren Collection of Japanese Swords, Sword Fittings and A Group of Miochin School Metalwork. Christie's Auction: Tuesday, 18 November 1997, London. Sales "GOTO-5881". Christie's, 1997, №2. Lundgren's description at Christie's: Heianjo tsuba. Unsigned. The circular plate decorated in brass hirazogan with flowers, plants and symbols of thunder, dote mimi and udenuki ana, late Muromachi period (16th century). Tokyo 1992 description: Sword guard with design of flowering plants and frets in inlay. Unsigned. Heianjo inlay school. 6.35 x 6.3 cm, thickness of rim 0.40 cm. Iron. Flat brass inlay. Muromachi-Momoyama Period, 16th century. Provenance: The Second John Harding. A somewhat look-a-like pieces can be found in various catalogues. The one in Naunton Collection, №172, is signed: Umetada of Yamashiro: "Iron, small, almost circular, with raised oval rim, inlaid all over with leaves and scrolls in brass hirazōgan." -
Plate with crane, bird, plants, and four treasures. Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration and illegible factory mark to the bottom. Ming Dynasty [大明] (1368 – 1644); Wanli Era (1572 – 1620); Late 16th – Early 17th century. Diameter: 19.5 cm; Height: 3 cm
