Two Choshu Tsuba

LATE EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

细节

Two Choshu Tsuba
Late Edo period (19th century)
The circular iron plate pierced with Musashino with the moon and susuki, signed Choshu Hagi ju Kiyotaka saku, with a wood box; and another pierced with a squirrel and grape vine [budo ni risu], details in kebori, rounded mimi
2 7/8in. (7.3cm.), thickness 3.5mm. and 3 1/8in. (8cm.), mimi 3mm. respectively (2)

来源

The second Hartman Collection

出版

Lundgren Collection, nos. 190 and 191 respectively

拍品专文

The artist Kiyotaka was a metalworker to the Choshu clan. He usually worked in typical Choshu style with nikubori ji-sukashi and iroe or ita tsuba with sukidashi bori. During his long life, he also combined the Bushu Ito styles with realistic carving. He sometimes used shakudo nanako which was rare to Choshu. This example has an interesting Bushu Ito composition with dew laden grasses arching before the strong winds of Musashino.

The subject of the second piece is an interesting pun used by samurai. Budo [grape] ni risu [squirrel] is also written using different characters and meaning ie Budo [martial art] and ni risu [effective].