Five Hizen Namban and Kagonami Tsuba

EARLY-MID EDO PERIODS (17TH-18TH CENTURIES, THE THIRD CIRCA 1600, THE FOURTH CIRCA 1650)

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Five Hizen Namban and Kagonami Tsuba
Early-Mid Edo Periods (17th-18th Centuries, The Third Circa 1600, The Fourth Circa 1650)
1) A brass plate with carved masks at the top and bottom and four dragons supporting jewels around the sides, the web with a pair of dragons undercut in scrolling waves, the three "jewels" each with free floating balls inside, the surface with its original light brown patina; 2) a tanto-size mokko-form iron plate with a beaded rim and the edge with gold nunome dots, the recessed web with a pair of dragons supporting a jewel in undercut scrolling waves, the seppadai with cut wave pattern, the hitsuana with gold nunome edges; 3) a Hizen-school Chinese-style rounded square iron plate with the face carved in a recessed overall wave pattern with a bull, rocks, and a dragon fish in low relief, all with touches of gold nunome, the reverse lightly carved with two dragons chasing a jewel and a gold nunome Chinese character at the bottom; 4) a Nagasaki-school iron plate of octagonal cup shape, the face with paulownia blooms and leaves carved in low relief with touches of gold nunome, the reverse carved with a peony and butterfly design, the kogai hitsu plugged with shakudo; 5) a flat iron mokko plate with the surface inlaid in gold and silver nunome wire pattern of rinzu border enclosing scrolls and a pair of dragons chasing a jewel in gold and silver nunome, the reverse with Chinese treasures in similar metals (5)

Lot Essay

The first is in the style of the Namban copies of 16th-century Portuguese rapier hand guards.

For an example very similar to the first, see Christie's, New York, Japanese Swords and Sword Fittings from the Collection of Dr. Walter A. Compton (Part I), 31 March, 1992, lot 100. The patina of the present example is superior.

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