Lot 30
30
A KYOTO KENJO TSUBA

Details
A KYOTO KENJO TSUBA
MOMOYAMA PERIOD (1573-1600)

The eight-lobed iron plate is etched in low relief with a design of a willow tree at the top and waves and rocks below. This design is repeated on the reverse. There are two apertures of sea cucumber (namako) shape which contain two ginger buds (myoga) placed point to point. These form the hitsu-ana. The myoga are decorated with heavy line inlay of gold damascene on both sides. The remainder of the plate area is decorated with peony and leaves in gold nunome. Much of this is now worn away. The rim cover is made from shakudo as is the sekigane which plugs the kogai-hitsu--height and width 8.1cm., thickness 5mm.

Lot Essay

The plate is decorated in the acid etched manner of the Hoan school. The gold nunome is in the style of the Kyo-Shoami school. No other examples of this combination survive. Acid etching was learned from the Portuguese, and was considered a novelty.