A MITO SCHOOL TSUBA | Christie's

A MITO SCHOOL TSUBA

Details

A MITO SCHOOL TSUBA
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1800), SIGNED TOMOYOSHI SAKU

The circular iron plate is carved in low relief with a design relating to the battle of Dannoura. The face depicts Minamoto no Yoshitsune with a halberd in his hand and the heads of two Taira warriors in the waves. Above is a rain storm and clouds. The reverse has the same storm and depicts a boat with two men and the head of a Taira warrior in the waves below. The details are inlaid in gold, silver, copper, and shakudo--height 8cm., width 8.1cm., thickness 5mm.

Provenance

Hotel Druout, 1960, lot 63.

Lot Essay

This finely carved tsuba is a classic example of the work of the Ichiryu family school of Mito. This guard can be attributed to Ichiryu Tomoyoshi V (1788-1858). All seven generations of this school used the name Tomoyoshi and they were retainers of the Mito branch of the Tokugawa family. The last master died in 1922.