A TSUCHIYA SCHOOL TSUBA

Details

A TSUCHIYA SCHOOL TSUBA
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1850), SIGNED TSUCHIYA MASACHIKA WITH KAO.

The iron four-lobed plate has a raised and hammered edge and rim. The polished surface is decorated in high relief with a swimming eel; its eyes are inlaid in gold. The reverse is similarly decorated with three small fish. The kozuka hitsu is kogai shape--height 8.9cm., width 8.6cm., thickness 3.5mm.

Lot Essay

Tsuchiya Masachika (d. 1861) was in fact Tsuchiya Yasuchika VI. He was the first son of Yasuchika V, who was also known as Kunichika. He was a student of Hagiya Katsuhira (1804-1886) and of Tanaka Kiyotoshi (1804-1876) in addition to his father. He was a very skilled artist who could work in many metals and styles. Iron plate examples of his work are rare and this is probably an early piece.