Lot Essay
Sato Kanzan wrote this box inscription for these two very dissimilar tsuba without explanation.
Details
A HOAN STYLE TSUBA AND A KATCHUSHI STYLE TSUBA
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1850)
a) The four-lobed iron plate has a deeply hammered surface with the rim rolled and turned back over the plate. The face is boldly carved with three hollyhock leaves, a crest (mon) used by the Honda daimyo family among others. The reverse is decorated with hammered, rock-like formations--height 12.1cm., width 12.0cm., thickness at center 4.0mm., at edge 6.5mm.
b) The round, thin, iron plate has a hammered surface and is pierced with three bonji (Sanskrit) characters: Jizo, at the top; Miroku, at the left; and Bishamonten, at the right. The plate has a slightly raised rim and hammered edge showing slight iron bones--height 12.9cm., width 12.8cm., thickness 2.5mm.
The two tsuba are contained in a single wood box with an inscription for each by Sato Kanzan, dated Showa 49 (1974). Each is accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., and numbered 159, 160; each dated Showa 46 (1971). (2)
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1850)
a) The four-lobed iron plate has a deeply hammered surface with the rim rolled and turned back over the plate. The face is boldly carved with three hollyhock leaves, a crest (mon) used by the Honda daimyo family among others. The reverse is decorated with hammered, rock-like formations--height 12.1cm., width 12.0cm., thickness at center 4.0mm., at edge 6.5mm.
b) The round, thin, iron plate has a hammered surface and is pierced with three bonji (Sanskrit) characters: Jizo, at the top; Miroku, at the left; and Bishamonten, at the right. The plate has a slightly raised rim and hammered edge showing slight iron bones--height 12.9cm., width 12.8cm., thickness 2.5mm.
The two tsuba are contained in a single wood box with an inscription for each by Sato Kanzan, dated Showa 49 (1974). Each is accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., and numbered 159, 160; each dated Showa 46 (1971). (2)
Provenance
Noda collection, Kamakura (Hoan tsuba)
Aoyama, Paris (Katchushi tsuba)
Aoyama, Paris (Katchushi tsuba)