A NINE LUMINARIES HOSOKAWA CREST (KYUYO MON) TSUBA

Details

A NINE LUMINARIES HOSOKAWA CREST (KYUYO MON) TSUBA
EARLY EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1650), ATTRIBUTED TO HAYASHI MATASHICHI (1613-1699)

The katana-size, round iron plate is decorated in gold damascene (nunome) with nine variations of the Hosokawa family crest on each side. The bottom of the plate has original holes for the attachment of a handcord (udenuki-ana), and the rim has a shakudo cover (fukurin)--height 8.1cm., width 8.0cm., thickness at center 4mm., at edge 4.5mm.

With wood box inscribed by Sato Kanzan, dated Showa 45 (1970).

Provenance

Tomijiro Miyazaki

Literature

Homma, Sato, Ogawa and Compton (1976), no. 78, p. 52.
L'Arcade Chaumet (1976), no. 32, p. 17.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 52.

Lot Essay

Hayashi Matashichi was born in Owari and became a retainer of Hosokawa Tadatoshi (1586-1641) in 1632. The present tsuba shows several variations of the famous nine luminaries crest and is a fine example of the gold nunome technique that was Matashichi's specialty.

For tsuba which employ the Hosokawa crest, see N.B.T.H.K. (1964), no. 21, p. 26.

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