A Shonai School Tsuba

SIGNED YURAKUSAI AND KAO, THE REVERSE WITH SEKIBUN SEAL, LATE EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

Details
A Shonai School Tsuba
Signed Yurakusai and kao, the reverse with Sekibun seal, late Edo period (19th century)
The undulating [nadegata] mokkogata iron plate decorated in takabori and iroe zogan, depicting vine leaves and a gilt mantis, rounded mimi
3in. (7.6cm.), thickness 4mm., mimi 5mm.
Literature
Lundgren Collection, no. 117

Lot Essay

Sekibun (Katsura no Shozo) was born in Echigo province in 1790. It is said that he came to Edo when he was young but it is not known who his teacher was. The records of the Katsurano family state that it may have been someone from the Hamano school.

He made many tsuba in iron and shakudo. As his favoured technique was takabori there are few of nanako base. The work of Sekibun can be strong and coarse, however, that is characteristic of the school.

For a similar piece, see Sato, Kanzan, Shonai Kinko Meisaku shu, (Nihon Bijustu Token Hozon Kyokai Shonai Shibu, Tokyo, 1966), p. 181,. no. 224. This states that it is Shoami style and seen in Yasuchika's early work.

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