Iron, mokkōgata, image of pine tree and waves under the moon. Crescent moon in silver inlay, with the pine tree in brass or copper inlay. Small inlays of varying metals on the water representing sails. Fine carving of clouds at the top of the tsuba. One hitsu-ana.
This tsuba is in very, very nice condition.
(Gotô) Ichijô School. If we study study this tsuba, we recognize the color and texture of the base iron, the mokko-gata shape of tsuba and shape of the raised mimi, the simple use of gold and silver, no use of sukashi. Especially hitsu-ana is indeed very typical for Ichijô school in style and shape as well.
Here are two examples in iron from MFA to compare with:
Ref #1: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/12166/tsuba-with-design-of-pineneedles-and-snowflakes?ctx=f2ef1db6-2a36-41b4-85e1-3e017a5e7b67&idx=9
Ref #2: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/11434/tsuba-with-design-of-dragonflies-reeds-and-streams?ctx=f2ef1db6-2a36-41b4-85e1-3e017a5e7b67&idx=6
Furthermore, to support this idea, there exist a tsuba with almost same motif depicting pine trees, water and sails. The sails are even shaped in exact same way and the simple use of silver together with the color and texture of iron, subtle carving and mokko-gata shape with raised mimi again seems quite comparable supporting the idea of Ichijô School . To support the idea even more, this tsuba is made by Yoshimura Ikkei whom moved to Kyoto where he became a pupil of Goto Ichijo in 1847 and then returned to Saga in 1857.
Ref #3: https://www.giuseppepiva.com/en/works/tsuba-depicting-mount-fuj-yoshimura-ikkei-1819-1867
This tsuba is very certainly not made Gotô Ichijô himself, but most likely a student of Gotô Ichijô/Ichijô school. Unfortunately this work bears no signature and therefore impossible for us to determine a specific artist.
Goto Ichijo was a scholar of the Goto Hachirobei (Waki Goto) line. Born in 1791 he was mainly working in Kyoto even though he was called to Edo by the Bakufu and worked there for about eleven years. He became one the most famous Kinko masters. However, it is said that he died in poverty refusing to create anything else but Kodogu items, which were not needed anymore after the abolition of swords. Many of his pupils became famous masters themselves such as Funada Ikkin, Hashimoto Isshi, Wada Isshin, Araki Tomei and others.
Mei/signature:
Mumei
School/province:
(Gotô) Ichijô School
Period/age:
Late Edo
Measures:
5.80 cm x 5.20 cm x 0.35 cm
Certificate:
No
Included:
NO kiri box included
