Members Gallery
Fittings
The following items are courtesy of by Mr A Norman.
Menuki unsigned Edo Kinko style. Copper with overlays in gold, silver and shakudo. Subject Sparrows. In Japan the sparrow symbolises meekness, lightness and friendliness.
Signed Nagatsune Ichimongi school. Edo period. Shakado high relief overlays in gold, silver and aokin. Depicts utensils of the tea ceremony.
Fuchi Koshira Edo period approx 1830-1840. Tamagawa Yoshihisa made this entirely in the style of the family tradition of Tamagawa in Shibuichi low relief in gold, silver, aokin and copper depicting quail and millet.
Signed Kingyo Kudo Hokaku Hirosada +Kao. Edo period Shibuichi high relief overlay in gold, silver, aokin shakudo and copper. Sojobo with Yoshitsune and Tengu in the bamboo forest. Tengu are gnome like denizens of the forest and are renowned for their sense of humour.
Unsigned menuki Mino Goto style approx 1850 Edo period. Copper with overlays of gold and shakudo. Depicts Fujin and Raijin. Fujin is the Japanese god of wind and Raijin god of thunder.
Edo period approx 1800. Signed Shokonshi Shozui. Shibuichi high relief overlays in gold, copper and aokin.
Unsigned Mino Goto style. Shakudo overlays in gold. Depicts sparrows in Bamboo.
The following items are courtesy of Mr D. Bayney, photographs by Mr A Norman.
Katana iron tsuba with imperial mon.
Kaga school tsuba depicting butterflies.
Katana tsuba. Hamano school depicting musician and dragon.
Mino Goto tsuba
Wakizashi tsuba. Sage looking at moon.
Wakizashi tsuba. Edo period.
Katana tsuba bamboo.
Katana tsuba possibly depicting a south sea islander.
Goto School.
Pair of large menuki. Tiger and leopard.
Various Kozuka.
Pair of horse menuki.
SWORDS
Armour
MURASAKI
ITO-ODOSHI MOGAMI-DO
Christies Catalogue
Description:
A fine Murasaki-ito-odoshi Mogami-do, comprising of a kabuto with 8 plate sujibashi with large copper-gilt tehan-kanemono and five shinodare, leather covered mabashi with gilt fukurin, kawagata-dai and kawagata and maedate formed as the characters HACHIMAN DAI BOSATSU, the fukigaeashi bearing kiri-mon, the three lame shikoro laced in sugake, with red lacquered mempo, kebiki laced ko-sode with gilt kogai-kanemono, gyoyo, shinogote with hyotangane, Kusari haidate and shinsuneate, with saiha and an armour box dated 1799”.
This is a later
example of a transitional style of armour between the fully laced earlier and
the solid metal plate later styles of the late 16th century. The
eight iron horizontal plates laced together in this manner are known as mogami-do.
The weight is designed to be born on the shoulders making such an armour most
suitable for wearing on horseback. Each plate has been tested with musket fire.
The lacing is purple (murasaki ito-odoshi).
The helmet is in an ancient style suji-bashi, comprising of 8 plates, with large fukigaeashi (with kiri-mon) and a wide shikoro. The maedate (crest) depicts the doves of Hachiman and the characters Hachiman Dai Bosatsu.
Kabuto detail
There is a chain-mail (Kusari) on brocade haidate and it is complete with suneate.
The armour is
accompanied by a box with a large mon. There is a lacquer inscription on the
inside of the lid. This reads KWANSEI JUICHINEN HACHI GATSU HI (August 1799)
and BANSHU HIMEFU TSUCHINIKAI CHO INOUYE RIUEMON MASASANE (Kao). This may
be the name and address of the owner.
There is a
further inscription on the inside of the back plates (not mentioned in the
catalogue description) of the do: TENMEI YON KINOYE TATSU NEN HACHI GATSU KICHI
TATSU (Tenmei, the year of the dragon, 8th month, lucky dragon? -
1784) and also IWAIE TAKAYOSHI SEI. From this it seems that this armour is by
one of those produced by one of the Iwaei school of armourers who, it seems were
more accurately “assemblers” of armour. It may, therefore, be that an old
hachi (helmet bowl) has been used with more modern pieces.
Now with red
jimbaori.
Ex Sir Frank Bowden collection.
Clive Sinclaire Collection
Misc
Modern Lacquer work by Mr Tony Norman