Juyo-Tosogu, 61st Session — Designated October 20, 2015
Tsuba, mumei: Kamiyoshi Rakuju (神吉楽寿)
Measurements Tate (height): 8.1 cm Yoko (width): 8.0 cm Mimi thickness: 0.5 cm
Description Form: eight-lobed mokko-gata (yatsu-mokko-gata) Material: iron (tetsuji) Construction: ground openwork (ji-sukashi); gold inlay (kin-zōgan) Design: warabite (fern-scroll “handle”) motifs pierced in openwork in the four directions (shihō) Decoration: gold inlay (kin-zōgan) arranged in various places Rim: square rim with slight rounding (kaku-mimi ko-niku), with gold inlay Hitsu-ana: both apertures fitted with shakudō liners (ryō-ana shakudō fukurin) Signature: none (mumei)
Artisan Kamiyoshi Rakuju (神吉楽寿), Kamiyoshi family in the lineage of Hayashi Matashichi (Hayashi Mata-shichi).
Era Late Edo period.
Explanation The Kamiyoshi family descends from Hayashi Matashichi. In the time of the founder’s grandfather, by domainal order he entered apprenticeship and became an artisan retained by the Hosokawa house. Together with his father Fukashin (深信), Rakuju earned a high reputation as a master craftsman. In particular, he was said to be a “second Matashichi,” and his gold inlay demonstrates a level of technique that approaches Matashichi’s; moreover, his forging of the base metal is excellent. He successfully devised and expressed distinctive variations of surface texture (kime), bringing out an individual character in the iron.
Because the Kamiyoshi family employed a special manner of hammering above and below the apertures, works by the second master Fukashin and the third master Rakuju can be distinguished even when unsigned.
This tsuba features warabite openwork at the four sides; a nearly identical design is also known among Matashichi’s tsuba. The well-worked plate iron shows fine undulations forged into the ground, giving it notable charm, and in various places are arranged gold-inlay patterns—an area in which Rakuju particularly excelled. It is a fine work that clearly demonstrates the expressive range of this craftsman, who privately revered and emulated Matashichi.
【Tosogu II】
