-Tosogu, 31st Session — Designated October 18, 1984
, : Iwamoto Konkan (岩本昆寛)
Measurements
- : length 3.8 cm; width 2.15 cm; height 1.45 cm
- : length 3.4 cm; width 1.75 cm; height 0.65 cm
Description Form: set Material: silver ground (gin-) Design: carp amid a gently flowing stream with aquatic plants Decoration: high relief carving (); polychrome metalwork (). The flow of the water is rendered with . The carp is in , further enriched with gold inlay and sunago-zōgan (granulated “sprinkled” inlay). The aquatic plants are worked in and hira-zōgan. Signature: “Iwamoto ” with (花押)
Artisan Iwamoto Konkan. Originally trained in the Nara style, he later absorbed strong influence from the Yokoya school, which contributed to the full flowering of his personal style.
Era Mid period
Explanation Iwamoto Konkan was born in Enkyō 1 (1744). He studied under the fourth-generation Ryōkan; when the fifth-generation Ryōkan died prematurely, Konkan was adopted into the master’s house and became the sixth head of the Iwamoto family. Early in his career he used the names Asai Ryōkan and Asai , and he also employed art names such as Hakutei, Shundō, and Chōun.
Among his extant works, are by far the most numerous, followed by and then . Pictorial were one of his particular strengths. In addition to examples made in polished silver ground like the present set, works on iron grounds are also encountered.
Here, the gently flowing water is crisply expressed with . The carp—executed in —is heightened with gold inlay and sunago-zōgan, while the aquatic plants are modeled in with passages of hira-zōgan. The swimming motion of the fish is convincingly conveyed, and even the plants floating between the waves show a sense of movement; the composition is lively and possesses a fresh, vivid appeal.
