FUCHI / KASHIRA / MURAKAMI JOSUI / HORSES

DAUGHTER AND STUDENT OF MURAKAMI JOCHIKU

MEI: JOSUI

DATE: NONE c. LATE EDO

DIMENSIONS:

FUCHI ID: 1.33” X 0.69”

KASHIRA ID: 1.18” X 0.49”

FUCHI OD: 1.49” X 0.92”

KASHIRA OD: 1.34” X 0.65”

ANA: 1.03” X 0.33”

DESCRIPTION:

A rare opportunity to own a piece of tosogu by one of the few female metal workers of the Edo period. During this period, it was quite unusual to see women working in a trade which was dominated by men. Gorgeous, pristine Fuchi/Kashira depicting a theme of Horses. The base metal is shibuichi and the horses are shakudo with gold highlights.

FROM SESKO’S, TOSO KINKO SCHOOLS

 Murakami Jochiku (村上如竹)

Unfortunately, Jochiku’s master is unknown but is is transmitted that he first applied zōgan inlays to stirrups (abumi, 鐙) under the name of„Nakanori“ (仲矩) in

Kanazawa (金沢). We also know the craftsman name of Mitsunori“ (光則) and his first name „Seijirō“ (清次郎). He was active from about Meiwa (1764-1772) to Tenmei (1781-1789) in Edo´s Shinmonzen district (新門前町) and used the gō „Kanshōdō“ (観笙堂) and „Yūkokuken“ (幽谷軒).  An important reference for this artist and his production site is the extant signature: „Bushū San´en-zan-roku ni oite Akabane no hotori Murakami Seijirō Nyūdō Jochiku Mitsunori saku“ (武州三緑山麓於赤羽辺村上清次郎 入道如竹光則作, „made by Murakami Seijirō Mitsunori, nyūdō-gō ´Jochiku´, at the foot of Mt. San´en at Akabane*69 in Musashi province“). Jochiku´s year of birth and death are unknown but we knowof pieces which are at least signed with the supplement „made at the age of 65“. Regarding his style, the ornamentation takes quite a large place on the ground plate and is mostly inlayed in suemon and carved in takabori. Because his origins were that of a zōgan artist, many pieces show excellent hira-zōgan applications. But the Murakami style refrains mostly from additional kebori or katakiribori.  Motifs of dragonflies, butterflies and fish were daring for his time and novel in their realism.

Murakami Josui (如水)

Old publications also list two daughters for Jochiku, namely Josui (如水) and Jotetsu (如鉄). The „Sōken-kishō“ says that Josui came originally from Kyōto´s Kamo family (加茂) and studied in Edo under Jochiku.

References:

TOSO KINKO SCHOOLS, by Markus Sesko, 2012

SIGNATURES OF JAPANESE SWORD FITTINGS ARTISTS, by Markus Sesko, 2014

BAUR: page 337

HAYNES: H 02221.0

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