An iron tsuba

Description:

Japan, inscribed: Izumi no kami Yoshirô (Koike Naomasa), late 17th c.
8,7 x 7,8 x 0,4 cm
Tate-maru-gata. Iron, hira-zogan in brass, copper, silver and shakudo, katakiri-bori, sekigane in copperTendrils and leaves.Ko-maru-mimi.
From an old German private collection, published in: Günther Heckmann, 'Tsuba', H.U.B Verlag, Nürtingen 1995, T55 - Cf.: Jisl, S. 13
The continuation of the flat inlays "hira-zôgan" in brass, was effected by the use of further metals like copper, silver and gold, which became increasingly popular. Even iron, as a basic metal, was replaced more and more by soft metal. Thus the Goto school, whose artists had temporarily been working for the daimvo at Kanazawa, exerted a strong influence on the Kaga school.