An iron tsuba

Description:

Japan, signed: Furukawa Kounsai Hirata Harunari, mid Edo period, 18th c.
8,3 x 7,8 x 0,5 cm
Jüji-mokko-gata. Iron, ishime - ground, shippo inlays on nanako - ground, hira-bori Butterflies, blossoms and crests.
Kaku-mimi-koniku.
From an old German private collection, published in: Günther Heckmann, “Tsuba”. H.U.B Verlag, Nürtingen, 1995, T 75
The Hirata school was founded by Hirata Doin (+ 1646). He had learnt the art of cloisonné in Korea, when he went there with the troups of Hideyoshi. He was born in Mito and worked at the court of the levasu in Kyoto. Dojin was succeded by ten further successful masters. The most famous of them being the 8th master Hirata Harunari (+ 1840), who was also named Hikoshiro. He is famous for his delicately worked shippo technique. He mostly signed his pieces with "Hirata Harunari" and a monogram