An iron tsuba

Description:

Japan, signed Masaharu and kakihan, late Edo period, middle of 19th c.
7,3 x 6,8 x 0,45 cm (0,35 cm mimi)
Tate-maru-gata. Shakudo, taka-zogan in gold and silver. Depicting a Manzai - dancer and companion (saizo). Kaku-mimi
From an old German private collection, published in: Günther Heckmann, ‘Tsuba’. H.U.B Verlag, Nürtingen, 1995, T132
Masaharu was the son of Yoshinaga Tamagawa and a pupil of Masatsune I, the founder of the Ishiguro school. This school is considered to be a subgroup of the Yanagawa school, originated by Kato Naotsune. The Ishiguro school had a large following, during the 19th century there was a huge demand for works from this school.The manzai dance has a very early origin and was at first performed exclusively at court. The masks, which are used by the dancers, are in the style of the No masks of "hiotoko" "okina" and "okame"