An iron tsuba in Jakushi-style

Description:

Japan, mid Edo period, 18th c.
8,3 x 7,7 × 0,45 cm
Tate-maru-gata. Iron, nunome-zôgan in gold, and aokin, taka-zôgan in gold, silver, akin and copper. The front depicting Shoriken with the tiger and bamboo, the reverse with a Chinese landscape. Kaku-mimi-koniku
From an old German private collection, published in: Günther Heckmann, ‘Tsuba’. H.U.B Verlag, Nürtingen, 1995, T 65
Jakushi's son, Jakushi II, continued his father's stvle and themes. Even in those times the works of the Jakushi had received great admiration and esteem, which resulted in many imitations being made and not only at Nagasaki, the centre of the style. Shôriken is one of the eight most important immortal spirits of Taoism. As a general of the emperor Han, he went on an exploratory journey to Tibet, where he met the Mongolian priest Tung-hua. Tung-hua introduced him to the secrets of Taoism and magic and gave him a powder to prolong life. Shôriken is often illustrated in the company of a huge tiger