An iron tsuba in Jakushi-style

Description:

Japan, late Edo period, late 18th c.
8,6 x 8,3 x 0,4 cm
Tate-maru-gata. Iron, nunome-zôgan in gold, silver and aokin in taka - zôgan in silver, sekigane in copper. Chinese landscape with houses and boats. Kaku-mimi.
From an old German private collection, published in: Günther Heckmann, ‘Tsuba’. H.U.B Verlag, Nürtingen, 1995, T 63
Jakushi (+ 1707) was originally a painter with a preference for Chinese landscapes. He later switched to metalworking and developed the nunome technique to transfer his landscape depictions to metal. After preparing the metal base with an etching needle and graver, the fine details were worked out with detailed inlays in soft metal to create the effect of watery colouring