Copper Tsuba

Hiroyasu (Echigo/Edo, circa 1825)

The oval plate with ishime ground, decorated in high relief and soft metal inlays with Shoki standing in front of Chok'aro and tipping a couple of cheeky oni from the sennin's gourd, their sword and uchiwa fan at the back Signed: Hiroyasu with kaō

PROVENANCE: John Mang collection, Alexandria MD

A maker of sword fittings, apprenticed to Uchikoshi Hirotoshi, the artist worked in Hamano, Jōi and Uchikoshi school styles.

More detail in Robert Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, vol. I, no. H01442.0