hilt; fuchi-kashira; menuki | British Museum

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hilt; fuchi-kashira; menuki

Object Type: hilt; fuchi-kashira; menuki
Museum number: 1958,0730.93.c
Description: Part of mounting for tanto. Hilt: made of wood, skin (ray), metal, braided textile. Menuki: gold shishi. Fuchi-kashira: portray geese crossing beneath moon in coloured metal inlay; made of shakudo. Signed.
Producer name
School/style
Cultures/periods: Edo Period (late?); Meiji Era (early?)
Production date: 1851-1900 (c.)
Production place: Made in: Japan
Materials: wood; ray skin; metal; shakudo; gold; textile
Technique: colour; inlaid; gilded; braided
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: Harris 2005 This blade is 'shobu zukuri'. The tang has two holes and the file marks are 'katte sagari'. The tang tip is a deep 'kurijiri'. The grain is 'itame' with 'mokume' and develops into a flowing grain with 'masame' towards the cutting edge. The 'hamon' is well-ordered 'gunome' in 'nie'. The 'boshi' is a slightly pointed 'komaru'. The scabbard of the mounting is lacquered black with a design of slightly embossed snowflakes. The 'fuchi' and 'kashira' are of 'shakudo' and portray geese crossing beneath the moon in coloured metal inlay. The 'menuki' are gold 'shishi'. The 'kuidashi tsuba' is of 'shakudo' with cherry blossoms and snowflakes in coloured metal inlay. The 'kozuka' also depicts snowflakes in high-relief inlay, and the 'umabari' shows a rush-cabined boat in coloured metal inlay. All the fittings are signed 'Goto Mitsumasa'. This metalworker was the second son of Goto Benjo and succeeded as head of the Goto school on the death of his father in 1851. He was the cousin of Goto Ichijo, the last great master of the school, and was active until around 1900.
Bibliographic references
Location: Not on display
Subjects: arms/armour; lion dog
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1958
Department: Asia
Registration number: 1958,0730.93.c