A silver mask netsuke and a fuchi-gashira
Attributed to Hamano Shozui (Masayuki), dated 1753
The netsuke in the form of a Hannya mask, its eyes and horns of gold, the tongue of copper and the hair of shakudo, with shakudo loose ring himotoshi on the reverse, signed and dated Horeki san mizunoto toridoshi nigatsu hi, Yujin (no) motome (ni) ojite Shozui (Masayuki); the kashira modelled with a similar mask in silver with copper and shakudo details, the fuchi of silver ishime inlaid with a priest’s eboshi and bell beater, signed Shozui (Masayuki). The netsuke 5.1cm (2in). (2).
FOOTNOTES
銀製根付　般若　銘「宝暦三癸酉年二月日　應友人需　政隨」 1753年
縁頭　般若と烏帽子　銘「政隨」

Provenance: The netsuke from the H. Seymour Trower collection, no.446.

Published: George Lazarnick, Netsuke and Inro Artists and How To Read Their Signatures, 1982, p.443.

The inscription on the netsuke translates: Made (by) Shozui to the order of a friend in a day in the second month of the year of the cockerel, the third year of Horeki (1753).

Hamano Shozui (1696-1769) lived in Edo and was a pupil of Nara Toshinaga. He was considered to be the founder of the Hamano School of sword fitting makers. He was succeeded by a number of metalworkers who used the same name and it is possible that the name and date on the present example are apocryphal.

The mask of Hannya, together with the priest’s eboshi and bell beater form a rusu moyo (absent motif), seen in many forms of Japanese art. The three items together are integral ‘props’ used in the Noh play Dojoji (The Dojo Temple). This tragedy concerns a girl named Kiyohime and her unrequited love for the priest Anchin. For a netsuke on this theme, see lot no.69 in this catalogue.