By Otsuki Mitsuhiro, signed Mitsuhiro with kakihan
Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published: Satsuo, Ando (1980) Kodogu/The World of Sword Furnishings: Fittings from the Collection of Raymond Bushell, no. 89.

Exhibited: Mikimoto Hall, Mikimoto Ginza, Tokyo, 14-23 March 1980.

The sentoku tsuba of square form with indented corners, with a kozuka hitsu-ana, finely worked in shishiaibori engravings to depict Kanshin crawling between the legs of a peasant, the reverse with a figure carrying a basket, signed MITSUHIRO with kakihan (artist’s cursive monogram).

HEIGHT 6.6 cm, LENGTH 6 cm
WEIGHT 105.6 g

Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.
Provenance: Ex. Bushell Collection. Christie’s, Bushell Collection of Japanese Sword Fittings & Works of Art, 28 October 1998, New York, lot 616 (sold for USD 3,680). A collector’s number inscribed, ‘764.’

With a fitted tomobako storage box.

Otsuki Mitsuhiro (1795-1841) is listed in the Haynes Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists on pp. 1056 (H 05188.0) and was the first son of Otsuki Mitsuoki (H 05375.0). He was also an expert on armor and wrote about the subject.

In Chinese legend, Kanshin (in Chinese, Han Xin, 231-196 B.C.) was the celebrated son of a prince of Han who was challenged by a ruffian to crawl between his legs in a public place. He consented to this humiliation rather than create a disturbance or fight with a man of lowly rank.

Museum comparison:
A closely related sentoku tsuba with herons in a lotus pond by Otsuki Mitsuhiro is in the Walters Art Museum, accession number 51.137.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related sentoku tsuba with cranes and lotus by Otsuki Mitsuhiro at Christie’s, The Duncan Beresford-Jones Collection of Japanese Art from Important Historic European Collections, 7 June 2000, London, lot 177 (sold for GBP 8,460).