74 - ICHIRYU TOMOTOSHI: A SUPERB AND UNUSUAL MITO SCHOOL SENTOKU AND SUAKA ‘MIRROR POLISHER AND FLYING HORSE’ TSUBA

ICHIRYU TOMOTOSHI: A SUPERB AND UNUSUAL MITO SCHOOL SENTOKU AND SUAKA ‘MIRROR POLISHER AND FLYING HORSE’ TSUBA By Ichiryu Tomotoshi (1831-1889), signed Tomotoshi Japan, late 19 th century, Meiji period (1868-1912) Of unusual kawarigata form, the polished sentoku migakiji ground superbly worked in takabori and suaka takazogan, depicting a crouching craftsman, likely a mirror polisher, wearing flowing robes and a loosely draped headcloth. His expressive face and muscular arms are finely detailed as he presses both hands onto a ribbed cylindrical implement, with two further tools resting beside him. The reverse ingeniously modeled after an ancient Chinese bronze mirror of Tang-dynasty type, decorated in relief with a flying, winged horse. Signed TOMOTOSHI within a cartouche. HEIGHT 8.4 cm, WIDTH 8.2 cm HEIGHT 2.1 cm (nakago-ana) THICKNESS 0.4 cm (seppa-dai) WEIGHT 229 g Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear. The ingenious composition appears to unite the craft of mirror polishing with the richly decorated reverse of an ancient Chinese bronze mirror, reflecting the fascination with Chinese antiquities among Japanese metalworkers of the Edo period. Ichiryu Tomotoshi (1831-1889) was a distinguished metalworker of the Mito school and the fourth son of Tomoyoshi. He is listed in Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, p. 2001 (H 10114.0). Auction comparison: Compare a related sentoku tsuba by the same artist, depicting a snake attacking a monkey, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 5 December 2025, Vienna, lot 53 (sold for EUR 13,000).