Tsuba Mumei Motif of Raindragon with NTHK Certificate
Den Edo Iwamoto Kanri ‒ Attributed to Iwamoto Kanri from
Edo
Shape: nagamaru-gata, one hitsu-ana
Foundation: shakudō, ishime ground
Motif: rain dragon in clouds
Carvings: takabori relief, zōgan inlay, iroe accents
Measurements: height 7.2 cm, width 6.5 cm
late Edo period
Iwamoto Kanri’s first name was Kijūrō (喜十郎). He studied as a student of Iwamoto Konkan (昆寛) but was adopted by his master to succeed as 7th generation of the Iwamoto family. The Iwamoto came from the lineage of the Yokoya school but Konkan studied also the artistic approach of the Nara school, especially that of master Tsuchiya Yasuchika (土屋安親), and established so a style that combined the strong points of both the Yokoya and Nara schools with perfectly met with the then aesthetical sense of the Edo culture. Kanri faithfully continued to work in that style and ranks right after Konkan when it comes to the quality of the Iwamoto school.
This tsuba depicts a Raindragon in the clouds , a motif that had been the speciality of Kanri’s master Konkan. It is in tatemaru-gata, of shakudô with an ishime ground, and is worked in takabori-iroe. The dragon is represented in a highly realistic manner and shows us that Kanri really had inherited the great skill of his master Konkan.
Iwamoto Kanri passed away in 1815.
