Description

Josui ShiShi Shakudo Tsuba Rare Tsuba by female artisan Josui The Murakami school (村上) Murakami Jochiku (村上如竹) Unfortunately, Jochiku’s master is unknown but is is transmitted that he first applied zōgan inlays to stirrups (abumi, 鐙) under the name of „Nakanori“ (仲矩) in Kanazawa (金沢). We also know the craftsman name of Mitsunori“ (光則) and his first name „Seijirō“ (清次郎). He was active from about Meiwa (1764-1772) to Tenmei (1781-1789) in Edo´s Shinmonzen district (新門前町) and used the gō „Kanshōdō“ (観笙堂) and „Yūkokuken“ (幽谷軒). Because of the use of the character „shō“ (笙) in the former pseudonym – a wooden mouth organ – it is assumed that he also played that instrument. An important reference for this artist and his production site is the extant signature: „Bushū San´en-zan-roku ni oite Akabane no hotori Murakami Seijirō Nyūdō Jochiku Mitsunori saku“ (武州三緑山麓於赤羽辺村上清次郎入道如竹光則作, „made by Murakami Seijirō Mitsunori, nyūdō-gō ´Jochiku´, at the foot of Mt. San´en at Akabane*69 in Musashi province“). Jochiku´s year of birth and death are unknown but we know of pieces which are at least signed with the supplement „made at the age of 65“. Regarding his style, the ornamentation takes quite a large place on the ground plate and is mostly inlayed in suemon and carved in takabori. Because his origins were that of a zōgan artist, many pieces show excellent hira-zōgan applications. But the Murakami style refrains mostly from additional kebori or katakiribori. Another characteristic of the school is the slightly uneven surface finish, the so-called „chirimenishime“ (縮緬石目, lit. „silk crepe ishime“) or „kawa-ishime“ (革石目, lit. „leather ishime“). Motifs of dragonflies, butterflies and fish were daring for his time and novel in their realism. *69 „San´en-zan“ is the so-called „mountain name“ of Tōkyō´s Zōjō-ji (増上寺) and Akabane the corresponding district. Other artists of the Murakami family Johaku (如柏) – his first name was „Wasuke“ (和助) – was first the student of Jochiku but was later adopted by him as successor. Accordingly, he followed as 2nd gen. Jikuchi after the death of the master, using the name „Shōeiken Jochiku“ (松英軒如竹). Interestingly, there is a work extant which bears the signature Shōeiaratame nidai Jochiku“ (松英改め二代如竹, „2nd gen. Jikuchi, name changed to ´ Shōei´“). The records are in disagreement about Masanori (正則). His first name was „Tadashichi“ (唯七) and one refers to him as the younger brother of Jochiku and the others as his son or also as his adopted student. He worked entirely in the Murakami style and trained several students himself, whose craftsman names always start with the character „Nori“ (則). Another adopted son of Jochiku was Jokyō (如笻) who is listed with the reading „Jogu“ in the Haynes-Index. „Kyō“ (笻, Chin. „quióng“) is the name of a Chinese bamboo and so it is assumed that Jokyō took this character in an allusion to his master and adoptive father („chiku“ (竹) means „bamboo“). Haynes also lists another way of writing the name „Jokyō“, namely (如筇), which is read accordingly as „Jotsue“. Anyway, the second character of this name has the same meaning as the former one, i.e. a special kind of Chinese bamboo. In addition, there is a pair of menuki extant which bears the signature Jochū“ (如中) *70 and it is assumed that all the three names go back to the very same artist. Old publications also list two daughters for Jochiku, namely Josui (如水) and Jotetsu (如鉄). The „Sōken-kishō“ says that Josui came originally from Kyōto´s Kamo family (加茂) and studied in Edo under Jochiku. There are some kinkō works known which bear the signature „Josui“ but which go back to the hand of different artists, like for example the Mito-kinkō Josui who was a student of Sekijōken Motozane (赤城軒元孚).