Description:
A COPPER KOZUKA HANDLE DEPICTING A WAYFARER, BAMBOO AND BIRDS
Unsigned, kozuka handle, copper and some gold
Japan, late Edo period (1615-1868)
At the end of the handle a wayfarer with a walking cane in high relief, his baggy trousers are gilt and decorated with a pattern. He is looking up towards two birds flying in the sky. At the top there is bamboo growing, the leaves lightly gilt, but the entire upper area of the handle is reminiscent of a bamboo stalk through the use of engraving. This could be an allusion to the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, making the old man with the cane Santo, a former minister. The reverse shows a long inscription in cursive and abbreviated sosho.
LENGTH 9.7 cm
Provenance: German private collection.
condition: Good condition, minor areas of discoloration on the reverse