Tsuba grande giapponese - Guardia katana di ferro - Ri Tekkai design - Scuola Kaneie firmata - Periodo Edo

DESCRIPTION
MOKKO GATA a four lobes TSUBA form for KATANA or WAKIZASHI size.
This design depictes RI TEKKAI one of the eight immortals Taoistes. who creates a miniature image of himself of a japanese dragon by blowing into the air. He is seating, under a waterfall amid a mountain background, MATSU a pine tree, above him.
The detailed carving repeats on the reverse with two thatched roofs giving an overall impression of massiveness especially against the uniformly polished ground.

TECHNIQUE
The MIGAKI JI plate is lightly hammered and punched to create the appearance of a rock face, while the surface polished smooth is sharply carved with accurate details in IROE TAKAZOGAN, a high relief modelling, and finely applied in two tones of gold and SHAKUDO inlay with incrustation of silver.
The trunk and branches of the pine tree finely chiseled in KATABORI. Much of the web carving is higher than the rim or the SEPPAI DAI.

SIGNATURE / SCHOOL
山城国伏見住 金家
YAMASHIRO NO KUNI FUSHIMI JU KANEIE
KANEIE school

PERIOD / ORIGIN
Middle EDO period, 18th century
Japan

COMMENTS
The eight Daoist Immortals were known as 'shape shifters', travelling through time and the elements, obeying the Tao universal laws, not human laws. They lived an unconventional life, and are nearly always represented looking disheveled in appearance - a sign of their independence and original living, strangely unworldly with rough-looking and their gowns unkempt and barefooted. Because of his great skill at magic, RI TEKKAI, was able to free his soul from his body and aid and meet others in the celestial realm. He is represented as a lame beggar carrying a bowl of water. The gourd, symbolising longevity and the ability to ward off evil, has a cloud emanating from it. The cloud represents a dragon, depicted as a formless shape. The gourd represents also helping the needy and relieve the distressed.

MATERIAL / SIZE
Iron
81 x 75 mm

CONDITION:
Basically in decent condition considering the age.
See the detailed photos or email me for more info.