KOSHIRAE FITTINGS 

by 

Fukui Ichiju 福井一壽

Dated 1871 

(A student of Goto Ichijo)

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Papers

In 1855 Fukui Ichiju (Haynes 01698.0) became a student of Hashimoto Isshi (H 01937.0), one of the five most famous students of Goto Ichijo (H 01697.0) School, who were known as the "Go-Ko Ichijo" (Five tigers of Ichijo). In 1861, Ichiju himself became a student of the very famous Goto Ichijo, at the peak of his carrear. Fukui Ichiju's style followed closely the teachings of  Ichijo. He was very skilled at taka-bori iroe (a raised carved design, of different metal than the ground; mixed soft metal inlay).

Fukui Ichiju worked in Yamashiro and Musashi provinces into the Meiji period. He was born in 1835 and died in 1903.  

The design is of various flowers and grasses, done in hira-zogan (flush inlay) of various metals, outlined and highlighted with katakiri bori (carving, like the strokes of a painters brush). There are raised butterflies in gold and silver with very fine detail, including multicolored cells in the wings!

The Kashira, Koiguchi and Kojiri are all signed. The Fuchi-Kashira, Kojiri, Koiguchi and Kurigata are en-suite, and clearly made by the same hand.

The backs/insides of the Menuki, 'Kurigata' and Kashira are not accessible to check for signatures. The original tsuba may also have been by Ichiju , unfortunately it was separated from the koshirae at some point in history, too bad! The remaining, original, gold foil seppa have cutouts, or groves, on their backs to accommodate raised decoration that was present on the original tsuba seppa-dai. 

These fittings are part of a gaiso (complete mounting) for a suriage katana by the first generation  Hizen no Kuni Tadayoshi (肥前図忠吉), founder of the Tadayoshi school (also with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers). This Meiji period koshirae was likely made as a special order, complimenting this special blade. This gaiso is Higo in style, and influenced by Meiji tastes.