Yoshioka Inabanosuke Tsuba
A good Yoshioka Inabanosuke shakudo nanako tsuba with a slightly unusual design feature, the sharp diagonal dividing water and the sky. 6.82 cm x 6.29 cm x 3.6 mm. As per Robert Haynes, this is the work of the Yoshioka Inabanosuke. Haynes H 01894.0. All of the generations of this family were named Inabanosuke, and only the later generations signed their tsuba. They were signed either simply Inabanosuke, or Yoshioka Inabanosuke. The rank of the masters of succeeding generations remained the same. Even the branch families had very high standards for their work. They were retainers of the Tokugawa, and received their stipend directly from the Tokugawa Bakufu during the Edo period. Their pieces are equal to the best of the mainline Goto, and many of their pieces have been certified as mainline Goto, so there are not as many examples of this school as there are of the Goto. Toso Kodogu Meiji Taikei, Vol. I, pages 115 - 118. There are a few small dings, as pictured, and lacquer on the seppadai on the obverse.
Shodai: Shigetsugu H 08515.0, died 1653. Nidai: Shigeyoshi H 01542, died 1671. Sandai: Shigenaga H 08393, died 1740. Yondai: Shigehiro H 08262, died 1753. Godai: Yasutsugu H 11328, died 1759. Rokudai: Kiyotsugu H 03381, died 1802. Nanadai: Shigesada H 08448, died 1893. $2,800