"Tsuba" with phoenix and plant motifs - Bilbao Fine Arts Museum

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“Tsuba” with phoenix and plant motifs

Sôten, Nyûdo. 19th century

Japan - Japan

8,3 x 8,1 x 0,6 cm

19th century

82/1070

Donación de doña María de Arechavaleta, de la colección de don José Palacio

Near-circular iron tsuba (8.5 x 8.2 cm), with gold decoration, done in quite prominent relief on both sides, showing a phoenix in flight and with a series of plant features in gold. The signature says: "Made by Nyūdo Sōten, when he was living in Hikone". Born in Kyoto, Nyūdo Sōten was a protégé of the Kawakita Clan from Hikone, where his style became very popular. He often took mythical figures as his themes for decorative purposes. (Fernando García Gutiérrez, 2008)

Selected bibliography

  • Arte japonés y japonismo [Cat. exp.]. Bilbao, Bilboko Arte Ederren Museoa-Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao, 2014. pp. 168, 507-509, 511, 513, 515, 516, 522, n° cat. 32.
  • Caeiro Izquierdo, Luis. La Cultura Samurai : armas japonesas en las colecciones españolas [tesis inédita]. Madrid, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1991.
  • García Gutiérrez, Fernando. "Tsuba : Japoniako zaldunen ezaugarri bat. Tsuba bilduma Bilboko Arte Eder Museoan = Un signo distintivo de los caballeros de Japón. Colección de tsuba en el Museo de Bellas Artes de Bilbao = The Mark of the Kinghts of Japan. The Tsuba Collection at the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum", B'07 : Buletina = Boletín = Bulletin, n° 3. 2008. pp. 101-159.
  • Sala Ivars, Marcos Andrés. "Estudio y catalogación de las colecciones públicas de sables japoneses en el País Vasco", Ars Bilduma, n. 11. 2021. p. 75.