HARUAKI: A FINE ‘TANUKI HARA NO TSUZUMI’ SHAKUDO NANAKO TSUBA, WITH TOKUBETSO KICHO (ESPECIALLY PRECIOUS) NBTHK CERTIFICATE
Lot 65 - JPN1225

By a member of the Haruaki school, signed Haruaki Hogen with kakihan
Japan, 19^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Published & Exhibited: Samouraïs. Guerriers et esthètes, Bibliothèque Nationale et Universitaire, Strasbourg, 11 March-13 July 2022, p. 157, no. 166.

Of sumikirigata form, with one kozuka hitsu ana, the shakudo nanako ground with gold and iro-e takazogan, the mimi in shibuichi, featuring a tanuki changing into a tea kettle under the full moon, the reverse with further reeds beside a stream and signed HARUAKI Hogen [an honorific title] with kakihan.

HEIGHT 5.9 cm, LENGTH 5.2 cm
WEIGHT 93.7 g

Provenance: Ex-collection Patrick Liebermann. Patrick Liebermann (1948–2023) was a passionate collector of tsuba (Japanese sword guards). His journey began in 1970 when he unknowingly purchased his first tsuba, unaware it was a sword fitting—an encounter that sparked a lifelong dedication. Over the course of more than fifty years, Liebermann assembled an impressive collection of 450 pieces, always prioritizing quality over quantity. Rather than adhering strictly to specific schools, periods, or types such as sukashi or kinko, he was guided by the thematic content of each piece. His acquisitions were often made directly in Japan, with a discerning eye for originality and artistic merit. A selection of his collection was exhibited at the Bibliothèque Universitaire in Strasbourg in 2022, offering a glimpse into his refined and deeply personal approach to collecting.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.

With a tokubetsu kicho (especially precious) certificate of the NBTHK, dated 10 June 1972, described as a shakudo nanako tsuba with a tanuki under the moon, signed Haruaki Hogen with kakihan.

Haruaki (1787-1857) is listed in Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, p.197-198 (H 00760.0). Haynes identified the artist as a student of Yanagawa Naomitsu. After studying he moved to Tokyo where he founded his own studio, receiving the title of Hogen at age 40. He had a vast number of students and followers who signed with his name.

The tanuki possesses magical powers and can change forms, sometimes into Buddhist monks; they are jovial, but also dangerous, as they have been known to suffocate hunters with their enormous scrotums. The act of drumming on the belly, according to legend, was used by tanuki to beguile travelers and hunters and to lead them astray. However, it has also been said that tanuki would get together just for fun, drumming on their bellies under the moonlight, perhaps even with some sake involved.

Museum comparison:
Compare a related shakudo tsuba, signed Haruaki Hogen, 19^th century, 7 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 36.120.11.