MITSUHIRO: A HIZEN SCHOOL SENTOKU AND GOLD ‘100 MONKEYS’ TSUBA

By Mitsuhiro, signed Hishu Yagami no ju Mitsuhiro
Japan, early-mid 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Of nademarugata form, with a kozuka hitsu ana, a shakudo plugged kogai hitsu ana, and the nakago ana with copper sekigane. Carved in typical style with hundred monkeys clambering over each other, their eyes accentuated in gold hirazogan, and the design continuing onto the rim. Signed to one side Hishu Yagami no ju MITSUHIRO [Mitsuhiro from Yagami in Hizen province], the reverse signed sento kin i saku kore [made with brass and gold].

HEIGHT 7.2 cm, LENGTH 7 cm
WEIGHT 122 g

Provenance: The Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani Foundation. Purchased at Piasa, Sale 1201. Asian Art, 14 June 2012, Paris, lot 40. Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani (1966-2014) was a Qatari prince who served as minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage. By the turn of the 21st century, Sheikh Saoud had established an international reputation as an avid art collector, both for his own collection as well as those of several state-owned museums he oversaw in Qatar. Sheikh Saoud’s legacy as a collector is remarkable, as he laid the foundations of the major collections of Qatar Museums. In 2021, the Museum of Islamic Art hosted an exhibition in tribute to the legendary collector, titled A Falcon's Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani.
Condition: Very good condition with minor expected wear and light traces of use. One gold-inlaid eye is lost.

Robert E. Haynes lists three Noda Mitsuhiro in The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, p.1059-1060 (H 05200.0, H 05201.0, and H 05202.0). Noda Mitsuhiro I (c. 1750-1800) was the founder of the Yagami school of fitting makers and specialized in intricately carved iron tsuba often depicting monkeys. The two following generations continued his designs and are often quite difficult to distinguish as they both worked with similar materials. After the death of Mitsuhiro III, the Yamagi line came to an end. A family memorial was erected in 1929 at the site of the Noda residence.

The design incorporates a series of monkeys, each with distinctive traits. At the top appear the three symbolic figures who see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. At the bottom, two monkeys engage in a neck-wrestling contest, bound together by a rope. In the upper left, one monkey carries a fan or baton, while below it another clasps a giant peach. At the lower right, a monkey is shown with a bag slung over its shoulder.

Museum comparison:
Compare a near identical sentoku, gold, and copper tsuba with one hundred monkeys, by Nota Mitsuhuro II, dated 1748-1823, in the Walters Art Museum, accession number 51.112.

Auction comparison:
Compare a near-identical Hizen sentoku tsuba, attributed to Mitsuhiro, dated early-mid 19^th century, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Art, 8 November 2018, London, lot 88 (sold for GBP 7,250 or approx. EUR 12,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).