Kanenobu was the second master of the Hoan family who studied and worked with his father, the first Hoan master Kawaguchi Saburoemon Hoan. During the Momoyama or early Edo period they moved from Kiyosu in Owari to Kii, today’s Wakayama province. The various surface treatments, which were also treated with chemicals but above all with heat, brought out the beauty of their Mokume-Gane Tsuba and gave the group’s works their special over-melted characteristics. The first master, but even more so the second master Hoan Kanenobu, was the teacher of the Kishu Teimei masters, a local group in Wakayama who worked in a modern Owari style.
This tsuba by Kanenobu, which has a typical wheel shape with a wide rim and Kaku Mimi, shows a finely forged Mokume-Gane surface, the structure of which was highlighted by acid treatment. This work shows the great quality of the early Hoan works and was probably created under the direction of the first master.
H: 77,1 mm
W: 73,2 mm
R: 4,4 mm
Sd: 4,9 mm
Find more examples of the Hoan school here: Hoan and Kishu Teimei Tsuba
