| A kozuka depicting a cowherd boy and an ox, executed in suemon-zōgan and iroe on a polished shibuichi ground. The design shows an ox lowering its head to graze, while beside it a cowherd boy rests with his arm and head upon a woven basket, having casually set aside his sickle and braided hat. The scene captures a peaceful moment during a lull in farm work and evokes a charming pastoral atmosphere. The powerful physique of the ox, highlighted with gold iroe, forms an appealing contrast to the relaxed figure of the cowherd boy reclining against the basket. Although several metalworkers are known to have used the name Yasushige, making a precise attribution difficult, the work displays the naturalistic style associated with the Nara school. Furthermore, the use of the character “Yasu” (安), a common element among artists of the Tsuchiya lineage, suggests that the maker may have been a Shōnai metalworker connected to the school of the first-generation Tsuchiya Yasuchika. Accompanied by an NBTHK Hozon Tōsōgu certificate issued in 1992. |
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