| This kozuka depicts a branch bearing two persimmons, finely worked on a shakudo nanako ground with high-relief shibuichi inlay and skillfully applied gold iroe. The composition follows the usual convention for plant designs on kozuka, with the thicker base of the branch toward the tsuba and the tip extending toward the kojiri. Particularly noteworthy, however, is the unusual orientation of the two persimmons. Persimmons naturally hang downward from their branches, yet in this work both fruits are depicted growing upward. Since the branch itself is arranged in the conventional direction, the entire design has not simply been reversed; rather, the persimmons alone appear to have been intentionally placed upside down. This curious detail is especially intriguing. The artist is Hamano Naotoshi, who studied under Hamano Naoyuki, a distinguished student of Hamano Noriyuki, and inherited the Hamano school's skillful techniques of high-relief carving and colored-metal decoration. It is difficult to imagine that a metalworker of such ability would mistakenly depict the way persimmons grow, suggesting that Naotoshi deliberately placed the two fruits in this unusual orientation with some particular intention or hidden meaning. In addition to its refined carving and beautiful gold decoration, the work is distinguished by this subtle and enigmatic composition, which seems to reflect Naotoshi's ingenuity and invites the viewer to ponder its meaning. An intriguing Branch with Persimmons design kozuka. Passed Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu Shinsa in 1998. |
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