HAMANO NAOYUKI: AN INLAID SHAKUDO TSUBA DEPICTING KAN'U ON HORSEBACK By Hamano Naoyuki (1745-1819), signed Hamano Naoyuki with kakihan Japan, Musashi province, late 18th to early 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Of tate-maru-gata form, with one hitsu, finely decorated to both sides in shakudo, copper, silver, and gold takazogan as well as takabori and katakiri with the Chinese general Kan'u (Guan Yu) on horseback wearing full armor, riding through a dense forest amid scrolling reishi-shaped clouds, the reverse with the signature HAMANO NAOYUKI with a kakihan. HEIGHT 7.2 cm WEIGHT 133.3 g Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and traces of age and use. Provenance: Private collection in Pennsylvania, USA. Hamano Naoyuki (1745-1819) lived in Musashi province and studied under Hamano Noriyuki and is listed in Toso Kinko Jiten by Takeshi Wakayama, p. 479-480. Literature comparison: A closely related tsuba by the same artist and also depicting Kan'u is in the collection of the Walters Art Museum, accession number 51.208. A related tsuba by the same artist, depicting Choryo and Kosekiko, is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, accession number 11.5510.