SUZUKI KATSUHIRO: A MASTERFUL IRON TSUBA DEPICTING CARPSBy Suzuki Katsuhiro I (1827-1886), signed Suzuki Katsuhiro saku Suifu no juJapan, Mito school, second half of 19th centuryPublished: Heckmann, Günther (1995) Tsuba, no. T79Of kawari-kakugata shape, the iron tsuba worked in splendid openwork, depicting a total of six carps in various attitudes forming a dense composition, each with gilt eyes and masterfully engraved scales and fins. Signed to the front SUZUKI KATSUHIRO saku Suifu no ju.HEIGHT 8.9 cm, LENGTH 7.9 cmWEIGHT 218 gCondition: Excellent condition with minimal wear to exposed areas.Suzuki Katsuhiro Dembei (1827-1886), listed in the Haynes Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists on pp. 577-578 (H 02766.0), was the first child of Hagiya Katsuhira and entered the Suzuki family after marriage. He worked in Mito first and then, after the ban on carrying swords, in Tokyo.The carp is an important symbol of strength and perseverance in Japan.