Chokwaro Fuchi Signed Mitsutsura

An orphaned (single) fuchi. Depicted is an allusion to the legend of Chokwaro. A broken gourd is of brass - gilded over, horse and fastening rope are shibuichi, and the ground is shakudo nanako. Tenjo gane underplate is signed Mitsutsura. This fuchi dates to circa 1780

Japanese mythology is filled with 'Sennin" - hermit monks that have attained magical powers through extreme age and meditation, and/or some mystical object. There are well over 50 of these hermits in Japanese legend, with Chokwaro being about the second most commonly illustrated (behind Gamma Senin and before Tekkai Sennin). Chokwaro's particular gift was a gourd that when opened, would release a horse that he could ride away on.  Had the Kashira still been coupled with this fuchi, it would probably would have depicted Chokwaro himself.

A somewhat lighthearted and irreverent twist to the Chokwaro legend concerns his gourd and horse.  It is said that Chokwaro loved to drink sake, and that the horse is actually a manifestation of the "wild freedom" and "escape" attained from the inebriation of drinking large amounts of the rice wine.  As this hypothesis detracts from the magic/mystique of the Sennins existence it is doubtful wheather or not this view holds any merit with Japanese scholars.

The name Mitsutsura appears on the underplate. Robert Haynes in his Index lists only two artists that use these particular kanji, unfortunately there is not a lot known about either artist and in fact they may actually be the same person.  It can safely be said that this fuchi is of the Otsuki school and does bear an original signature. The Otsuki school flourished during the late Edo period. Amongst it's students was the famed Kano Natsuo whose technique and surface treatments are unsurpassed in the field of Tosogu.  Otsuki pieces are traditionally very skillfully executed with crisp clean imagery.