Pair of menuki, Japan, ca. 1850-1896
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1850-1896
Pair of menuki in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number M.476-1916), made in Japan, dated ca. 1850-1896, attributed to Morinaga. The museum's brief description reads: Pair of hilt-fittings ( menuki), gold with copper-gold alloy (shakudo) and silver engravings depicting the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju riding an elephant and a lion respectively, both signed Morinaga (ca.1837-1896), Mito school, Japan.
Museum description: Pair of hilt-fittings ( menuki), gold with copper-gold alloy (shakudo) and silver engravings depicting the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju riding an elephant and a lion respectively, both signed Morinaga The museum records it as gold with copper-gold alloy ( shakudo ) and silver engravings, measuring Length 3.18 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Menuki are the ornamental metal pieces positioned either side of the hilt. This pair are made of gold and bear the image of the bodhisattvas Monju and Fugen riding a lion and an elephant respectively. The animal's eyes are in the copper-gold alloy shakudo and their tusks and teeth are in silver.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- gold, copper, silver
- Dimensions
- Length 3.18 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- gold with copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudo</i>) and silver engravings
- Maker recorded
- Morinaga
- Place recorded
- Japan
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- both signed Morinaga
Identification
- Museum object name
- Pair of menuki
- Museum object number
- M.476-1916
- Museum system number
- O193273
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.