Utsushi - in search of Katsuhira's tiger. Part 2

A short documentary film that follows classical Japanese metal artist Ford Hallam as he recreates a lost masterpiece by the 19th century Mito tsuba artist, Hagia Katsuhira. The project and filming was funded by Mr Bob Morrison and took place from June to October 2009.

Filmed and directed by Brad Schaffer
http://www.bradshawschaffer.com

Produced by Richard Moerdyk and Fixer Film
http://www.fixerfilm.com/

For more details about the project please visit my blog spot here;
http://followingtheironbrush.blogspot.com/2009/06/time-to-let-cat-out-of-bag....

To learn more about the techniques of classical Japanese decorative metalwork please visit our forum;
http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/

We also have available for download text files of the audio in French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Greek and German.
You'll find them on our forum here;
http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=1994

To see more of Ford's work please visit http://fordhallam.com/

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Shakudo
• 赤銅
• Samurai
• 侍
• Ford
• Hallam
• metal
• inlay
• 象嵌
• rokusho
• 緑青
• Hagia
• Katsuhira
• 萩谷勝平
• tiger
• 虎
• lost
• masterpiece
• 傑作を失った
• Utsushi
• 写し
• tsuba
• 鍔
• Japanese
• traditional
• crafts
• 日本の伝統工芸
• metalwork
• 金工
• carving
• shibuichi
• 四分一
• 彫金
• 彫刻
• toso
• 刀装
• Nihonto
• 日本刀
• kanagu
• 金具

[archer82633]

I never tire watching a master at work absolutely amazing.

one question are the tiger stripes a different metal or a different proses?

[ironbrush]

@archer82633 Thank you, It's good to hear you enjoy watching the film. The stripes are a different alloy to the body of the tiger. This difference in metal composition is what gives the different colours when I treat the finished piece in the copper salt bath at the end.

[SamuRyan858]

Wow, I just finished watching it and watching parts of it twice. Amazing skill. I have a question: Does the artist shown here Ford Hallam, sign his own name and just his name, or does he say whom he copies?

[ironbrush]

@SamuRyan858 Glad you enjoyed it enough to watch twice :-) This piece is signed with own usual signature on the left and on the right I've chiselled "utsushi Hagia Katsuhira " (a copy of) who was the artists who made the missing tsuba I attempted to replicate.

[6shige9]

impressive!

歩王道=FORD?

walking on the king's way (the way of virtue)

that's such a cool name, Ford. (^.☆)b

[ironbrush]

@6shige9 Hi, yes that's the meaning of the signature I use. As you probably know the phonetic ON reading of these kanji sounds close to Ford, Fo O Do. My teacher, Izumi Sensei selected these kanji for me to use when I first went to Japan to study with him in 1993. It is pretty cool and auspicious, isn't it? :-) I hope I can live up to the meaning.

[captainvideoblogger]

That was simply amazing.

[nis3r]

as a machines who enjoys wood working i can image how long and hard it must have been to make this beautiful masterpiece!

do you know what happened to the original?

[jamkabi]

These videos were so interesting, amazing to watch

[bryangrossman]

I have always loved metal work in all its forms... To take raw material and then quite literally bend it to your will and create something like this... amazing. I am humbled by the level of skill and care being displayed here.... I am quite jealous sir. It must be very satisfying to rejoice in the completion of a piece like this.... You are truly a master at your art.... It's sad that skills like these are disappearing.... I also wanted to add that the filming of this was VERY well done!!

[6shige9]

@ironbrush Yeah, it is cool and auspicious. Izumi sensei must be talented for naming too, eh? You've already been living up to the meaning since you received the name. That's what name is. You are walking on the right way.

これからも頑張ってください！ 応援しています。^ ^