Collection
Warriors’ Race across the Uji River: Futatokoro-mono (Kōgai and Kozuka)
| Warriors’ Race across the Uji River: Futatokoro-mono (Kōgai and Kozuka) |
| Lengths: kōgai 21.3 cm, kozuka 9.8 cm; Middle Edo period, 18th century; Gift of the Ii Family |
A futatokoro-mono is a two-item set consisting of a hairdressing tool (kōgai) and a by-knife (kozuka), the former being kept in a slot on the front of the scabbard and the latter on the back of the scabbard. In this set, meticulous gold and silver metalwork and high-relief carvings depict a scene from The Tale of the Heike, showing two Genji-side generals competing to lead the vanguard across the Uji River, an episode from the Genji-Heike War in 1180. This futatokoro-mono was crafted by Gotō Enjō (1722–1784), thirteenth head of the Gotō family of engravers in the service of the Tokugawa shogunate.
