Pine and Willow Kozuka

Edo period (1615-1868) 

Copper kozuka depicting the folk take of the pine and willow

Signed by: Yanagawa Tsuratoshi (Kao). From the Toryusai school, studied under Yanagawa Naotsura.

The kozuka depicts a scene from the folk tale of the pine and willow, with the pine in shakudo, with gold highlights on the leaves of the willow and on the branches and trunk of the pine.

The story tells of an arrogant pine who boasted of its strength and height while demeaning the more flexible and shorter willow. A heavy storm breaks the pine, leaving the willow standing. On the kozuka the artist is showing the aftermath of the storm with the willow standing at the top, while the broken pine is at the bottom.

More on the folk tale here.