小道具の世界 – Kodôgu no Sekai

Ko Shôami Ji sukashi tsuba- 古正阿弥透鍔, Azuchi-Momoyama period 安土桃山時代. Excellent iron surface. Maru Gata 丸形 and the mimi is maru also 丸耳. The surface is nicely finished and the plate in excellent condition. There are small tekkotsu (鉄骨 hard iron bones) in the mimi (耳 edge).

The tsubas dimensions are 80mm x 80mm. The thickness at the centre is 3.5mm and at the mimi, 2.5mm. This is quite thin for Ko Shôami work. Most Momoyama period pieces are on average 3.5 – 4.5mm thick. I have owned and seen thinner works that have been attributed to the late Muromachi period. I still feel this work is Momoyama period work, however nothing is ever set in stone when it comes to tsuba. Opinions and ideas are forever being reassessed.

The design is described by the NBTHK as Kiku sukashi 菊地透鍔, There are however other elements here that bare more examination. There are two matsukawa kamon 中陰松皮家紋 or double lozenge mon at 12 and 6 o’clock. The rest of the sukashi is made up of what appears to be leaves. The actual leaves of the chrysanthemum plant however are a distinct shape and these appear quite tubular. Perhaps the shapes represented here are clouds or something else.

If you have an opinion, I would love to hear it.

The NBTHK attested to the quality of this tsuba by awarding it Tokubetsu Hozon. In much of the tosogu collecting world, as with swords, size seems to be an issue, as in the bigger the better. I think though that size may overshadow quality in many instances and it is quality first we should be studying, not dimensions. The fact that this tsuba received Tokuho means it is first rate work, regardless of it’s majesty.

Kyo Sukashi tsuba 京張透 that would date to about the Azuchi-Momoyama period 安土桃山時代. Excellent iron surface. Maru Gata 丸形 and kakumimi koniku 角耳小肉, the surface is nicely finished. There are both elongated and small granular tekkotsu 鉄骨 in the mimi. The seppa dai it elongated and classic for the Kyo group. Both Hitsu (ryohitsu shitate – 両櫃仕立) are large and bold in their design.

The dimensions are Height 77mm x Width 75mm – Center 4mm – Mimi 5mm.

The theme is that of Yatsuhashi (八橋・やつはし) which literally means “8 bridges”. Yatsuhashi are wooden bridges that are staggered or set at angles, often seen in Japanese gardens and it is a motif found in many Japanese art forms. With regards to this tsuba’s design the bridge rests over a pond displayed gracefully by the curved lines of waves, Surrounding the bridge are 8 Kasa or geese. At the very bottom, the new shoot of an Iris starts to grow. The bringing together of these elements depict a winter theme in Japan.

On either side of the seppa dai are two small circular shapes. These I think may be a gourd that has been split in two to accommodate the design. The gourd is a common element used to bridge small spaces in early sukashi works.

The term Yatsuhashi also references a specific bridge where the poet Ariwara Narihira stopped in his travels to compose a poem about his wife. The poem alludes to the irises growing at the side of the bridge and uses the character for iris at the beginning of every line. This is the poem:

殻衣きつつなれにしつましあればはるばるきぬるたぼをしぞ思ふ。 Karakoromo kitsutsu narenishitsumashi arebaharubaru kinurutabi oshizo omofu. A Chinese robe I have worn so often, I know it as I do my wife. Having come so far, this journey rests heavy on my thoughts.

Ref:

http://itode.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/yatsuhashi%E5%85%AB%E6%A9%8B-8-bridges

Thank you for reading

Rich

Iyo Shôami tsuba by Moritsugu.
Mei: 豫劦松山住・中興正阿弥森次 Yôshû Matsuyama jû ・ chuko kaizan Shôami MoritsuguMokko gata, 木瓜形 Yamagani mikage ji 山銅槌目地, Kuro (black) Urushi 黒うるし, maru mimi 丸耳. The dimensions are 78.5mm x 76mm x 4mm (centre) and 6mm (mimi)

The design is Shi hô Inome sukashi 四方猪目 or 4 direction Inome (boars eyes). Inome had several uses in Japan’s early history. It was commonly used as a window in tea houses and was known as “inomemado　猪目窓” The window is really more of a heart-shaped opening in the wall at the side of the alcove, tokonoma 床の間, in a tea ceremony house or in a short wall dropped from the ceiling about a third of the way down across the front of the tokonoma. It allowed some light to enter the tokonoma, for example in the Yodomi-no-seki 淀看の席 tea ceremony room at Saiouin 西翁院, Kyoto.

Also, other uses included inome gegyo 猪目懸魚 or boars eye pendant where three heart shaped holes were often arranged in triangle at the base of the pendant. These were often seen on temples and date back to the Kamakura period. The design was also used for decorations and carved into shelving used in tea houses. At the beginning of the Momoyama period, the tea ceremony had a strong cultural influence on the bushi, and the ideals and associated designs were incorporated into many kodôgu as well as other art.

The tsuba’s mimi is nicely carved and there is a large amount of black lacquer (kuro urushi) left in the channel.

Moritsugu was one of the main Shôami artists of the Matsuyama prefecture in the Ito province. He worked from the mid/late 1600’s through to the mid 1700’s and was a prolific artist. It is said his work in iron was not as fine as his soft metal tsuba. His yamagane pieces are believed to be among his best.

Lastly, in regards to the mei, the variant of Shu 劦 used in this signature was common amongst the Iyo artisans and was used in place of the more common 州. Many generations of this group signed Yôshû in this manner.

This tsuba was published in Nihontô Taikan – Tsuba, Kodôgu Hen (Homma Junji, Sato Kanichi) 日本刀大鑑 鐔小道具編 (Item #67, page 39.

Thank you for reading.

Richard

References on Inome – http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/

Kyō Sukashi tetsu ji ji sukashi tsuba 京透 鉄地 地透鍔. Kiku gata (菊形), Kakumimi – koniku  (角耳小肉), ji sukashi 地透, ryohitsu shi  両櫃仕. This tsuba is likely to date to the Late Muromachi or Momoyama periods.

The dimensions are 82.5mm x 81.9mm. Centre thickness 4.8mm, mimi 5.2mm.

The dark rich purple/red patina is excellent with the colour verging on black in incandescent light. Under the sun its true colours shine. With the slightly broader than normal seppa dai 切羽台 and slightly broader hitsu ana 櫃穴 as well as the bold feel to the overall sukashi, this tsuba has somewhat of an Owari feel to it but the texture of the iron is soft and quite homogenous, which it typical of Kyōto works.

The motif would be described as Myōga Kari Kai Zu 茗荷雁繋図 and includes Karigane 雁金 (Wild geese), Myōga 茗荷 (Japanese ginger) and Fundo 分銅 (Japanese weights). The Myōga are carved in slight relief with simple Kebori  毛彫. All 3 of these items, enveloped in and including the kiku gata mimi are an elegant element of classic design. Karigane and Myōga are also winter elements and may allude to both travel and the higher society lifestyles of Kyōto at the time. The Kiku in various guises was the emblem of the emperor and weights would have been used for, amongst other things, the counting of gold and so could also allude to the affluence of the place and time. Together as a group, these 4 elements display a feeling of prosperity, movement and health.

Fundo are often seen in sukashi tsuba and I would expect a theme common amongst samurai in charge of or working with castle finances and book keeping. This could also apply to merchants who were later in the Edō period, allowed to wear wakizashi.

Kyō Sukashi tsuba were named after Kyōto which was at one time the capital city of Japan. These tsuba were also called Heianjō Sukashi by some authors because Heian was this cities earlier name. Kyōto at the time would have been an affluent and vibrant metropolis and these tsuba, with their fine carving and elegant designs, Kyō Sukashi tsuba (as would Owari sukashi and Ko ShōamI) would have been worn equally with the more opulent styles of Mino bori, Gotō bori and Ko Kinko bori which would have sat more in line with the heavily decorate wardrobes of that time.

The tsuba has an old green NBTHK Neiteisho – Tokubetsu Keicho designating it Kyō Sukashi.

Thank you for reading.

Rich

江戸時代に両替商が用いた後藤分銅  Edō Jidai Fundo used by the Gotō family for money exchange.