小道具の世界 – Kodôgu no Sekai

Please find here a glossary for Kodogû terms. This is a work in progress and will be forever added to and changing. If you have something to add, or find a mistake, please let me know. I hope it is useful.

Thank you

Richard

 
Amida Yasuri – 阿弥陀鑢 – The radiating lines represented are cut from the centre out and this design has a strong Buddhist connection. Amida is another name for Buddha and this design represents Buddha’s aura radiating out to the world.

Ategane – 当金 – A metal plug placed in the Kozuka or Kogai-ana. Also refered to as Ume ( 埋 )

Ana – 穴 – A hole for something to pass through. e.g. Nakago ana, Hitsu ana, Udenuki ana.

Aoi – 葵 – A hollyhock. Sometimes refers to the design or shape of old tachi tsuba.

Bori – 彫 – Surface carving

Chikaragane – 力金 – The small metal plates at the base of the neshi that attach the neshi to the backs of menuki.

Chirimen – 縮緬 – A crape paper finish.

Dai – 大 – large, as in Daisho (large/small).

Dotemimi – 土手耳 – A raised rim onthe mimi, Common on Katchushi tsuba.

Fuchi – 縁 – Fitting that sits on the end of the tsuka, at the tsuba end.

Fukurin – 覆輪 – An outer rim cover on a tsuba, usually in Shakado, Gold or some other soft metal.

Fukuro-kise iroe – 袋着色絵 – this refers to the soft metal (usually gold or silver) treatment or uttori うっとり that covers certain parts of the design. The sheets of gold, silver or other precious metals were held on by crimping at the base of the mon or carved design because at the time, they was no chemical adhering or soldering techniques available. Fukuro literally means “bag”. This technique was seen in the times of the Ko Gotou, from Yuujou up until Koujou.

Futokoromono – 二所物 – A set comprising of two items, such as a Kozuka and Kôgai, or Kozuka and Menuki etc.

Gata (Kata) – 形 (型) – This means Shape, Maru Gata is Round Shape.

Hakogaki – 箱書き (はこがき) – An inscription sometimes with attribution applied to wooden fittings boxes.

Hiraji – 平地 – The Surface of the Tsuba.

Hitsu (-bitsu ) -ana – 櫃穴 – Hole in the guard to accomodate the Kozuka and Koagai. Looking form the front, the Kozuka hole is on the left side and the Kogai hole is on the right.

Inaka mono – 田舎物 – The work of a country artist, usually referred to as “country work”.

Inome – 猪目- Generally a sukashi shape that resembles a heart, but is in fact a boar’s eye.

Inyokon -陰陽根 – Male and female posts, on the back of menuki. One a round solid pin, the other a hollow tube.

Iroe – 色繪 – Refers literally to “coloured picture” and in kodogû, refers to the inlaying or adding of soft metal used to create pictorial designs, which is of a different colour to the Jigane.

Ita – 板 – means plate, and refers to solid tsuba with no sukashi work.

Jigane (Shingane) – 地金 (心鉄) – The basic metal or base metal of a tsuba.

Ji Sukashi – 地透 – An open work method in which most of the iron of the flat body is removed to create the outline of a shape or shapes.

Kage sukashi – 陰透 – Negative silhouette used in the Ji-Sukashi method.

Kakumimi – 角耳 – A squared rim.

Karakuri-dome – 絡繰止 – A small metal column is attached to the back of the dog, which is then passed through a hole and then flattened over on the back of the kogai.

Kanmimi – 管耳 – Thicker rounder raised rims. ( note; Thicker and rounder than Dote-mimi )

Kashira – 頭 – Fitting placed at the end of the tsuka.

Katachi Bori – 容彫 – Carved with a full motif.

Kebori – 毛彫 – Line carving of consisten depth and and width.

Keshikomi zôgan – 消込象嵌 – A technique where, after the design is carved into the surface, powdered gold, silver or another selected metal having been made into an amalgam by combining with mercury is forced into the incised pattern in the ground. This is then heated which evaoporates the mercury, depositing the coloured metal on the ground.

Kibata – 際端 – The edge or side. On menuki, it refers to the edge where you might find a mei.

Kin – 金 – Gold.

Kinsabe – 金錆 – Often referred to as ‘gold rust’ it is a colour found on old gold fittings. Ko Gotô and items from the Momoyama period really show this well.

Kinzôgan Mei – 銘金象嵌 – Gold mei made by inlay or gold lacquer.

Kodogu – 小道具 – Litterally small fittings

Kôgai – 笄 – Utility for cleaning ears and scratching the head

Kôgai-bitsu – 笄櫃 – The hole for the Kôgai at the right of the tsuba.

Koniku-kakumimi – 小肉角耳 – A slightly rounded square rim.

Koshirae – 拵 – A complete set of fittings for a Japanese sword.

Kô Sukashi – 小透 – Small open work design. Kô literally means small.

Kozuka – 小柄 – Handel for a utility knife.

Kôzuka-bitsu – 小柄櫃 – The hole for a Kôzuka on the left side.

Kuchibeni – 口紅 – Little pieces of copper, lead or other soft materials used to make the tsuba a snug fit on the nakago ana..

Maru-mimi – 丸耳 – A rounded rim.

Mei – 銘 – The tsuba makers signature carved into the surface of the guard, usually beside the nakago-ana.

Menuki – 目貫 – Small fittings, placed under or on top of ito or same on a tsuka.

Migaki – 磨 – Polished, as in migaki ji, “a polished ground”.

Migi shoshin nari – 右正真也 – the item on the right is genuine. This is seen from time to time on hakogaki by Torigoye and Sato.

Mimi – 耳 – The Rim of the Tsuba

Mimikaki – 耳掻き – Ear pick. This is the orante curved end of a Kogai, designed to clean wax from the ear.

Mitokoromono – 三所物 – A set comprising of Kozuka, Kogai and menuki.

Mokkô – 木瓜 – Lobed shapped.

Mon-Sukashi – 文透 – An openwork method mainly used in Ko-Tosho and Ko-Katchushi sword gaurds. Shapes are pierced in negative silhouette into the flat body of the guard. The image is defined by the removal of the iron from the base.

Murasaki Sabi – 紫寂 – The patina of iron that has a grey-purplish colour.

Nademaru – 撫丸 – Oval shapped

Nade Mokkô Gata – 撫木瓜型 – Lobed shapped on an oval base

Nakago-ana – 中心穴 – The hole in the center of the guard that passes over the tang of the sword.

Nanako-ji – 魚子地 – Nanako are named after fish roe. Small circular lumps in the surface of the fitting.

Nanako-ji means a nanako surface (also nanako ground).

Neshi – 根足 – the posts on the back of menuki.

Oborogin ji – 朧銀地 – A hazy silver ground. Oborogin or Rôgin is an old name for Shibuichi.

Okezoko mimi – 桶底耳 – I believe this is another way of describing a Uchikaeshi-mimi. Okezoko refers to the recess in the bottom of a rice tub.

Omote – 表 – in regards to tsuba, this is the front and generally speaking, the signature side.

Otafuku – お多福 – Diamond Shapped

Rusumoyo – 留守 – Part of a design that is missing and left to the imagination.

Ryohitsu Shitate – 両櫃仕立 – finished with 2 hitsu ana

Saya – 鞘 – Sacabbard for the sword blade.

Sekigane – 責金 – Another name for a filler of copper or lead to to make the fit between the Tsuba and the Nakago snug. This term appears to be more generic (see Kuchibeni)

Senkotsu - 仙骨 – Visible layers seen in the mimi of certain tsuba (Akasaka is a producer of this effect) that can have the appearance of a pastry crust.

Seppa – 切羽 – Washers that are used for packing and can also decorate the front and back of the tsuba

Seppa Dai – 切羽台 – A flat base around the tang hole which seats the Seppa ( washers ). Seppa are set on both sides of the tsuba.

Shakudo – 赤銅 – An alloy comprising of Gold and copper. Once pickled, it is a rich black with a wonderful lustre.

Shibuichi – 四分一 – Silver alloyed or coated.

Shiiremono – 仕入物 – lterally means “received commodity” and stands for mass produced items with a “brand name”, In Tosogu it generally refers to tsuba and fittings made just after the Meiji Restoration ( 1867/68 ) and sold to tourists on the docks at Yokohama and Edo. These fittings are mostly low end but there are some better examples found.

Shiroganeshi – 白金師 – A smith working in gold, silver or soft metal alloys.

Sho – 小 – the other half of Dai, the smaller part of the Daisho.

Shumei – 銘朱漆 – A signature or attribution apllied with red lacquer

Suemon ( suemon-zôgan ) – 据紋(象嵌) – High relief brass inlay.

Suemon – 据文 – A design, carved seperatley from the main kodôgu body and attached later.

Sukashi tsuba – 透鍔 – Sword guards with openwork design where the design hs been carved out of the body .

Sukidashi bori -鋤出彫 – The body is carved away to leave the raised design.

Sukinokoshi mimi -鋤残耳 – The mimi is slightly raised

Sumiire Kakugata – 隅入角形 – A square  shape with hollowed corners.

Sumikiri Kakugata - 隅切角形 – square tsuba with the corners cut out (bevelled)

Tagane Ato – 鏨跡 – Literally ‘punch marks’. These refer to the punch marks left around the tsuba’s Nakago ana to help facilitate at tighter fit of the tsuba on the sword.

Takabori – 高彫 – Carved in high relief.

Tekkotsu – 鉄骨 – Mixtures of iron of different qualities produce distinct texture variations that are visible to the rims of the guards. Generally this is iron of a higher carbon content that the iron of the main body of the tsuba has. It pushes itself up under the skin during the forging process and has been described as looking like Knuckles (bones). There are three main variations are fine, granular and linear.

Tetsu – 鉄 – Iron.

Tosogu – 刀装具 – Sword fittings. Includes all forms of koshirae and fittings

Tsuba – 鍔 – Sword Guard

Tsuchime Ji – 槌目地 – Hammered surface. Tsuchime are the marks on the surface of a tsuba. So, a surface that has a hammered appearance.

Tsuka – 柄 – The handle of a Japanese sword.

Uchikaeshi-mimi -打返耳 – A bevelled raised rim. One of the typical features of Ko-Katchushi guards.

Udenuki ana – 腕貫穴 – Two small holes at the bottom of a tsuba to pass a cord through.

Umbari – 馬針 – Literally, horse needle.

Ume – 埋 – See Ategane above

Ura – 裏 – in regards to tsuba, this is the back.

Ura-fukumi kin – 裏哺金 – Seen on the backs of Kozuka and Kôgai, a sheet of gold is added for striking artistic results. It covers all of the back of the item. A sheet of gold foil is fitted to the back and sides and affixed by being placed in a furnace.

Uttori – うっとり – A technique using a thin film of gold or silver that is attached without thus use of glues or chemicals. A small grove s carved about the base of the design, then the foil of iroe is placed in that groove and then it is hammered closed..

Wabi-sabi – 侘寂 – A difficult Japanese concept, Wabi-sabi is an aesthetic sometimes described as one of beauty that is imperfect or incomplete. In tosogu, and for the most part tsuba, Wabi-sabi is a sense of a look more natural than man made. Like it was made by nature.

Yakite shitate – 焼手仕立 – A method of finishing iron sword guards. A guard is heated to high temperature and then allowed to cool gradually. This method reveals the iron bones ( Tekkotsu ). Note: Yakite is also known as Yakinamashi 焼き鈍し.

Yamagane – 山銅 – Unrefined Copper. This copper was made in times when the refining process was not as good as it is now. Other impurities are mixed in. The colur is deeper than modern Copper.

Yô Sukashi – 陽透 – Positive silhouette used in the Ji-Sukashi method.

Zôgan – 象嵌 – Inlay. Mostly brass or copper.

Zu – 図 – Figure or theme.