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Ko Kinko Menuki - Momoyama Period.

Ko Kinko menuki 古金工 目貫 with Shakudo-ji 赤銅地 from the Momoyama period 桃山時代. These menuki are Katachibori Iroe 容彫色繪. They are Koshi takaku yutaka na hainiku ni tukurikomu 腰高く豊かな配肉に作込む which means they have high, raised carving with thick relief. The menuki are 肉は厚く堅牢である (niku ha atsuku kenro de aru) or thick and solid. There is 随所に金色絵を施す(zuisho ni konjikie wo hodokosu) gold plate here and there. The bottom edges of both menuki are 抱込む際端を配し (kakaekomu Kibata wo haishi) equipped with a hollow Kibata (Kibata 際端 refers to edge or side of a menuki where a mei usually carved). These menuki are however mumei. It is very interesting that an area was set aside for a mei, as signed Ko Kinko pieces are extremely rare. I believe there is only one signed Ko Kinko piece in existence.

The Kibata 際端 shown here are filed flat and on both menuki

The theme depicts Kuchinashi no Zugara 梔子の図柄 (Fig. of gardenia) and shows Gardenia fruit, flowers and leaves. The fruit are finished in shakudo and gold, while the leaves are a mixture of shakudo and gold, the flowers in gold. There are small gold droplets on the leaves. The shakudo on these menuki is described as 上質な赤銅地 Joshitsu na Shakudo ji or fine quality Shakudo material. The gold is rich with a wonderful patina and shows its age.

There is a book titled Haikai Saijiki Kanzo 俳諧歳時記栞草 written by the famous Edo period author Kyokutei Bakin 曲亭馬琴 (1767 - 1848). In this book Bakin writes, “Shi (巵) is a vessel for alcohol (sake). The shape of the fruit of the gardenia looks like these sake bottles, so it was referred to as Shishi (巵子 a child of Shi). The Kanji for Shi is made as follows, 梔 = 木 + 巵.” The use of Kuchinashi in this sense then refers to the shape of the fruit and their resemblance to sake bottles.

The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 17 mm x 50 mm x 7 mm. Migi 右: 16mm x 48 mm x 6.5 mm.

Presented here is the Part 2 in the series by Robert E Haynes articles. I hope you enjoy and I am as always, eternally grateful to Robert for allowing me to post these. Many thanks also to Dr. Peter Klein for transcribing the article.

Best wishes

Richard Turner

If we examine the early books mentioned in the first paper it will be seen that they do contain some information of value. The first thing we notice is that the taste in tsuba was very different in the 18th century from that in the Meiji period, and that it was not dictated by collective taste, but by the individual author who compiled the work. Most of these early books on tsuba start with the two kanji TO BAN in the title. TO is sword, but HAN (ban in the phonetic sound) means: shallow bowl, platter, tray, board, disc, etc. The kanji for TSUBA is not used. Why this is the case has not been answered as far as I know. The books such as TOBAN FU (SWORD DISC RECORD) TOBAN ZUFU (ILLUSTRATED SWORD DISC RECORD) and TOBAN SHINPIN ZUKAN (SWORD DISCS OF HEAVENLY QUALITY PICTURE BOOK) all deal with tsuba in drawings or rubbings. The are in silhouette with only slight surface design visible. The TOBAN SHINPIN ZUKAN contains 313 such drawings, two to a page. (See illustration of selected examples). The SOKEN KISHO (RARE PRIZED SWORD EQUIPEMENT), devotes the first five of its seven volumes to sword fittings. In volume 5, pages 21 and 22, 12 tsuba are illustrated. They are all sukashi examples, except two small tsuba signed Nobuie. The descriptions that are above them describe the design but NOT a school, group or period that they might belong to. This is only natural because tsuba had not been given their formal names and tags that they have today. Which brings up the point of when were the names we apply to tsuba today invented? That question will concern us in the next paper of this series. (See illustrations of some of the tsuba in the SOKEN KISHO). It should be mentioned that these books and records of tsuba were not made to enlighten the public but to record examples of interest to the author of the book, for his private interest. They also are not records of the collections kept by great families to be used for their personal wear.

We can learn from these books that the history of the study of sword fittings is but a little over a hundred years old. That the terms applied to tsuba are an invention of the late Edo period. How did this formal consensus take place and by whom?

As mentioned in the first paper there was no need for “NAMES” when sword fittings were still being worn. You went to a tsuba maker or a shop that sold fittings and purchased what you liked and could afford. It would be the same if you went today to buy a suite of clothes, each style of suite does not have a name, except that of the maker or such terms as tuxedo. Tsuba were called by the name of the maker, shop name, or the style of mountings that it would be used on. Such as Goto, Daigoro, or Tachikanagu. These general terms might have been in use in the mid to late Edo period, but terms such as katchushi, tosho, kinko, and the many place names for groups or styles of tsuba had not been applied any earlier that the 19th century. Why were these many names given to the individual examples that had not needed them before? This is where the HAITOREI EDICT of 1876 comes in again. When this bast flood of swords and fittings was thrown up for sale the sword and fitting dealer who sold to the COLLECTOR was born. The collector is a very different person from the person who wore swords as a natural course of every day life. The collector wants to KNOW what he is buying and what name should be applied to his purchase. As was mentioned in the first paper the dealer in swords and fittings was the natural authority in the Edo Period. The new collector would place himself in the hands of a dealer and form his collection as the dealer directed. this was all very new to the classic dealer of the later Edo period. Now the dealer was placed in the position not of outfitting a wearer of swords but forming a collection for a person who in most cases had never worn a sword. But a new development was about to put this whole situation in an international perspective. The foreigner arrived and commenced his love affair with all things Japanese.

Those who took an interest in Japanese sword fittings formed their budding collections with the help and guidance of the well known art dealers, with shops for the most part in Tokyo or Kyoto. Prime among these was the shop called AMIYA owned by Ogura Soemon. You will notice on page 1, of the fine new translation of the NIHON TO KOZA, by Harry Afu Watson, that the original text was by Ogura Soemon. This shows the respect that the collectors and other authorities in the world of fittings had for the knowledge of Ogura. What is not mentioned is that Ogura should have credited Akiyama as the source of this knowledge. the same as we see that Kuwabara is both the authority of the original volume 7 of the KOZA and that Kashima Susumu is credited with the revised version. In 1900 you could be both a great authority and a dealer, but this was to change where later the dealer was a pariah and only a scholastic soul be an authority.

The KOZA does contain a distillation of the source information that was formed by Akiyama, Kuwabara, and Ogura. Even in the “revised” version printed in 1966, and edited by Homma and Sato, we see that the authorities of thirty years ago, Noda and Kashima, are credited with these update of the two volume fittings section. But we must keep in mind that the basic source information in this, and most other works that we see today, was formed over a hundred years ago, and that a true reformation of all our source material, formed over the last hundred years, is sorely needed.

To return to the early books, not much more can be said about those published in the 18th century. There were about 20 various editions printed between 1800 and 1876, by such authors as, Matsudaira Rakuo (SHUKO JUSHU), which is still valid and useful, Iwase Kioden, Tsuge Masatada, Kawazu Sampaku, Umetada Schichizemon Munetoki (KINKO TANKI, 1827), Tanaka Ichigasai (KINKO JINKI, 1839), Kurihara Nobumitsu (ZANKO FURIAKU, 1844), Noda Yoshiaki (KINKO KANTEI HIKKETSU, 1820 reissued 1917), and in the last years of the 19th century we have the first book by Kuwabara Yojiro (TAGANE NO MEII, 1899), and (SOKEN KINKO DAN, 1904). In the 20th century come of the early books of note are Col. Nagaya (HIGO KINKO ROKU, 1902, second edition 1909), Matsumura (TAGANE NO HANA, 1903 - 5, 1911 - 12, and second edition 1971), Kuwabara Yojiro (CHOKINKO NEMPIO, 1909), Tsunashiro Wada (HOMPO SOKEN KINKO RYAKUSHU, 1913, and his famous FURUKAWA’S COLLECTION, 1913), Akiyama Kyusaku (TOBAN OGYO SETSUMEI, 1916), Honami Koga (KINKO JIN MEIROKU, 1920), Ogura Yokichi (AKASAKA TSUBAKO ROKU, 1921), Kuwabara Yojiro (KINKO ICHIRAN, 1922, later reprint), Kano Natsuo (TAGANE KO SANROKU, 1924), Ogura Soemon (HIGO KINKO ROKU, 1925, second edition 1929), Akiyama Kyusaku (NOBUIE TSUBA SHU, 1926), Torigoye Kazutaro (SHAKAIGAKU SHIRON, 1930, and NIHONTO SHINSETSU, 1934 - 36), Ogura Soemon (GOTO ICHIJO, 1935, and MEISHI TO TOKEN, 1935), Kawaguchi Noboru (TSUBA TAIKAN, 1935), and Kuwabara Yojiro (TOKEN KINKO SORAN, 1937, and NIHON SOKEN KINKO SHI, 1941). You can see the continuity of the work of this rather small group of authors and what they produced fifty years ago. Many of these should be considered source material that can still contribute to the available knowledge of the beginning student of today.

The last book on fittings of the 1940’s was Kuwabara Yojiro (NIHON SOKEN KINKO NO KENKYU, 1944), at which time Kuwabara died in a bombing raid. It would be, as one might suspect, a number of years before another book on fittings was produced. In 1952 Junji Homma and the newly formed N.B.T.H.K produced the first book on fittings published after the war. TSUBA MEISAKU SHU, the English title is, MASTERPIECES OF JAPANESE SWORD GUARDS. With this work the present flood of books was ushered in. One year before “A Special Loan Exhibition in Commemoration of the Singing of the Peace Treaty in San Francisco 1951″ was held and a soft cover, 48 page catalog was produced in San Francisco. The preface was by Seichiro Takahashi, Chairman Cultural Properties Commission of Japan. The section on ARMORS #97 was the great purple laced suite of armor, 13th century, numbers 100 to 103 were famous koshirae, number 110 was a Myoju tsuba, 111 was a Matashichi tsuba (marked Myoju in the caption), 112 was the famous Omori Hikoshichi tsuba by Nara Toshinaga, 113 to 119 were Yasuchika tsuba and Somin small fittings, all the property of Tomojiro Miyazaki, who had purchased them after the war through Dr. Homma at about $500 each! This was the first major exhibit that contained famous sword fittings that was held outside of Japan. I am sorry to say that it took the war to make this possible.

The vast majority of books that have been produced since 1952 that deal for the most part with fittings, fall into four types. Exhibit catalogues, most of which were produced for public shows in Japan and a few that have been held in the West. Most of these contain famous fittings or mountings. Exhibit catalogs produced by provincial clubs or societies from local club members collections for the most part. the last two types we should discuss. The many books which are revised or updated versions of worked produced during the hundred years preceding the reissue, and the works by authors, for the most part who have emerged since 1950. The reissue works are useful and valid in almost all cases. There is on thing to note here that has crept into a number of the books that have been printed in the last 35 years. The authors tend to illustrate works that have not been published before, which is fine, but many of these books are published so that the author or his representative can SELL many of the pieces illustrated. This is fine as that should be the prerogative of the owner. BUT many of these fittings are not as described. they are either falsely attributed, not of the age stated, poor examples, or are of contemporary make. The most notorious work to have all these reprehensible ingredients is the ignominious HIGO KINKO TAIKAN published in 1964 by the N.B.T.H.K. This work has most of the famous Higo tsuba included as well as pieces never published before. It also has many pieces that are not even slightly what they are said to be plus many pieces that were made in Higo style at the time of the publication! In fact the artist who made them has pointed out which ones he made, which was a considerable number. Many of the lesser examples and the imitations (they were not owned by the man who made them) were put in this work to sell them, and now they are spread through many collections and are legitimized by having been published in this book.

This type of book places the uninitiated student and collector at a great disadvantage for the student thinks that what he sees illustrated in books such as this will advance his knowledge. He will compare pieces he holds in his hand to those in such a work and take for granted that the text and illustration are legitimate. Unfortunately a work such as this, and many others like it, will not advance the knowledge of the student, but will give him false information that will lead him away from the valid study he seeks. Be very careful of all the books used to study sword fittings these days. It is a shame that these books place all in such an odious position, the authors, students, dealers, and all who have faith in the published word. Be careful as your study, ask someone whose knowledge you trust concerning the validity of all and any books you use as a source of your studies. The study of sword fittings ids difficult enough without using sources that are not valid.

Presented here is the second installment in the Robert E Haynes articles. This one is a two parter, the second half to be presented in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy and I am as always, eternally grateful to Robert for allowing me to post these. Many thanks also to Dr. Peter Klein for transcribing the article.

Best wishes

Richard Turner

After one has absorbed the available knowledge in the study of fittings of the Japanese sword one must reflect on its source. What was the origin of this information and how did it develop? If we do not have a full understanding of our primary sources we do not have the ability to judge what we have taken such great trouble to learn. What is more important, we cannot grow in our studies beyond these primary sources. Thus what are these sources and how and where did they develop?

For the hundreds of years that the sword was actively worn there was no need for either the artist who made the fittings or the wearer to concern themselves with their origin. Certainly the great family schools were concerned with their heritage and the spread and fame of their name, but we shall see that this fame, in most cases, came far after their origin. In fact it was not until the end of the Edo period that anyone concerned themselves with the origin or study of the fittings of the sword.

The printed material that is extant consists of a few woodblock printed books such as the TOBAN ZUFU (1753), by Matsumiya Kanzan, which was originally a few dozen rubbings and drawings of tsuba with some slight comments handwritten beside them. The TOBAN FU which was another collection of drawings printed in woodblock form. The TOBAN SHINPIN ZUKAN, in the Nordenskjold Library manuscript #525, Stockholm Sweden, see: J. S. Edgren, ACTA BIBLIOTHECAE TEGIAE STOCKHOLMIENSIS, (CATALOGUE OF THE NORDENSKIOLD COLLECTION, of Japanese books in the Royal Library), number 967. The SOKEN KISHO (1781) by Inaba Tsuryo, which has the first small list of tsuba artists names and a few kao. There are such single artists or family design books as the NOBUIE TSUBA FU, HOAN TSUBA FU, and the YAGYU TSUBA FU. These three are of far more historical interest than as text books. These few are all the sources we have from the Edo period.

What we can learn from these and the few other early books that were for the most part private manuscripts? They do give us some history of our studies by not the true information that we need of study sword fittings. It is not until October 1900 that we have printed information that is still of any value to this day. At that time Akiyama Kyusaku wrote his first article for the TOKEN KAI-SHI (The Journal of the CHUO TOKEN KAI). In 1900 Akiyama Sensei was 57 years old, and was considered the senior authority on the fittings for the Japanese sword. What was the source of the knowledge of Akiyama? He was self taught for the most part, but he mentions in the Joly translation of the TOKEN KAI-SHI journal (page 108, March 1908), that “I went to Kyoto, and visited Kishimoto, the shop is at Yanagyubaba oike, where my old teacher and friend Gensuke (Kishimoto) lived, it was in this house that many of my queries were settled, I am very sorry that he is dead.” This was the only method that one could use to study at this time. You put yourself in the hands of a dealer-teacher and learned all that he had learned in the same way. This method was still in use up to the 1950’s and is still in use in the Japanese “country-side”. But we see that some foreigners were students of sword fittings at this time (1900). How did they study sword fittings? In much the same way. Joly studied through Yamanaka & Co. in the person of Hogitaro Inada, Daigoro Goh, H. Mutsu and other gentlmen from Japan who were living in London. On the continent the sources of knowledge were Tadamasa Hayashi (1894) and Shinkichi Hara, who we hear of first (May 26, 1896), when Brinckmann discovered him. These two men taught Samuel Bing, Hugo Halberstadt and Brickmann. Hayashi is a very good case in point if you rely on a primary source withou doubting all that you hear. He was a proud man who was asked to teach the foreigners ALL about the arts of Japan. His knowledge of the fittings of Japanese sword was very limited indeed! He could not admit this and one will see in his catalogs of his collection that he was guessing, at best, when he dispensed his “knowledge” about sword fittings. Thus we come to the first lesson in any STUDY SITUATION. DO NOT BELIEVE ALL YOU ARE TOLD, AND ONLY SOME OF WHAT YOU SEE IN PRINT.

So what are the sources for the study of sword fittings? The first source is Akiyama Kyusaku. Almost all you read today and what is put into print by all the “authorities” we take for granted can be traced back to the writings of Akiyama. Was he a reliable source? For the most part he was. Even he admits in his written work that he is but a student, and not the last word on the subject. The great value of Akiyama as a teacher is that he taught himself about tsuba from the many hours, days, and years of close observation of the many thousands of tsuba that passed through his hands. Also first and foremost Akiyama was interested in the aesthetics of the study of tsuba and not in the business of applying names to pieces. He was not the only serious student at this time in Japan. The two other men who must be mentioned are Kuwabara Yojiro and Ogura Soemon. Kuwabara studied the Goto school and the kinko artists and schools of the Edo period. His work in these fields was just as pioneering as that of Akiyama’s studies of the iron schools and the origins of the history of sword fittings. Again we find that almost all the books and information that we have today concerning the kinko artists comes from the writings of Kuwabara. Ogura (his shop name was AMIYA) is another case in point. He was the greatest dealer of the Meiji period. The reason that he became a dealer was the Haitorei edict of 1876. When this promulgation was enforced, the wearing of swords in public was abolished. Thus many tsuba and other fittings came onto the market for the dealer. This market was not in Japan. There were a few collectors that were born through this edict, but the real market was in Europe. Such man as Hara, Hayashi, Bing, Brinckmann, and Halberstadt all bought from Ogura, as did Mosle’, and Bigelow. What can be said for Ogura was he was a true student of sword fittings and certainly one of the most knowledgeable expert-dealers of his period. It is a shame that he did not publish the many thousands of fine fittings that passed through his shop. Today in almost every Japanese book on fittings all the fine examples were purchased from Ogura, as are many of the best pieces in books of the Halberstadt collection (by Nobuo Ogasawara) and the Boston Museum Collection (by Morihiro Ogawa). This dealer-collector relationship should be continued to this day.

Back to our sources of knowledge. All the information written and available up to 1945 was dispensed by the authorities mentioned above, or their immediate students. Two of these should be mentioned. About 1910 to 1920 Noboru Kawaguchi was a student of Akiyama Sensei. He later also studied briefly with Kuwabara. The last student of Akiyama Sensei was Dr. Kazutaro Torigoye who studied from 1925 to 1935. These two men are the sources of the study of sword fittings after the war period. Kawaguchi was the specialist in the Goto and the Kinko schools, as Kuwabara had been before him, and Torigoye was the master of the iron schools and the history of sword fittings, as Akiyama had been in his day.

As you will have noticed I have said nothing about the authorities or the sources of study of the sword blade. That is a separate study that I hope someone will write about. But there are sources to be mentioned in connection with the blade. The masters of the study of the blade have always had an interest in the study of the fittings. None wrote about fittings to any extent until after 1945. At that time the N.B.T.H.K. was reformed and had space in the National Museum at Ueno Park. Dr. Jungi Homma wrote MASTERPIECES OF JAPANESE SWORD GUARDS in 1952. The short introduction in Japanese and English is pure Akiyama in every word and statement. In fact even today most of the publications of the N.B.T.H.K are based almost wholly on the works of Akiyama and Kuwabara. There have been other sources since the end of the war. The most notable original thinking is to be found in the books by Sasano Masayuki, particularly TOSOGU NO KIGAN, Tokyo 1979, and his last book on sukashi tsuba printed in 1993. Both these books broke new ground for the student and contain important source material that will advance the knowledge and study of sword fittings.

So one can see that the student has to be both very careful in his studies to know the origin of his source material and to relate that material to what advancement he can hope for in his own knowledge. There will not be a growth or an advancement in the available knowledge unless those students of today find the truth in the sources of their information and add to it from their own knowledge and studies. I want to thank Robert Burawoy for his assistance and knowledge of the early book sources on sword fittings. His bibliography of the blade and the fittings, is the most complete source that is now available.

Transcribing by Dr. Peter Klein.

Ezo kôdogû have for a long time, been somewhat of a mystery to both the Japanese and the modern collector of Japanese sword fittings. Information on these fittings is scarce. We see menuki in today’s collections, but very rarely do we see other forms of kôdogû like tsuba, fuchikashira, kôzuka etc. I have two books now with examples of Ezo Kôshirae and I will note these at the end.

Originally it was thought that Ezo kôdogû was the product of the Ainu. Ezo 蝦夷 (also written as Yezo) is a Japanese name which historically referred to the lands to the north of Japan. The name Ezo was used in several different ways, sometimes meaning the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō, and sometimes meaning lands and waters further north in the Sea of Okhotsk. The word Ezo could also refer to the peoples that the Japanese encountered in these lands. Prior to the 7th century, these peoples were known as Emishi 蝦夷. More recently though, scholars believe that they were natives of northern Honshū who were descendants of those who produced the Jōmon culture and related to the Ainu アイヌ. The Ainu were also known as Ezo in historical texts. Traditionally, the Ainu were held in much contempt in the Japans, and were almost wiped out as a people by the time of the Meiji period. A sad but all too common part of history for many cultures.

It is now believed, through the writings of Mr Tom Buttweiler and other modern researchers that these fittings were probably not made by the Ainu at all, but were produced in other parts of the country and traded to the Ainu as part of every day life. There are examples in several publications that now point toward Ezo work being the forerunner of Minô kôdogû. There are many similarities between Ezo and the earliest Kô Minô work. Later on, we also see example of the Ezo influence appearing in Goto fittings. Ezo work continued onto the end of the Momoyama period, and perhaps into the very beginning of the Edô period. Prior to actually producing specific kôdogû (menuki, Kôgai, Kôzuka etc.) it is thought that Ezo menuki were produced from the remnants of the very early armour (Kanagu) and these items date well back to the earliest of the Kamakura period. The Ezo tradition is indeed a long one.

The best of the information available to us at this time is the documented history of Ezo coming at the end of the 1970’s from the late Mr. Tom Buttweiler. Mr Buttweiler wrote an extensive article that was subsequently published in the Bushido magazines that bought much light to the Ezo group and this article was hailed by Sasano Masayuki as being a great study on Ezo.

The following examples are from my personal collection.

Ezo Menuki - mid Muromachi Period. Shishi theme.

Mumei Ezo 蝦夷 menuki, Shishi no Zu 獅子図 (Figure of Shishi dogs), Yamagane-ji 山銅地 (unrefined copper surface), 容彫 katachi-bori (carved with the motif in full), 金色繪 Gold Iroe. These are a small pair of menuki for a tanto. The are deep in their carving. The pegs look moulded to the backs and they appear to be all one piece. Other Ezo menuki I have seen in print or in the hand often have pegs folded out of a single sheet and attached with some form of solder. I believe these menuki date to the mid Muromachi Jidai 室町時代中期.

The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 19.6mm x 20.2.mm x 7.3 mm. Migi 右: 19.2 mm x 20.6 mm x 6.5 mm.

Ezo Menuki - late Muromachi Period.

Edaume no Zu 枝梅図 (Figure of Plum branch), Yamagane-ji 山銅地 (unrefined copper surface), 容彫地透 katachi-bori ji-sukashi (open work carved with the motif in full), 金色繪 Gold Iroe. They have Inyô 陰陽 (male-female) style posts. Inyô also translates to dual forces, yin and yang, sun and moon, etc. I believe these menuki date to the late Muromachi to Azuchi-Momoyama 室町時代後期 - 安土桃山時代. These floral menuki are very closely related in design and appearance to Kô Minô 古美濃 work, and since Kô Minô development is rooted to a considerable extent in Ezo 蝦夷, It is suggested these menuki would probably date a bit later, to sometime around the 1500’s - 1560’s.

The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 19.6mm x 45.3.mm x 4.3 mm. Migi 右: 19.1 mm x 46.5 mm x 4.3 mm.

References.
Mr. Tom Buttweiler. Bushido magazine
Ezo information courtesy of Boris Markhasin
Kinko Mino Bori - Kokubo Kenichi
Kinko Mino Bori - The City Museum of Gifu (contains Ezo Koshirae)
Nezu Institute of Fine Arts - Beauty of swords and sword fittings (contains Ezo Koshirae)

Thank you for reading.

Richard Turner

Greetings all. as many readers of the forum may have noticed, I have just rebuilt it with new software. This was due to some security risks and other issues.

It has taken me a couple of weeks to get going and I will probably have to spend a couple more weeks ironing out any bugs. I also have another small project up my sleeve I have to start after that so there may not be much writing here for the next few weeks.

I just thought I would keep people posted.

Cheers and see you on the new Tosogu.com Forum

http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/forum/

Richard

Kô Kinkô menuki 古金工 目貫 in solid gold from the Momoyama period 桃山時代. The patina on these menuki is beautiful and is indicative of their age. The theme depicts Koinu no Zugara 仔犬の図柄 or puppy dogs (see below). They appear to be playing and having a fun time.

Solid gold menuki from the Muromachi period through to the Edo period were common in both the Kô Kinkô and Kô Gotô groups. The carving of the Kô Kinkô workers was more simplistic generally that their Gotô counterparts. This is the case with these pieces. This of course takes nothing away from the beauty and quality of these menuki. Both pegs are in tact and the menuki are in overall, very fine condition. There is some form of writing inside the back of the migi piece though I am unsure what it represents.

Menuki are made using a process called Uchidashi 打ち出し. This is often referred to as being analagous to the western process of “chasing and repousse”. It is actually a very different approach and is quite distinct in the way the metal is worked. The form is modelled up out of a sheet of metal using punches, and not chisels. The confusion sometimes arises from the interpretation of the Japanese word for chisel or Tagane 鏨. This word is only applied to the metalworkers tool. These tools are further distinguished by the suffixes, Kiri 切 and Geri 蹴り. Kiri-tagane 切鏨 are what we would recognise as chisels in that they remove metal, Kiri - to cut. While Giri-tagane 蹴り鏨 are punches. Geri means “to kick” , this tool only moves metal and doesn’t remove it. The technique also uses Kiri-bori 切彫 to finish off the design with the fine carving in the tail, ears and feet.

Using the uchidashi technique allows one to create very detailed and refined forms without losing any material. The final finish is achieved by first planishing the surface, and refining the detail, using small, appropriately shaped, smooth punches. These subtle marks, which can be very attractive in their own right, are then further refined, if necessary, by the use of scrapers and subsequently polished with nagura stone, charcoal pieces and finally charcoal powder.

The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 15 mm x 28.5mm x 5 mm. Migi 右: 15 mm x 27.5 mm x 4 mm.

Note: I have the reading for Puppy as Koinu 仔犬. It can also however be read as Enokoro 狗児. The name for Dog in Japanese is Inu 犬. I believe though in this case, with the playful theme and active motion, these are puppies in a playful pose.

Thank you for reading.

Richard

resources:
Mr Ford Hallam
Dr. Gordon Robson - NTHK Japan
Miss Kazue Kan’no - Sukagawa City Museum

Negoro tsuba. Mid to late Muromachi period.

One of the many things I enjoy in the study of early fittings is Urushi (うるし, also ウルシ, pronounced “oo-roo-shee”) or lacquer. The history of Urushi is long and Urushi lacquered ornaments including bracelets have been discovered in Japan dating from the Jōmon period (縄文時代 Jōmon-jidai), about 9,000 years ago. Eighth-century (Nara jidai 奈良時代) buddhist statues with lacquer surfaces have also survived and it is assumed that this was a practice imported from T’ang China. Later on in the Kamakura era (鎌倉時代 Kamakura jidai 1185–1333) carved lacquer work gained popularity among in Japan. In the Momoyama period (桃山時代 Momoyama jidai 1574–1603) Japanese lacquer work developed into its distinctive character that we know so well. Rich black lacquer surfaces decorated with floral or other motifs in gold are the most famous examples of these Momoyama artists.

This use of gold leaf and paint on a usually black lacquer surface reached their heights in the Tokugawa (徳川) period (1603–1867). One of the most popular items were inro, the small rectangular boxes used for snuff or cosmetics that were hung from the sash of the Japanese garment. Within the domestic lifestyle, plain red or black urushi was used on a wide variety of objects including household items such as rice bowls, sake cups and combs etc, right through to hunting tools. Our interest lies in its use in Nihonto including swords, saya and kôdôgu. Urushi was also used to protect full body armour, especially the sections made of wood. It is the relationship to the sword and in particular, their fittings or the kôdôgu that we will focus on here. I have intentionally left out saya at this time as that is a whole other story better left for another day.

The reasons for lacquering kôdôgu can probably best be summed up as practicality and aesthetics. In regards to a practical application, it seems logical that the urushi would protect the main areas of use or wear areas on kodōgu. Because amongst the levels of early Irogane kodōgu 色金小道具, the high level Tachi Kanagushi 太刀金具師, Kô Gotô 後藤, Kô Kinkô 古金工 and Kô Mino 古美濃 pieces that would have been worn probably in court or by high ranking samurai. And the lesser quality, every day items, that were worn on the swords of the working samurai, and exposed to the daily rigours of everyday life. It is in regards to these pieces that I think the lacquer would have been prominent. Primarily, the lacquer would be on the Ji-ita 地板, where the nanako 魚子 was handled in daily use when these items were removed from the saya 鞘. And in regards to tsuba, I would think to help protect them from the grind of battle or every day castle life. For the aesthetic side, the rich black lacquer on the nanako of a kōgai 笄 or kōzuka 小柄, or the rich yamagane 山銅plate of a tsuba 鍔 or on well forged iron 鉄 would I think have had an attractive appearance that would have appealed I believe to many samurai. The following example is from a Kô Kinkō kōgai from the mid to late Muromachi period. Where the lacquer remains in the top left corner of the Ji-ita, it shows quite clearly how this would have been a more than an attractive gloss finish. Mixed with the iroe that is now lost and shakudo, it is not too hard to see how these pieces would have indeed been impressive.

Lacquered Ji-ita on Kō Kinkō Kōgai. Mid to late Muromachi period.

The relationship between Urushi and kôdôgu dates back at least to the Heian period (平安時代 Heian-jidai). We see this treatment on early leather (Nerikawa 練革) tsuba, Tachi Kanagushi 太刀金具師, the earliest Kinkō 古金工 kôdôgu, as well as old iron such as Saotome 早乙, Heianjō 平安城, Kō Shōami 古正阿弥 and Kyō Sukashi 京透. When used on kôdôgu, urushi is mostly black in colour, but it is also seen in red and I have one example of a clear lacquer (桃山時代 Momoyama-jidai). It’s use moved on into the Edô period where it adorned both iron tsuba and soft metal fittings from many area’s and groups. Urushi is also used in mei attributions, usually in a red coloured lacquer called Shumei 朱銘. While Shumei attributions are not totally unheard of in kôdôgu, they are not all that common.

Heianjô tsuba with clear lacquer. Azuchi-Momoyama to Edo period.

The earliest examples of lacquered tsuba I am aware off were seen on the leather tsuba used on tachi through the Heian to the Nambôkuchô periods. Two of the more common styles were Nerikawa tsuba 練り革 and Negoro tsuba 根来鍔. Nerikawa tsuba are a multi plate (2-6) construction of leather with a lacquer finish and fukurin to cover the edge. Nerikawa tsuba were never really phased out but at around the time that Uchigatana koshirae (打刀拵) were introduced late in the Kamakura or early Nambôkuchô period and the sword became a weapon to be used on the ground, the common choice for tsuba were in most cases, tetsu-ji 鉄地, yamagane-ji 山銅地 or shakudô-ji 赤銅地. Negoto tsuba were named because of the lacquer used to cover the plates of leather. The distinctive red lacquer over black lacquer technique on the tsuba were used by Negoro Monks (Negoro-gumi 根来組), an order of warrior monks based in Negoroji temple, in Japan’s Kii province and were mostly used it is believed, on Naginata. These pieces dated from the Heian period through to the early Edō period. Throughout the Muromachi to the late Edō period, we saw Urushi used on many Irogane 色金 or soft metal kodōgu, such as kōgai and kōzuka as well as many iron tsuba.

The Momoyama period 桃山時代 (1568 - 1598) is also well known for its flamboyant Koshirae 拵 with a distinctive light red lacquered Saya 鞘 and Kanagu 金具 in gold, called Momoyama Koshirae 桃山拵. Those flashy mountings, however, were counterbalanced by Tenshô-Koshirae 天正拵 (in the era of Tenshô 天正, 1573 ~ 1586 AD). In regards to the Edō period, we know that many groups were famous for using lacquer on many forms of kôdôgu. On my last trip to Japan however, I learnt through studies done that many Higō tsuba were lacquered right through to the Meiji period. This included the groups Hirata, Nishigaki, Shimizu and Hayashi. One exception is Yonemitsu Tahei, who worked in the Shôwa period and did not use lacquer. It appears a lot of this lacquer was removed as trends changed or the lacquer wore off through natural use over time. Some Higō tsuba have the appearance of being polished and it is believed that the lacquer removal was the cause of this. There are of course Higō tsuba with lacquer still extant.

Urushi is a true Japanese aesthetic. It is the simple beauty of urushi and the artists desire to add yet another layer to these already complex art pieces that makes me appreciate so much, one of the features of tosogu that is often overlooked as nothing more than a bit of worn off paint.

Shumei attribution to Bishû Sadahiro.
Early to mid Edō period.

References.
Negoro tsuba image used with the kind permission of Mr. Robert Burawoy
Nerikawa information courtesy of Torigoye/Haynes
Nerikawa information courtesy of Mr Jim Gilbert
Higō information courtesy of Mr. Mitsuru Ito.
Urushi information from The Tokyō Fountain Pen Scene.
History.com

Thank you for reading.

Richard Turner

Sonobe Yoshihide with Kao

Sonobe Yoshihide 園部芳英 (1805–1864), was the 2nd mainline Master of the Sonobe School, and the son of Sonobe Yoshitsugu 園部芳継, the 1st mainline Master and founder of the Sonobe tradition (1813). Sonobe Yoshihide, along with his brother Hidetada 園部芳忠,followed in their father’s footsteps in the art of making metal fittings for nihontô. The style of the Sonobe School was indirectly influenced by the Shirôbei line of Gotô masters 四郎兵衛後藤, through their direct relationship to the Tanaka School (伝田中) of fittings makers. Although the Sonobe style of work shares many similarities with the Gotô tradition, they tend to have favored subjects of “nature,” in their work.

The theme and subject of this kozuka all have to do with symbols of a Shinto Shrine. Forefront and centered, we see a portion of a Torii Gate, which traditionally is found marking the entrance at Shintô shrines, as well as at Buddhist temples, both sacred places of spiritual worship in Japan. One theory suggests the Torii Gate had been designed for birds to rest upon, birds being messengers of the gods in the Shintô religion. In fact depicted on this kozuka is a pair of birds resting upon the Torii Gate, lending itself to this idea. Next to the Torii is a Ginkgo tree, or Shinboku (神木 = holy tree) which is commonly found in the precinct of a Shinto shrine. The rope tied around the Shinboku is called a Shimenawa (注連縄) or “enclosing rope” which is used for ritual purification in the Shinto religion. It is festooned with Shide 紙垂, a zigzag-shaped paper streamer. Shimenawa are said to act as a ward against evil spirits and are are also used to mark trees that are inhabited by spirits called Kodama 木霊.

This kozuka is made with the following metals. Shibuichi 四分一 (copper/silver alloy ) for the back plate and birds. Kin 金 (gold) for the sides, ends, Torii Gate, ginkgo leaves, rope, ribbons and bird wing. Aka 赤 (copper) for the tree. Gin 銀 (silver) for the birds. Shakudô 赤銅 (copper/gold alloy) for the Ji-ita - nanako plate, birds and tree branches. The exceptional nanako 魚子 seen here is executed using a single punch tool. This Sonobe Yoshide piece is truly a demonstration of a masters skill, both in terms of technical execution, as well as the high quality of the materials used.

Reference:
Afu Nihontô Koza Kodogu part 1 Index 3
Hayne’s Books
Online
The Walters Art Museum
The Field Museum (The Boone Collection)
Mito-Koromono by Sonobe Yoshitsugu: Early 19th Century - Richard Mantegani (NCJSC)
Ginza Chôshuya: Craftsman of Tôsôgu
Wikipedia: “Torii Gate”, “Gingko”
www.token-net.com/zyuyo.htm

Thank you for reading.

Richard Turner

It is with great pleasure that I present here, the first in a series of articles written by Mr. Robert E Haynes. I would like to sincerely thank Robert for allowing me to publish his articles. They are sharp, witty, intelligent and are I believe, compulsory reading for all collectors of tosogu. I would like to extend my thanks to the NCJSC and Mr. Fred Weisberg of who have also given permission for publishing here.

Please enjoy

Richard Turner

The Decline and Fall of the Study of Japanese Sword Fittings
“The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of”

Those who think they know, and those who know they don’t know. That is the question!. Now we must confront the past study of Japanese sword fittings… the mystery within the riddle, inside the enigma. Appearances are the reality without doubt, and if the reality is not sufficient, then change the appearances. Characteristic of this attitude is the notion that there is a “perfect” way of doing things. In learning a subject, the emphasis is on automatic, non reflective repetition of what the teacher says. Mystery is reached by removal of the objects in between the self and the perfect model, embodied by the teacher. The malleability, relativity and negotiability of truth, and the claimed superfluity of logic, in the absence of a strong intellectual tradition, and with the subservience to the letter of the law, and the acceptance, even celebration, of the status quo, when combined with the concurrent xenophobia and the rigid, “never make waves”, all of the above is certainly not the way to study any subject.

It seems it is easier to go back to the beginning… than on to the future, because Akiyama Kyasaku is ALL that we have, past or present. We did have those who carried on the ideas and theories of Akiyama, such as Dr Torigoye, and Sasano Masayuki, but they are dead, in fact all those who questioned or thought for themselves are now dead, and they are abrogated and exprogated by those “experts” who are living. Why should this be happening now? Because these very “experts” have returned to the “Star Chamber” ideas that commanded all the “guru” during the last seventy years. Now, free thinking, to ask questions, to question authority, to even think for yourself, are areas which cannot be controlled, and thus are prohibited. What must be done is to find a way to beat the system! Become an inconoclast, a polemicist. To find such a person in Japan one has to go back to the writings of the high priest Jien (1145-1225) in his work of 1219, GUKANSHO (Miscellany of Ignorant Views). It is very sad he is not with us today to inform the “experts” of the many ignorant ideas to be found in all the aspects of the field of Japanese sword fittings that are expounded as certainty. In no area is this more notable than that of KANTEI. A form of scholarship where you have the answers BEFORE the questions have been asked! In fact, in the study of kantei, the answers determine the questions!

Rational empiricism, is a method unknown in the study of sword fittings today. Surprisingly, more than a hundred years ago when Akiyama began his studies of fittings, he used the empirical method of study, and because of that, the information that he gained through that method formed the complete basis for all future study. If only empirical ideas had been followed by many more persons, but they were not, and we do not find them used again until the time of Dr Torigoye, and a few years later in the studies of Sasano Masayuki. It seems to frighten the “experts” of today, for it has no use for rigid unquestioning certainty, that the “scholar” of today must have. Let us see what has been lost by not following the empirical method. The vast majority of the books that have been published in Japan, during the last few years, and they are becoming fewer each year, have added less and less to the available knowledge of sword fittings. In most cases the authors today do not want to challenge any of the authors of past works, and thus rock the boat. Even such past masters as Dr Homma and Dr Sato added some new information to the books of the past that they re-published. Today one does find some very strange books, that in reality, are coffee table books, often with very poor photography and no new information whatsoever. There is a chance that the studies that are to be published, some day, by Mr Fukushi Shigeo, might contain new information that will add to the available knowledge. The vast majority of this new information will be in the area if Edo period soft metal fittings, and once again we will probably see that the true study of fine pre Edo period iron plate fittings will receive but token mention, and little if any new research.

Might we blame this on what today passes for progress? Or as Ogden Nash was want to say: “Progress might have been alright once, but it’s gone on too long”. For me it has certainly gone on too long. It seems that every ten years a new mandate is injected into my life. Since this is close to my sixtieth year of the study of sword fittings, lets look back over these years. Starting in 1946 or 47, I bought my first tsuba. By 1950 I was in the army in Korea. The first ten years (actually 13 or 14) ended with my studies with Dr Torigoye in Japan, in 1960. The next ten years to 1970, ended with the sale of the vast majority of my collection, most if which I do not miss to this day, in fact out of the thousand or more tsuba I had at that time, culled from the 5000 I saw, I miss but a dozen or so. The next ten years ended with my ten auction catalogues, first issued in 1981, and the information that they contained, which in many cases did add something for the Western student. The next ten years ended about 1993, with the years of work on the Dr Compton collection. The next ten years, and they were full ones, ended with the publication of my index of artists in 2001. It is now five years into the next ten years which will end for me in 2010. I wonder what will be my achievement in that time, except that I will have been a student of sword fittings for 63 years. It is not easy, or in my nature, to be a doyen, but I am proud to be the student of Dr Torigoye who was the last student of Akiyama Kyusaku, and thus I am the last of the Meiji students, and as I have no successor, that ends a 100 years of students. When you are my age one does not need honors….awakening in the morning is honor enough! I am sorry for my opportunities lost, the questions I did not ask, the answers I never received. All the study that has gone in the past. I think a door is closed. Then again some new light comes in and I find that perhaps I might have a last ten years to 2020, when I will be 90 years. (Bob Haynes 2/2005).

By the way, ‘The stuff that dreams are made of.”, is the last line spoken by Humphrey Bogart, in the MALTESE FALCON, of 1941.

Recently, on an Internet forum, a discussion arose that asked the question, “are we, as collectors of Nihonto, in danger of losing basic knowledge by favouring the mediocrity of the Internet over building a decent library”. The question was not I believe attacking the internet, but in fact recognising it as a tool for learning. I believe the actual question was, ‘are new collectors less interested in building libraries and knowledge in favour of buying items from places like Ebay and asking whatever questions on the internet to get the answers they desire’.

It’s no great secret that many collectors the world over have amassed vast libraries, probably the majority of readers here have a collection of books capable of buying something with a Juyo paper, some possibly even a few Juyo somethings. But along with these volumes is a knowledge that is built over time, with reading, with the asking of questions, with long discussions with other collectors and most importantly, looking at and handling as many swords or fittings as they can. This is the most important part of any form of study, to get in and get your hands dirty, the bending of elbows.

So I guess the real question and the real worry is that in time, if more and more new collectors are using the Internet only, and not doing any hard study, digging out their own answers or finding new information, exploring possible idea, searching for new grounds, then as the knowledgeable collectors start thinning out with time, more and more information will be lost until eventually, we end up with a mish mash of fact, half truths and misconceptions. Who will help us sort through that lot ? The Internet has opened up so many opportunities for so many of us, but as with all things, there is Ying and Yang, as much bad as their is good. There is already a vast swing towards buying from online auctions, choosing items that are many a time based on average images and sold by buyers who are unsure of what it is they are selling, not to mention the many fake and repo’s items that catch out new collectors on a daily basis. Inevitably, new collectors run the risk of buying without knowledge, and in the end, amassing a collection of items that are not on the whole, worth as much as a good small library.

In a recent discussion on this blogs forum, the concept of Furyu, or, “The styles passed on from preceding generations, the manners bequeathed by outstanding men” ( see RE: Japanese sword guards in the MFA Boston (1908) ) was discussed. This handing down of knowledge, this passing of rights was how things were done in the past in Japan. Knowledge was handed down from teacher to student, who in turn, might one day become the teacher passing on his knowledge, and so on. In these times, the student never questioned the teacher, he took as gospel his teachings and did not stray from them. They were scholars of the most regimented form. Then on the other side of the coin were the free thinkers, the explorers who took up the challenge of questioning, of asking ‘Why ?’ all the while attempting to break new ground. In the field of tosogu, Dr. Torigoye Kazutaro and Mr.Masayuki Sasano were to many, the last of the great Japanese tosogu scholars. the question askers, these men were more like travelers, on a journey of discovery and adventure. They were people who had their own ideas and shook the very foundations of the hard core line with their modern thinking and outrageous theories. They were rockers of the boat. I like rockers of boats, they are a very god thing indeed.

But what ever your own personal take is on all this, whether your a strict follower of a school or teacher, or you prefer the free thinker, the one thing we can be certain off is that all of these scholars, these learned men had one thing in common. Study. They all studied hard, they were great investigators and they took their vocation seriously. They worked hard at obtaining their knowledge.

An article that springs to mind and one from where a lot of the above information was sourced was written by Mr Robert E Haynes and titled “The Decline and Fall of the study of Japanese Sword Fittings, The stuff that dreams are made of”. This article is, I am very pleased to announce one of several of Mr Haynes’ writings that I will be coming to the blog in the next few months. These articles may cause a few stirs, and I hope that they do. The one think they will do I am sure though is make us think, and question, and think some more.

As I read all this, I can laugh at the irony of the fact that this information is on the Internet, the very environment that was originally under question. But let me make this perfectly clear, we need it, as we need books, and moreover, study, friendship and hands on experience. Without all that, we may as well just give up. So bend those elbows girls and boys and get in there and get those hands dirty.

Thank you for reading

Richard