Bugyotsuji

包弁 (?)

Changing the subject just for a moment, but loving the thoughts of woodworkers above! Last night I was watching a programme about restoring some of the walls and ceilings of a gorgeously appointed Bunkazai temple residence somewhere in Japan. (Missed the beginning so not sure where exactly it was.) Imagine large connected tatami rooms in Nijo Jo with colourful Kano-painted fusuma and wall panels, golden, with black-lacquered beams and gold fittings everywhere. That kind of place. One problem which the priest pointed out was a long vertical split in the samite gold cloth trimming down the right side of a sliding panel. They introduced the young artisan expert, wearing a backpack of tools, who assured us he would repair it in the traditional way as he had learned from his father and grandfather before him. The guy spread out a small plastic sheet on the tatami and placed upon it his minimal tool set. He opened a small Tupperware tub and showed us the glistening 'nori' rice-paste glue, the same as traditionally used by schoolchildren. "Repairs may have to be conducted again in the same place in the future" he explained, "so nothing permanent". "In fact," he added, pulling away some yellowed paper residue from out of the crack with his tweezers, "you can see how someone has done this before." He painted the Nori glue onto both sides of a hand-sized sheet of plastic, and slipped it under the edge of the gold cloth fabric, pressing it down with some brown paper as he withdrew his slide. Half an hour of repeating this process, and he declared himself finished. Could we see the line of the 'repair', well, yes, even as the camera crew said "no". Next we moved to a high-ceilinged corridor where one square-framed ceiling panel had a similar fabric split across the painting of flowers. He climbed an A-frame stepladder and used the same process over another half an hour. The after photo still showed a hairline crack and some discolouration where the Nori had seeped through(?) but at least the material was flat, stuck back in place. Educational? Yes, for me it was.

Look at the Kamon on Shibata Katsuie’s kimono.

Birds in sukashi tsuba must help provide strength to the construction, but surrounded by air, still be recognizable as birds (in flight). When there are numbers of them, as we observe them in the sky, first impressions will be important, especially so for the artisan since each has to be carved/cut out, in balance/harmony with the others depicted. Certain birds had symbolic meanings, so certain features may have been tokenly emphasized, but rarely in any sense accurate to nature. Each artisan may have had a quick formula, and then we find a lot of artistic crossover over the centuries, so pinning exact species down will be a rabbit warren. Bird representations can range from the general, as children draw them, to the exquisitely detailed as in Jean's geese above. Even so, the quick formula 'bird in flight' shape may be key to finding a particular tsuba artist within a 'school'. Kyoto Daigoro?

Dated Showa 48, but the photo is just too fuzzy for me to make out the shop name. The proprietor signing this authentication certificate was Ōzawa Toshio.(sp?)

Maybe fit onto this Nakago?

Can’t see it sideways very well, but Suishinshi (?) Masahide. 正秀

Now you have put the cat among the pigeons, Mauro.

I like a good mystery!

On Sunday a collector friend at a monthly outdoor event said he had something in his car for me so we walked over and he handed me a bag with something boxy inside. Today I finally got around to opening it. Five stacking trays for nine tsuba each, enough for 45 tsuba! Have just sent him a thank-you message.

The dark side of the moon.

Just for a moment there Jean, I thought I saw a spot of rust…

Both Shioda and Shiota are common readings of this family name 塩田. I have a friend who says ‘Shiota’.

Actually I particularly like Yoshifusa too. Today sadly I was with people and did not take many photos, *although I do have some Yoshifusa pics somewhere from earlier exhibitions there.

They ask you to place a sticker against which sword you liked best.

Check out 'This is not a Samurai', and Tetsuya Noguchi. (That should give you some background to this genius guy! Definitely weird, but intricately and uncannily accurate.) PS Re 'ages'. Different times in history.

She said that it was a man wearing a miniature 'replica' traditional armour sitting on a yellow rubber duck, the two elements representing different ages, the whole designed to clash or create disharmony, and that it was a work that particularly appeals to her.

Here’s a pic or two I took about 7 years ago, before the owner sold it. The nick

One of our NBTHK members is a Bizen potter and after much effort he eventually succeeded in making a full-sized version in fired clay. Another member creates detailed exact-scale copies in wood, down to the nick in the blade edge. These are not cheap but there is a waiting list for his work, the Sanchōmō and other famous blades. Even the Mei are faithfully chiselled in.

Impressed

Agreed, and the material looks traditionally Chinese.

I have one tsuba that came wrapped in twine, using the nakago ana and ryo hitsu ana; it did seem as if it had once been used as a netsuke. In a general lot at an antiques fair it looked a mess, but when I cut away the string it turned back into a nice tsuba. I think it is quite possible that spare tsuba were carried, and even put to use as netsuke. In that sense, they would not really need a loop or jump ring attachment, but it's hard to think of what else yours could have been used for.

Yes, and from the flying carp streamers and 'shobu' flowers on the reverse, probably also to commemorate his first Boy's Day. (To be handed out over two days, later in the month of May?)

It’s the latter, not for Togo Heihachiro, an interesting medallion!

What a wonderful coincidence Tom! I will pass your information along, if I may?