Toryu2020

http://www.ncjsc.org/SF_token_kai.htm All - Last minute reminder, the 2011 Northern California Japanese Sword Club To-Ken Taikai is just a week away. Less than that really. The largest sword show and sale outside of Japan, featuring dealers from Japan, Europe, Australia and all over the United States and Canada. In addition to over 100 dealers tables there will be educational events presented by the Nihon Bijutsu To-ken Hozon Kyokai U.S. Shibu, the Nihon To-ken Hozon Kai, and the Japanese Sword Society of the United States. Attendance was up last year, the hotel is filling up and we expect this year to be another busy and exciting event. If you all are anywhere near San Francisco at this time of year you should not miss it! I look forward to seeing you all there, -t

Keith - That would be five elements; Chi, sui, ka, fu, ku. Cannot make a sword without all five. I did not include other examples in my article but if you look in any reference on Mon, you should be able to find several of the Kanawa in 3, 4 and 5 ring designs. Although my SCA buddies laugh at the idea I still like "chain-mail" as a possible theme. "Blocky" is beautiful! Part of the reason I was attracted to it, clearly not work by a tsuba-ko, simple and powerful this was meant most likely for a wakizashi or as I suggested a toppei koshirae or something similar meant to have a low profile. Pure speculation of course but within the context of his time... -t

Thank you sir for taking the time to read it, Part one is on the Tsuba itself, part two is some twenty examples of his work including many from the catalog you mention. The exhibit was in 95 so I just happened to miss it but it clearly was a fantastic affair. A shame more of our "B" list swordmakers do not get the same treatment. I am surprised as well to hear about the poor kitae - from all that I have seen and read he had some real skills. Cheers, -t PS part two will be in a future issue of To-Ron, after it comes out I will add it to the website...

In answer to Mark's other question a quote from the To-Ron, newsletter of the Northern California Japanese Sword Club; "突兵拵　– Toppei Koshirae; In response to growing threats both internally and from the west, the Tokugawa Bakufu under French influence established the Rikugun-sho, or Ministry of War, in 1866. The students and curriculum of the Kobu-sho were absorbed at this time and became the Army training school. French instructors were employed to teach close order drill, artillery and European military science. A uniform based on the French model was employed and swords were required to be carried in a type of leather frog. Because of the particular shape of these leather frogs, scabbards were remade with thin pointed tapering kojiri that reminded the soldiers of a Toppei kabuto. The kurikata became a simple loop on a swivel, sometimes attached to the mune side of the saya, to allow for the sword to be worn in the redress position while in western uniform or through the obi in traditional style. Because these were employed when wearing pants, “zubon”, they are also sometimes referred to as Zubon-zashi and may be thought of as the last stage in the development of Samurai accoutrement as their world would soon disappear with the advent of the Restoration." If made for the Bakufu these items were naturally for the Tokugawa elite and were popular for a very short time indeed. Some are seen with simple locks like that later found on Gun-to koshirae. Mark - I wonder if you aren't confusing the dress and equipment of the regular infantry-man with the Toppei? Images from the Restoration wars and later rebellions show soldiers on both sides with rile and bayonet and often a wakizashi... -t

http://tinyurl.com/3btb5es I posted this already but got few comments. This tsuba came to my attention on this board almost a year ago, I have since enjoyed months of researching the maker, his home and history. At the time folks here disparaged this little piece because of the condition. It seems clear that I am an "artefact" and not art collector. if you have the time please review the article and I should love to hear what folks have to say about the tsuba a year further down the road... -t

Keith - It seems we are pretty much in agreement; The wakizashi was a battlefield development of the Muromachi period worn as a single side-arm or as part of a pair. During this time the two would not have been a matched pair its true and as you say in the Momoyama period is when we see the appearance of the daisho koshirae. For a member of the samurai class however any two blades could be his dai-sho, they did not have to have matching fittings or be made by the same smith. This idea only came about in the Momoyama and among those with the money to outfit a pair of swords, becoming widespread under the Tokugawa. The wakizashi of the Muromachi is a different animal from the Edo period shinogi-zukuri blade and the use of the two blades differed. Houses were much different in the Muromachi, I do not believe that indoor living had influence on the early development of these blades. Part of the problem I think is we have to distinguish Dai-sho swords, Dai-sho koshirae and dai-sho blades by a single maker. The practice of wearing two blades by members of the Buke I believe was common before the Momoyama when as a symbol of their status at the pinnacle of their class they commissioned dai-sho of the first quality... Momoyama scrolls show low-ranked samurai and foot soldiers wearing pairs of swords, while many mounted warriors wear a tanto as their second blade. I think it depended partially on rank and circumstance. -t

The broken bridges of a koto... -t

I think of it like this; When on horseback you need a sword long enough to reach a man on the ground, or a man on another horse 5 or 6 feet away. The sword cannot interfere with the action of your horse or the use of your bow. Therefore we see the unique curve of the tachi slung from the side. If you are unseated you need a dagger to attack the other rider inside his armour, not the armour itself. Once everyone starts running about on foot several things happen. The tachi is too long to draw quickly and you develop serious bruises with it slapping your legs as you run. So the long sword is shortened and thrust thru the belt, but wait you already have a tanto there. If you are on foot you are likely carrying a spear or halberd or a bow. If all you have as a side arm is a tanto you might feel a little naked, so the tanto grows more robust even as the sword is shrinking. If you are well equipped enough to carry two sidearms and you are entering battles with a thousand or more on a side would you carry a sword and a dagger or two swords of near equal length? As armies are increasingly made up of units, with standard kit and armour, more and more warriors are wearing the daisho as part of their basic outfit. With the growth of the great Daimyo and castle culture comes the need to distinguish the classes. Less fighting and more standing around on guard duty and other service in the castle means there is need for indoor and outdoor weapons/tactics (as has been noted). There is also now more opportunity for training in swordwork and for practice matches and duelling. It is at this time we see the development of the Kenjutsu Ryuha and Iai. By the time of the first Tokugawa Shogun the two swords and kamishimo were standard wear required for service in the castle, hence "Banzashi" or duty-wear. Look at the shapes of the wakizashi pre-1600 and I think you will see the answer is right in front of your eyes; these were made for fighting men (warrior, farmer or bandit) true we may not have written records showing that they HAD to wear two swords but as noted above, contemporary depictions of warfare show many men wore two swords... -t

Have you tried; 長州萩住 Chôshû Hagi jû...? Does not look like Choshu work but there were Goto copy-ists everywhere. FWIW -t and Tadamichi looks good to me...

Elliott et al - These same questions have been on my mind, i look forward to seeing you and Bob and talkin "Barbarian" in August. -t

Jon et al - Anyone interested in the Tampa Shinsa is free to contact me. Please visit my website for information. Jon, I will send you a PM -t

Morita san - Domo arigato gozaimasu! Thanks very much for looking and helping to identify the photo. I will be sure to change the title on this pic. -t

I'll say one thing, it looks sharp! Shrines, Temples and Museums are a mixed bag when it comes to preservation. Some don't know any better, some don't care, some cannot afford to spend much. For example the Oyama-Izumi Shrine has like 80% of the countries kokuho armour - the armour is kept in a climate controlled, acid free, low-light section separate from the other collections. The swords otoh sit out in common glass cases unloved, un-oiled and unpolished it seems for generations. Sadly I saw many swords displayed in this way, and you had ask why not care for it if it is worth showing off? It may simply be that the priest and those caring for the sword have no interest in disturbing the sword and seeing if there is a mei and wouldn't know where to look if they did. I doubt they have any hang-ups about the past associations. Morita-san has the right idea though, if enough people call and ask about the sword they might take the time to investigate... -t

Dear Ford - Very sorry If I am the one pushing you over the edge here, not my intent. I should be very sorry to lose your valuable insight from these forums as I am sure would others. You did throw down the gauntlet as it were, and as I am not a student in your forge I have no other way to learn but to posit questions. My apologies also for two examples from Samurai Shakai and one from Tsuruginoya. I get ya brother no need to respond. Can someone who is not Ford tell me what exactly it is we are looking for? A fair example of a cast tsuba that is signed and dated (in Japanese)? An unbroken unused mold? A complete koshirae with cast fittings? Authoritative writings in Japanese? I have no need to prove the point either way, I think it a very interesting question, something new to these forums for a change and I was enjoying exploring the possibilities. OTOH can anyone suggest why there would be a sudden boom in casting thousands of tsuba of poor quality, with obvious continental sensibilities in the years following the Restoration? -t

Ford - What of the "bubbly" surface of the two examples from Tsuruginoya? What about the missing pieces from the rim of the first example? Does the rounded feeling of the seppdai and other features not suggest casting? I thought these were the tell-tale signs? Thierry - Would you be willing to share photos of the rim of your very nice example? -t

http://www.samuraishokai.jp/equipment/ts036.html Not trying to start a fight here, Take a look, this is not the same tsuba but could easily be the same mold. If the Hozon Kai can appreciate these in spite of being cast, why can't we? -t

http://www.samuraishokai.jp/equipment/ts037.html So I don't know where the answer lies, but it seems clear this is where we need to be looking - Namban tsuba were very popular, they were worn by members of the Buke Many appear to have been cast (see example above) Many appear to have been manufactured before the Restoration (hence the papers) Whilst we are still looking, the ease with which an uneducated lout such as myself has finding these examples suggests a little more serious searching and we are likely to find "made in Japan" cast tsuba of the right period. Where is Dr Lissenden when you need him? -t

For your edification; http://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/b00044.html Signed and papered, Iron Plate, Namban tsuba and although the maker is listed as being from Kanton he IS listed in the Kinko Jiten. Not sure if I read the listing correctly but he may also have worked in Nagasaki? Standing very close to the muzzle... -t

All - Just finished updating the site with a new article in the Archive - take note that the subject is a tsuba which I was turned on to by reading the message board - this kind of relates to the Art or Artefact thread we had a while back, would love to know if you all see my little gem as one or the other - there are other articles there as well, please take the time to check em out - there is an RSS feed for these articles and I do plan on adding more so if you like what you are reading feel free to subscribe. If you have any feedback i would love to hear it. http://www.toryu-mon.com -t

Brian- You forgot to add "and thanks for contributing to the topic Kodogu Guy!!" :D -t

All - I have always heard that Namban Tsuba were cast and having seen a few have always believed this. While some are copper there are many that are iron. In "The Namban Group of Japanese Sword Guards" by Dr John Lissenden he talks about his survey of museums and his own collection and concludes that most are in fact cast. If we accept his conclusions, most Namban tsuba were cast, most were produced between the 18th and 19th centuries and were indeed worn by members of all classes of Japanese society. I did not find the smoking gun however, a tsuba which was agreed by all to be cast and which was signed and dated and collected prior to the 19th century. It seems that such a tsuba must be out there, or we are faced with the conclusion that all or nearly all Namban tsuba were cast strictly for the export market and all those castings are in Europe or America. Dr Lissenden, FWIW, does seem to appreciate this class of tsuba on its own merits and provides some fine examples to illustrate. My references for kodogu are limited and I didn't find much else on cast tsuba in English or Japanese. An online search for Imono as suggested by Piers truns up a few examples of tsuba for sale, and some blogs concerned with similar questions we are wrestling with here. Still did not find any good articles on the subject, nor did I find that signed and dated work, that last word... -t

I wonder gentlemen if there isnt anything written about all this in the "mother tongue"? Does anyone know the term in Japanese for "Cast Tsuba"? Piers, what exactly was said to your friend? -tch (c for curious...)

Lee et al - I would ask, of all the examples that we have seen of the nokogiri on katana, tanto and wakizashi how many show wear from repeated use? How many have we seen that show repeated polishing? I think it is the idea that was attractive and not so much the actual application. Otherwise we might see many blades from the Setonaikai area with "rope-cutters" and the like. I doubt that these were were employed much if at all. They were just neat tricks an Edo period samurai could pull out to impress his friends. MHO of course... -t

Piers - Another possibility is gardening/flower arranging, imagine the idle samurai at a moon-viewing wowing all his friends by deftly cutting a sprig and presenting his guests with an impromptu centerpiece for their evenings proceedings... -t Kiyonaga more likely Shinshin-to than Niô imho

A steal at that price, congrats to whomever acquired it... -t