sanjuro

Tachibana design on tsuba. I dont know a damn thing about the tsuba but the design is unmistakable

Patrick. I'm going to play Devil's advocate here. The more I look at this tsuba the less I am likely to believe it is not a repro. The seller claims that this is carved and not cast. Look in the dragons mouth and at his ears and all the places where there is a small concave surface. A chisel would leave fine transverse lines across the direction of the cut. These areas in the case of this tsuba have a granular surface. No chisel on earth leaves a granular surface. This makes me think it is cast and possibly cleaned up here and there with a chisel. Now, look at the junction between the seppa dai and any part of the dragon that joins it, or the mimi and any place the dragon is attached to it. The same rounded junction and/or granular finish appears. A chisel leaves a sharp angle. Where the dragon's leg or foot is in the background ( the same leg on both sides yet), the same granular finish. Sculpted and chiselled figures have sharp definition between motif and seppa dai or motif and mimi. Background features are usually smooth not granulated. The finish is contrived. Shakudo does not usually appear at the base of punched areas. The act of punching destroys the patina. So, this was either patinated painted or whatever after the punching around the nakago ana was done, or the whole thing was cast then artificially patinated. Just my observations.

Theres something not quite right about the dragon. The rendition of the head is not quite Japanese. He has two front sides except for the tail and ken which has a back and a front. in every other way the two sides are mirror images. the abraded shakudo doesnt look quite right and the brass of the mimi is too new looking. (New age, not just overcleaned). My guess would be a Chinese fake, but hey! What the hell do I know?

The question arises, can one discuss the craft in any of the depth it deserves without also considering the prime motivation of the craftsman, and how any change in that motivation has modified the product of his craft?. In the past, a tosho produced swords to survive and serve in the capacity of a weapon. His motivation was to produce the best possible blade for use. Whilst some consideration of aesthetics was undoubtedly implicit in that production, it was not the focus. A modern tosho by comparison produces a blade with aesthetics and the art value of the piece as his prime motivator. Likewise he no doubt also considered the viability of the piece as a weapon, but this is not his focus. Has this quantum shift in the focus of the craftsman had an effect on the craft itself? Has the craft suffered in any way with the shift in this focus? Personally, I tend toward the thought that any impact of this focus shift has been minimal since in the main, the properties and qualities that go to make a fine weapon are those that also make a fine art sword. But what do others think?

PaulB. No problems........... Mutual positive reinforcement is always a good thing.

David. Stardom at last........... Your talent has been discovered and the world is at your feet.

As a first answer, lets have a look at what does constitute 'the craft'. Swordsmithing as far as nihonto is concerned consists of producing a composite steel blade using tamahagane as a base material, then quenching it in water. Maybe this is a little simplistic, but it serves as a basis. That it is correctly composed and quenched here being the core of the 'craft'. That, and that the resulting blade is of a form accepted and recognised as that of a nihonto. What changes the metal composition is of course the base material (or materials) being used, the method of forging. (number of times it is folded and returned to the fire and of course the final quenching). What kind of hammer the smith uses is of no consequence, (beyond that which achieves the required result), be the hammer mechanical or manual. The hammering is merely a process in itself and has no effect on the composition of the steel. Oil quenching tends to be a slower quench and therefore does not produce the same dramatic hamon and other steel effects or to the same degree as water quenching. Nor is it traditional. I cannot conceive of a traditionally made blade that has been oil quenched. The craft lies in the production by a single individual with the aid of assistants (or a mechanical hammer), of a single blade to the preceding specifications using traditional materials and techniques. Now, Chris will probably come along and add to this or possibly shoot me down completely, but this is basically how I see the core of the craft.

KM. The reason I did not enlarge upon what I said concerning power hammers and your subsequent query about it affecting the metal composition, is because the subject is off this current topic and may detract from the present discussion. If you start another thread with this new subject I'm sure that I as well as others will be happy to discuss it and enlarge upon the subject. I suggest you call it 'Is the craft still the craft'.

It is because of the information revolution in nihonto that appreciation of nihonto has initially grown. Back in the 70's and 90's there was little information written or otherwise from which to gain an appreciation of any aspect of nihonto. Research was then long and arduous and sometimes hard won. One had to have a real passion for the hobby and hence became a more avid collector. With the increase in the availability of information came the concomitant increase in prices as collecting in the West fell into line with the native Japanese collector base. The higher American dollar still however made the collection of nihonto a viable pastime. Not quite so much now of course with Western economies in a state of deterioration. Now we have an educated population or at least one that has easy access to information and a comprehensive dealer population that is for the most part, well informed.

RonSTL. Just to clear it up.... The iron set is most certainly not cast. I have it on good authority they are possibly late Muromachi. Rather a large set, thought to be for a tachi. Being of Chinese derivation they do appear in similar form on some Namban work. I think possibly the OP set is probably gold foiled. On the reverse side there are small patches of the gold missing on the edges.

KM. The use of a power hammer in no way diminishes the skill of the craftsman or the quality of his work, it merely replaces a man with a hammer and thus reduces the cost of production. A power hammer is far more accurate than a human hammerman. When you go to a re-enactment do you ride a horse or a chariot merely to get there, just because it was traditional and in some way a 'purer' form of transport? Or do you drive a car because its more efficient?

Pica. I agree with Christian. Raindragons of chinese origin adapted by Japanese. I have attached a pic of a pair of iron menuki I own. Somewhat earlier than Edo but the same subject. I'm sure you'll note some similarities.

If you haven't seen one of these with a mon then you still haven't. This isn't a mon, its a unit insignia or some other device but it's not a family mon. Not recorded...... doesn't exist in that capacity. Marine insignia possibly.

Collecting as opposed to treasure hunting is always about scholarship in the end. Treasure hunters per se are the cowboys of the collecting world and seldom see the advantage of scholarship in their chosen field of interest. They tend in the main to depend upon the knowledge of others to confirm or deny the validity of any treasures they dig up out of op-shops and garage sales. I dont say they have no place in our field, merely that they are not the solid core of it. What I'm trying to say is that collecting goes beyond the fascination and curiosity that typifies the treasure hunter.The days when an enthusiastic schoolboy could acquire a decent nihonto at the local junk shop are over. The number of swords available being less and the ever increasing rarity of good examples being easily accessible, have seen those early finds of enthusiastic amateurs become increasingly rare until they are now virtually non-existent. Whilst there is no doubt an element of treasure hunter in every collector, a collector has some ultimate view in mind as the focus of his collection. Knowledge therefore becomes a priority in order to achieve that view. Having said as much, I am well aware that to the majority of young at least, scholarship itself holds little appeal, and therein lies at least part of the problem. Pension potential????? Personally I dont hold any such expectation since my interest in nihonto is not pecuniary. I think if one approaches this hobby with the idea of making money from it at some point in the future, one is doomed to disappointment. One is also undertaking a pursuit that has very poor returns against investment both in terms of capital outlay and time in the accumulation of sufficient knowledge.

Many thanks Kunitaro San. Much appreciated. :D

Hi. What is the correct orientation for the display of tachi tsuba? I know katana tsuba are displayed ha end of the nakago ana uppermost. Is the opposite true for tachi tsuba since the blade was worn edge down?

...... And that has always been the first level that new collectors aspire to. One hopes that the interest matures to include earlier blades and examples of tosogu.

Unfortunately, it is true that the collecting of nihonto and associated items is the province of the rich. So is it not natural that the collectors from the more stable economies of the world will inherit the task of continuing where the others have fallen by the wayside. Asia I think is where the new generation of collectors will arise. A sort of 'coming home' for nihonto if you care to see it that way.

Pete. As a serious reply to your question I can only agree with Brian. Here too in Australia, some fine blades are being imported into the collections of a few dedicated collectors. I can only speak of those whom I know, but the knowledge isnt dying, rather it ascends to a newer level where the modern media adds to the overall knowledge rather than relegates it to a simplistic instant gratification level. Study will always be the key to greater knowledge and there are enough keen and persistent younger collectors to carry the flame into the future. Dont write off all the younger collectors as shallow. There is yet hope. I know where you are coming from.......... 'To whom do we hand the legacy' perhaps sums it up.

Henke Jan. It was a throw away line....... I didnt need (or want) the lecture. 72 or 74 ... Whats the difference? each number is as unlikely as the other and the existence of paradise is more speculative than either. Jeez dude. I hope they dont give me the seat next to yours on the bus to hell......... I think I'd strangle you if you started with these lectures in response to anything I said. :D

Ron. No problem... I'll give you a heads up when the fun starts. In the event of a comet however, I may be a little busy expiring. But I'll make the effort none the less. If its orios as KM suspects, I'll email you before I start eating. I see you have your priorities more or less right. :D Obviously you aren't counting on 74 virgins waiting for you in paradise.

Ron. Any idea about how that might come about? We have a few options.... (a) WE expire in a hail of nuclear warheads. A very polular theory among hippies in the 60's and 70's. (b) Mother nature runs amok and wipes us all out with volcanos, earthquakes and horrible weather. A popular theory among the green fraternity. © We spiral into the sun. A polular theory theory with the lunatic fringe. (d) We get hit by a gigantic comet. A polular theory in hollywood. (e) God just gets angry, turns off the light and power, gives up and walks away, leaving us to die alone in the dark. A popular theory among religious groups. :?

Just another ebay seller who is looking for a 'dumb as dirt' buyer..Ebay has from time to time, a number of these to pick from.

Steve. OK.... You dont agree with what you see as my premise. However, the fact remains that we do not know what social implications may have been attached to tsuba. Your reasoning therefore is unsound in as much and to the extent that this is so. I see the point you are making and I do not totally disagree with you in the general assertions you make, it is the extent of the influence and importance of tsuba as a social indicator that I believe you are exaggerating. I put it to you that the overall social importance and influence of tsuba in a social sense was in fact minimal. I cannot however prove it any more than you can prove your assertions. I love these little get togethers we have occasionally....... :D

Steve. Both yours and Chris's statements bring up a question. Are we not ascribing modern values to a society that existed in antiquity? I am at fault in this case since in order to make a point, I drew the dinner party analogy. But we draw analogies from our modern experiences, observations and social interaction that may not have existed in a tradition bound society such as pre Meiji Japan. Theirs after all was a society organised strictly along class lines and each persons place in that class was defined. Social ascendancy aside, those classes and social positions within it were based on the amount of land one owned. Land was power and power was influence. That power and influence was somewhat rigid unless one had an endless supply of daughters to marry off to the successive Emperors, such as was the case with the Fujiwara, or your lands were seized and redistributed according to allegiances by the powers that be, such as was the case after many periods of conflict. The point i'm reaching for here is that we cannot imprint our values and perceptions of society as we know it upon an ancient feudal system.