post Edo playtime

[Bugyotsuji]

This evening I was invited round to have a look at some swords and chat about them. For me these evenings are always steep learning curves and until now I have refrained from posting as I knew (and still know) virtually nothing about Nihonto. The fault is mine as I have not taken the trouble to do the homework.

 

This evening's handling started with a Kashu Wakizashi by 4 dai Kanewaka, showing typical hako-ba. Wow, an eye-opener indeed. Ho-ei, mid Edo? (The Habaki had 4 strokes indented on one side and five on the other, and therein lay a little story.)

 

Next up was an early Echizen no Kami Sukehiro, "Western Yokozuna"? (As opposed to Kotetsu in the East). This was a Wakizashi, but probably a katana ordered by a short person as at 1 shaku 9 sun, 9 bu, 8 rin it was longer than the 1.85 Wakizashi allowed to Shonin. Pre Toranba. Settsu, Kanbun.

 

Thirdly a Wakizashi by Awataguchi Konoe no Kami Tadatsuna with a long yakidashi, was drawn out. The ghostly ashi in the hamon and the attention to detail in the Mei were astonishingly artistic! Osaka, mid-Edo.

 

The last two were Taikei Naotane, one a Wakizashi and one a short Katana. Both were from before his famous work in Soshu, the katana being early, Bunka 11, when he was still closely associated with Suishinshi Masahide?

 

The Wakizashi is later, in Tempo 2, mid-period work, but in the blade you can see evidence of the swirls (looked to me like tortiseshell hexagons, Kikko?) for which he was to become famous later, and he has signed with a Kao. He has also cut two mekugi-ana, the theory being that as he worked towards recreating Katsumitsu, he was starting to find more and more attributes that he could display. Both lovely blades.

[cabowen]

Being able to handle such blades along side knowledgeable people flattens the learning curve considerably...

 

Those patterns in Naotane's jitetsu are called "uzumaki" hada (whirlpools)...

 

What a wonderful opportunity! Thanks for sharing. 懐かしい！

[george trotter]

Yoru wa tanoshkata da so da to omoimasu!

Regards,

[Bugyotsuji]

Chris, George, thanks for the kind and encouraging comments. Yes, that's what he said, uzumaki hada!

 

It is unbelievable how you are allowed to handle these even without any real appreciation. For years I have tried to observe the correct manners, looked at them mentally deciding simply how much the work pleases me, collected the scans and info sheets and gone home oblivious. Never handed in my guesses. Part of my brain has said I am either going to go for it, or I am not going to bother, and the latter has been my ethos, ie not bothering. I cannot make that commitment with so much else going on in my life, I have always told myself. Even so these people have surrounded me and fed me with waterfalls of information, somehow throwing their pearls before the swine, or their koban to the neko. Has some of it stuck to me? Some, definitely, but not a lot. I guess I must be taking the long way up this mountain... thanks to my J colleagues for their infinite patience with me, and to the real core members of this website for allowing me to play in your sandpit.

[Geraint]

Hi Piers,

That does sound like wonderful evening! One little question, you teased us with the mention of a story associated with the grooves in the habaki of the Kashu sword and didn't make good. What's the story?

Cheers

[Bugyotsuji]

Geraint, apparently Habaki made in Kashu (Kaga) often had 4 strokes (Hi? indentations? they looked like scattered straws to me) on one side and 5 on the other. The meaning of this 九筋 is to indicate the nine Kanji 9字をきる that make up one of the sword-fighting mantra. 臨兵闘者皆陣列在前

 

See this for reference: http://www.choshuya.co.jp/weblib01/webl ... 115&view=1

 

And here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuji-in

[Baka Gaijin]

Morning all

 

Check out Kunitaro san's posting with a nakago on a sword by Izumi no Kami Kanesada (Nosada) Late Muromachi period bearing the 臨兵闘者皆陣列在前

 

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13872&start=90

 

Cheers

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah Malcolm, thanks for the link. Fascinating!

[kunitaro]

臨兵闘者皆陣列在

 

兵ノ闘イニ臨ム者　皆　陣列ノ前二在レ

Hei (no) Tatakai (ni) Nozo (mu) mono, Mina, Jinretsu (no) mae (ni) a (re)

 

All(each) of the man who are facing to Battle, should be the most front !

 

It was a popular word for Samurais at Sengoku-jidai.

to keep his courage in the battle ( or in his life)

 

Bushido by Inazo Nitobe said :

In times when cunning artifice was liable to pass for military tact and downright falsehood for ruse de guerre, this manly virtue, frank and honest, was a jewel that shone the brightest and was most highly praised.

 

This is the spirit which became a parts of "Bushido" for Samurai.

and became a parts of religion for ordinaries.

 

Furthermore, We shouldn't forget that "Cha no yu" was established at same period.

 

Those two elements leaded to achieve Amazing Edo period.

[Bugyotsuji]

Kunitaro Sama. Thank you.

[Geraint]

Thank you all, that explains so much about Kaga habaki that I had never realised.

[Jean]

And me too