Second Tsuba from Sloans & Kenyon Estate Auction...

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wanted to update this topic before I when on my honeymoon with some additional information and new photographs of the tsuba after I have cleaned off some of the rust and dirt using some small pieces old ivory, dried bamboo, and a white cotton rag. The lighting on these photographs are much better then the originals. I heard back from two experienced collectors that I sent photographs to of this tsuba to and they both are thinking Shimizu-Jingo school of Higo Province circa the early part of the Edo Period. One agreed with Pete K. that this would be a very interesting tsuba for NBTHK shinsa. Right now I withholding judgement on this tsuba and will try to submit it for NBTHK shinsa later this year maybe June or August depending on my finances after my long visit to Japan.

 

 

[Henry Wilson]

Well done, they are nice pictures David. Have a nice honeymoon.

[Pete Klein]

Please be aware there is no NBTHK August shinsa. After June the next is October for fittings.

[Soshin]

Hi Pete K. and Henry W.,

 

Thanks for the replies and the helpful information in regards to August which is the yearly special Juyo shinsa if my memory is correct. This requires tokobetsu hozon to be even allowed to submit to the Juyo shinsa. I know not to be in such big hurry when it comes to NBTHK shinsa submittals anyway.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Pete Klein]

Juyo shinsa is in September.

[Soshin]

Hi Pete K.,

 

Well so much for my memory... Setting in the airport now looking forward to visiting the NBTHK on Friday. :D

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[cabowen]

If you have ever been in Japan in August you will know why there isn't much of anything happening in August....

[Henry Wilson]

Here is some research I have done on dragons. David's tsuba and the motifs got me thinking and below are some notes I have made. As always this is intended to generate discussion, so feel free to add to or comment on.

Japanese Dragon 龍 (ryu / tatsu)

The dragon is a mythological creature that originated in China. Japanese dragons are believed to be a derivative of Chinese ones and are generally regarded to be not ferocious and bringers of wealth and good fortune. They can change shape and mate with humans, which these days would probably have a niche market for certain kind of people! :D

The physical characteristics of a dragon are well documented in books such as “Legend in Japanese Art” by Henri Joly and "Myths and Legends of Japan" by F. Hadland Davis. As a summary, they are a composition of many exotic animals such as the camel, carp, tiger, deer, hare etc. Their breathe is said to turn to rain or fire and they have the power to shape-shift and of invisibility.

In both Chinese and Japanese mythology, the dragon is closely associated with water and in artwork it is usually surrounded by water or clouds. In Japan, there are four dragon kings who rule over the four seas which means the whole of the earth. They are:

-Celestial dragons who guard the lands of the gods

-Treasure guarding dragons who protect precious metals and stones

-Spiritual dragons who rule wind and rain and can cause flooding

-Earth dragons who clean the rivers and deepen the oceans

 

Chinese and Japanese dragons resemble each other, with the exception that the Japanese dragon has only three eagle type talons, while Chinese dragons have 4 or 5. Another myth goes that the further the dragon gets from China, the less talons it has. Also　I think I read somewhere that Japanese dragons are slimmer.

 

The image we have of dragons today is believed to have first appeared in Tang dynasty (9th century AD) tomb paintings. The figure of a serpent-type animal is said to related to Buddhism mythology, however they seemed to have evolved independently in China with dragon shaped jade and bronze items being found dating to Shang and Zhou dynasties (16th-9th centuries BCE) .

 

Below is a plate that is part of a set of 5 that belong to my beloved wife. They are sometsuke 染付 meaning a style that is hand-painted in under glazed blue which is generally cobalt oxide. I think they are Japanese but if I recalll correctly they were sold as being Chinese. The centre kanji reads kotobuki 壽 which means happiness and longevity and are about 10 cm in diameter．The central ring could represent waves or clouds.

 

The four dragons depicted on the rim to me are stylistically similar to the dragon in David’s tsuba and which in turn to me seem to be stylistic similar to the Shang and Zhou dynasty dragons pictured above. That is, there is a naivety to the form and shape when compared to dragons that we commonly see in items such as Goto fittings, such as the one below:

 

An interesting feature concerning the plate and tsuba dragons, apart from the floppy hair (and lack of horns), is the detail of the eyes.

Below are a list of some of the main dragons found in Japan. However it should be noted that dragons are very hard to "pigeon hole" and finding examples of types is quite difficult because they all seem to look more a less the same, to me anyway:

-Sui Ryu is a rain dragon, which when in pain causes red rain, coloured by its blood.

-Han Ryu is striped with nine different colours and is forty feet long. This dragon can never reach heaven.

-Ka Ryu is a small dragon which is about seven feet long. They are apparently scarlet and a fiery red and are sometimes referred to have a body of fire.

-Fuku Ryu is the Japanese Dragon of Good Luck. Usually depicted as ascending since an ascending dragon is a sign of good luck.

-Kin Ryu is a golden dragon. (maybe the Goto above?)

-O Goncho is a white dragon that warns of famine.

-Uwibami is a huge fearsome flying beast that snatches and eats men off horse's backs.

-Yamata-no-Orochi is an eight-headed dragon.

-Ri Ryu has very good eyesight and can see more than 100 miles away. (Which is the approximate distance from Dublin to my hometown of Belfast, by the way!)

There are more types, but I think from the above list we get the point.

 

Now, I wonder if the dragons on the plate and tsuba depict Ri Ryu, as the details of the eyes and the gold inlay could indicate exceptional eye sight.

 

In David’s tsuba the work on the omote rim is interesting as it is similar in composition to the inner ring on the sometsuke plate, however it is more carefully executed and to me it seems to represent triangles.

 

According to legend, the first Hojo regent (shikken 執権) of the Kamakura shogunate, Tokimasa Hojo 北条時政 (1138-1215), visited a cave in Enoshima (near Kamakura). He prayed to the dragon living in the cave to grant prosperity to the Hojo clan. It was granted and as a token, the dragon left three scales which are said to be the origin of the three triangles of the Hojo family crest, known as the Mitsu Uroko 三つ鱗.

[Marius]

Excelllent write-up about dragons, Henry

 

Thanks for posting it, I have saved it as reference.

 

As for the tsuba - I love it. The design is bold, the patina looks good. What puzzles me - why does the obverse and reverse side have an identical design? This makes me think Namban. An excellent piece, both for study and for its aesthetics.

[Henry Wilson]

Hi Mariusz

 

Thanks for the kind words. The dragon is a common motif so felt it was worthy of a bit of research.

[Pete Klein]

My thinking has also been toward Nanban Mariusz. I am having some difficulty understanding where the Shimizu call is coming from which is why I mentioned earlier that shinsa might be a good idea. I simply do not see anything Shimizu in it.

[Brian]

Henry,

I would not be surprised if someone from the JSSUS or NCJSC asked you to send that as an article Nice one.

I would love to hear the conclusion about this tsuba when it comes out..it's an interesting one.

 

Brian

[b.hennick]

Done that!

[John A Stuart]

The Kouryu (rain dragn) is also synonymous with hidden genius in Japan. John

[Brian]

Same dragon as the one pictured here I think....end of the tail is a giveaway.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-Sword- ... 1e7975cfed

 

Brian

[Alex A]

Interesting that Henry, i bought 2 bronze dragons several years ago, i read they where lucky. At the time i wondered what the difference was between chinese and Japanese dragons.

 

Alex

[Henry Wilson]

Many thanks everyone for the kind words. The article is being edited and should be in a JSSUS magazine sometime soon.

[Soshin]

Hi Henry W.,

 

Well the debate is not going to end until I have it submitted to NBTHK shinsa which I will hope to do sooner than later.

Thanks for the wonderful write up about dragon designs used in Japanese art, history, and culture. You have my permission to use the photograph of my tsuba in your article. Let me know if you need me to send you a high resolution photograph. I can do that once I am back from Japan. Well back to the honeymoon...

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Henry Wilson]

Hi David

 

I am glad you like the write-up.

 

Thank you very much for the permission on picture use.

 

Enjoy the rest of your honeymoon.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wanted to add a bit of mud to a already unclean attribution with this tsuba. I found this very similar tsuba listed as Nanban but I think it might be Jingo: http://www.shibuiswords.com/NambanGallery.htm. Keeping in mind that I am not a expert and I am going to submit my tsuba as soon as possible to NBTHK shinsa. The tsuba I am taking about is the 11th from the top. Notice the very similar design along the dote-mimi style rim.

 

On a related note here is what I found about the Rain Dragon design in The Art Appreciation of Japanese Sword Fittings by Shigeo Fukushi.

It was believed that the Rain Dragon ("Ama Ryu") was the bringer of rain and good opportunity. The Rain Dragon is often regraded as an Immature Child Dragon ("Mizuchi Ryu"). When the time has come, it ascends into the sky and it transforms into a matured dragon with horns and scales. These features made the Dragon a symbol of a successful leap and it was often used as the symbol of Emperor.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wanted to quickly update everyone about this tsuba. I have sent it to Bob Benson and he will be hand carrying it to the June NBTHK tosogu shinsa. I will update everyone once I have the results with a new topic referencing this original tread. Bob's impressions on seeing my tsuba was that is was from Higo Province.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Just wanted to update everyone that this tsuba passed Hozon at the NBTHK shinsa in December 2013. I don't have the details of its attribution for some strange unknown reason. I hope to have more details later this month and will post then as soon as possible.

 

P.S. It was also written about in another article "Follow Up: On Japanese Dragons" by Robert Earhart in the Japanese Sword Society of the United States (JSSUS) newsletter volume 45, no. 5, pages 6-8.

[Brian]

Congrats David!

Look forward to hearing the attribution.

 

Brian

[Curran]

Curious to hear the conclusion on this one.

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Received the news late yesterday from Bob Benson about my tsuba. The attribution of my nice tsuba went to Higo. I am happy with the results. Any more details if any will come when I get the paper and the tsuba back. Feel free to discuss.

[John A Stuart]

That's it, Higo. A little bit narrower of an attribution would have been nice, or some commentary added. John

[Soshin]

That's it, Higo. A little bit narrower of an attribution would have been nice, or some commentary added. John

 

Hi John,

 

I agree some commentary and some more detail information would have been helpful. Upon reading some of Ito's sensei book on the Hirata and Jingo schools (thanks Pete K. for selling me the book) I feel the tsuba doesn't completely fit the work of Jingo school. But there is a few features that do remind me of the early work of the Jingo school.

[Winchester]

Hi David, 

 

I understand this is an older post, but I may have some feedback (my opinion after studying) that may be of interest. I believe your tsuba was made as an homage--so-to-speak--of the style from the Kamakura period. I believe it is also mid-to-late Edo; further, any tsuba of this design are not common. 

 

Someone mentioned the design being the same on the reverse--this was true with earlier examples, as well. The example that Christian M. posted with 'flames' or 'spikes' is also, perhaps more so, rare. 

 

I believe the dimensions of the tsuba, along with the execution of design, give insight as to an early piece or a 'revival' piece. Hope this may be of interest and helps. 

[DoTanuki yokai]

The nominal designation of Kamakura-Tsuba comes from the fact that its carving style is similar to Japanese wood engraving folkcraft "Kamakura-Bori".
So, it has nothing to do with the name place "Kamakura" in Sagami Province (present Kanagawa Prefecture) and also nothing to do with the Kamakura period (1192 - 1333) of Japan.
 

from 

https://tsuba.jyuluc...m/KamakuraTsuba.html

 

I can’t guarantee for the information as I don’t know much about kamakura Tsuba

[Winchester]

Ya…I was apparently lazy in my reply and apologize. My intention was to articulate that these tsuba can be found from 1400’s through 1800’s.