Tsuba photos to share.

[Ed]

As some here like older iron tsuba, I thought I would share some photos of a very old tsuba, a Kofun period Tsuba. This style of tsuba is known a Toran Kei (Toran meaning egg shaped) and are some of the earliest known works of Japanese tsubako. The eight trapezoidal sukashi cut into the plate are a typical design seen on this style of tsuba.

 

This tsuba was made from unfolded coarse, but relatively soft iron. The plate is very heavy and uniform in thickness, showing minimal deterioration. Most of these examples were excavated from ancient burial grounds during the Kofun period (c. 6th century), making this tsuba around 1500 years old.

 

The first time I held this tsuba I was surprised by it's weight and it's size of 9.7 x 8.5 x 0.5 cm. As well, the nakago ana seemed huge at 3.81 x 2.54 cm, however as I was to learn, these tsuba did not fit directly over the nakago as seen on later swords, but actually fit over a collar in front of the tsuka, hence the large diameter.

 

These tsuba were made for the style of sword known as Chukoto or straight sword. These early swords were a long (36"+), straight, triangular or wedge shaped blade which predates the curved Japanese sword as we know it today.

 

Some of you may have seen this Tsuba in the Samurai exhibit held at the Frazier Museum in Louisville, 2012.

[Alex A]

An ancient piece of history you have there Ed, just about the time the romans decided to leave england. Ive never seen a tsuba that old before, must be good to own.

 

Alex.

[Soshin]

Hi Ed,

 

Thanks for sharing photographs of such a old tsuba in your collection. :D

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[kusunokimasahige]

Very nice and interesting indeed !

 

You see, even without being pristine, tsuba can inspire awe and admiration

 

KM

[ROKUJURO]

  Ed said:

......This tsuba was made from unfolded, coarse, but relatively soft iron......

Ed,

 

thank you for sharing photos of this unique piece of Japanese arms history! Very interesting!

 

However, I would like to make a remark on the technique it was probably made with. To my knowledge there was no unfolded iron at that time except from some early production of cast iron in China. Iron was obtained in a process comparable to the TATARA, and the result was mainly sponge iron (the high carbon parts of which are TAMAHAGANE) which had to be homogenized before attempting a production of any kind. This was made by repeated folding and fire welding the material, and in some places your photos seem to show a layered construction. This may indeed be layers of corroded material, which could be a hint to the manufacturing process.

 

Please have a close look. Probably you have scientifically researched about this magnificent TSUBA, so I would be interested to know how the production process was seen by the specialists.

[Justin]

Ed,

 

Great find and great piece of history.

 

You might be interested in these posts by Richard Turner:

http://kodogunosekai.com/2009/04/10/toran-kai-倒卵形-tsuba

http://kodogunosekai.com/2010/04/08/toran-kai-tsuba-倒卵形鍔

 

Edit Admin - Obviously the system has problems with links with kanji in them. Please copy and paste the whole url to visit these.

[BMarkhasin]

Ed,

 

To put this tsuba into a historical and quality perspective, I have added a number of images below. These include a collection of chokuto swords which utilized similar tsuba from the Metropolitan Museum, as well as images from the Inariyama Kofun Museum, Saitama for a mounted warrior of the period, wearing this type of chokuto (the proto-samurai) - image is a bit blurry. What is interesting, is that most of swords of this type preserved in museums utilize bronze gilded toran kei tsuba, while this is obviously iron. Perhaps the iron pieces were for field use, or were used by a certain rank / economic status soldier. I have owned half dozen such tsuba over the years, but Ed's is the best quality iron tsuba I have seen since the late 90's (the better one went at auction for ~$12k, but was virtually uncorroded and had unique, angled sukashi). Most are thinner, far less robust and a little smaller. I am adding two pix of others I have recently owned (one was inlaid with silver on the edge).

 

As a point of observation, there was unsurprisingly a wide variety of quality among tosogu during the Kofun. Some iron tsuba I have owned were dense, thin and likely laminated (folded) construction (as were blades and armors by this period). Others were softer, with no apparent lamination and a very course, grainy iron composition. I will leave this debate/explanation to others.

 

Best Regards,

Boris.

[Pete Klein]

Way Cool B!

[BMarkhasin]

Pete,

 

Isn't it awesome?!!! We never stop to think what came before the Kamakura/Heian in terms of armor, swords etc... Samurai didnt just pop into existence one bright sunny day -- it was a LONG process, and the technology, aesthetics that we see reflected in these tosogu and armor are purely Japanese. Also, from a historical perspective, what we fail to appreciate is the importance of Yamato Japanese as a regional military and economic power... Japan was a net exporter of military hardware at this time, as well as a leading naval power. This should make this period very interesting from a nihonto point of view and from a technologic and artistic perspective. Look at the dude on the horse... there is very little difference between this ca. 600AD image, and our image of the samurai of the Gempei no Ran. In fact, the epic battles between the Soga, Mononobe and Nakatomi clans were directly comparable, if not larger in scale than the Gempei wars, as they spilled overseas into Korea. The Fujiwara, Minamoto, Taira and host of other familiar clans trace lineage to these great Kofun / Asuka clans. Just read the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki for a window into the complexity of the Kofun/Asuka. Medieval Japan as we know it blossomed out of this period. The issue of course, is that access to such old items of tosogu / armor is very limited to most collectors.

 

Best,

Boris

[cabowen]

  BMarkhasin said:

...and the technology, aesthetics that we see reflected in these tosogu and armor are purely Japanese.

 

No nod to China?

[BMarkhasin]

There was a reasonable amount of cross-influence in this period, and the roots of most things are ultimately traced back to China in these early centuries. ie. lamellar armor is generally attributed to China, as are chokuto, but we dont over-extend this influence. Its important to acknowlege that what we see in the Kofun period actually has virtually no direct Chinese influence. Korean influence is clear in the mid-Kofun, but by the late Kofun, its actually the Japanese that are driving the technology and aesthetics.... this fact that is poorly recognized unfortunately. This is a great discussion topic, with suprisingly a large amount of available data -- a really good separate thread I think.

 

Best

B

[John A Stuart]

I find the relationship between the Kaya and Yamato particularly telling in the transfer of technology between the mainland and Japan, as well as from the northern mainland. I certainly agree there is lots of data, some conflicting, most speculative, but, evolving. John

[Pete Klein]

Interesting site: http://heritageofjapan.wordpress.com/

[cabowen]

  BMarkhasin said:

...the roots of most things are ultimately traced back to China in these early centuries. ...

 

That is what I have always heard....and seeing the ceramics, architecture, armor, swords, etc., it would seem fairly obvious....

[kaigunair]

Very neat thread and pics!

 

Boris, that's a great photo of a mounted samurai. I guess I should have paid more attention last nite: I went and ordered the Fraser museum book thinking better pics might be in there but I now see it was from a Japanese museum . Oh well, hopefully a useful book nonetheless!

[Ed]

Glad everyone like the tsuba photos.

 

Boris,

Those are nice examples too. Thanks for sharing them. Really like the period mounted Samurai photo.

[Henry Wilson]

Interesting post and lots of great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

I wonder if to call the mounted warrior in the picture a samurai is in fact correct. I think the term samurai was not coined until around the Heian period in the Kokin Waka Shu (古今和歌集, Collection of Poems of Ancient and Modern Times) which dates from around 900s. I think the photoed warrior pre-dates the Heian period by a few centuries and if so, he was probably nobility or an enlisted warrior for the then national military or "Gundan-Sei" (軍団制) serving the emperor.

 

Sorry to split hairs and quibble over words, but just a few thoughts to encourage a bit of discussion

[Ed]

Right-O Henry. "Samurai" is just so common, kind of generic. Didn't dawn on me when I wrote it.

[Henry Wilson]

Hi Ed

 

Samurai is a generic term and I was pretty sure I knew what you meant when Junichi and yourself used it, so again sorry for the quibble, but I thought it was worth pointing out.

 

 

  BMarkhasin said:

Just read the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki for a window into the complexity of the Kofun/Asuka.

 

Hi Boris

 

Can you recommend any translations of these texts? I would be especially interested on getting something on Kindle if possible.

 

Cheers

[John A Stuart]

It is here and down loads possible. John

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/

[BMarkhasin]

Henry, Ed,

 

Yes, samurai is a anachronistic for this period, as you correctly pointed out. This was before the Taiho Ritsuryo, so the various offices and titles we see from the Nara period onwards such as Imperial Guards had not yet been created. The figure on horseback could best be considered a military elite, perhaps a ranking member of some uji (clan), or military commander working for the provincial governors (Gunshi), or Yemishi commander. I used to have good translated copies of both Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in university, but those texts have been misplaced decades ago. If you do find them either online as John suggests, or through a university bookstore, try to get the unabridged versions, with scholarly discussions on each section to help contextualize the content. They are actually very dull reading as I recall, if you dont have the benefit of such historical analysis.

 

Anyhoooo, this was a good thread, thanks Ed. Love that tsuba --- top-notch example of an iron toran-kei tsuba.

 

Best,

Boris.

[Geraint]

And from a very basic level, thank you. I had never understood quite how these tsuba were mounted. Your description of a collar at the base of the tsuka makes so much sense.

[kaigunair]

Thanks Henry! Totally didn't register that the mounted figure would be pre-date the term samurai. Wonder if there was an equivalent early term for bushi?

 

Boris, do you recall what the museum referred to the figure as? I can't seem to find a museum website (or its associated bookstore ) anywhere....

 

Love how this thread had gone....

[John A Stuart]

Thee were so many analogs for the term. 丈夫 joubu 勇士 yuushi 剛の者 gounomono, and onwards. In many books I've read 'strong person' I suppose it is 剛の者. John

[kaigunair]

  John A Stuart said:

Thee were so many analogs for the term. 丈夫 joubu 勇士 yuushi 剛の者 gounomono, and onwards. In many books I've read 'strong person' I suppose it is 剛の者. John

Thanks John.

[BMarkhasin]

Junichi,

This image is taken from the web, and represents a warrior based on the finding at Inariyama Kofun in Saitama. I am not exactly sure which museum houses this figure. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find more information on the web (or a better photo). Anyone in Japan up for a fieldtrip?

 

Best,

Boris.