And Now for Something Completely Different...

[Soshin]

Hi Everyone,

 

Via PM I was accused of being a iron only lover when it comes to tosogu. Well just to prove the private naysayer wrong here is something completely different that is new to my collection.

 

I am still in the process of doing a write up of what information I have researched and conducting more research. Here is my write up in terms of what the design is. I am more confident of the accuracy of this information.

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The design is of a single-pronged vajra (dokko 独鈷). The vajra a ritual item is the main symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, known as esoteric Buddhism (密教 mikkyō) in Japan. In Buddhism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides by Louis Frederic on page 65. The single-prong vajra probably represents the union of the material and spiritual worlds.

 

Here is what I have written up in terms of the age of the kogai and what techniques were used to do the design. I am much less confident of the accuracy of this information.

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This is a kogai (笄) made of scarlet copper (hiiro-do 緋色銅) used in Japanese sword fittings from the mid Edo Period up until the Meiji Period. The redish color done through the application of a patina on refined copper. The craftsmanship with a combination of two different surface finishes a pressed leather (ishimeji 石目地), and smooth (migakigi 磨地). In the center of the pressed leather surface is a high relief gold inlay (suemon kin-zogan 据文金象嵌) design (kin-mon 金紋).

 

Please help and feel free to discuss.

[Brian]

I think that is gorgeous. And so, to keep the status quo...I will be looking through my iron tsuba to see what I can find to trade you, and keep you from going over to the light side.

It must be mine....

 

Brian

[Henry Wilson]

Nice David. Very nice indeed. I am a sucker for Buddhist related items. Congratulations.

[Jamie]

That is really nice David.

Thanks for posting it.

[Soshin]

  Henry Wilson said:

Nice David. Very nice indeed. I am a sucker for Buddhist related items. Congratulations.

 

Hi Henry,

 

Well the really nice Daruma tsuba sold off of my website so I needed to replace it with something Buddhist related. I am thinking the kogai was likely a custom piece made for a Buddhist Priest or someone who was a lay-priest.

 

Hi Jamie and Brian R.,

 

Thanks for the nice comments. I really lucked out on this kogai that I won at auction. I forgot to state in my original write up that it is mumei (no signature) on the reverse side. Was wondering if more information about who could have made it and when be obtained by examining the techniques used? The warabite design at the top of the kogai is nicely carved using a katakirbori technique.

[runagmc]

Very nice... love the carving... the Buddhist priest idea may be reaching a little though , but who knows... Thanks for sharing

 

PS- if only it came with matching menuki

[Soshin]

  runagmc said:

Very nice... love the carving... the Buddhist priest idea may be reaching a little though , but who knows... Thanks for sharing

 

PS- if only it came with matching menuki

 

Hi Adam L.,

 

Thanks for the reply glad all my studying and not buying of kinko has finally paid off. Your likely right on that it is a bit of a reach in terms of the original owner. If you look at a number of Buddha and other enlightened being statues in temples and museums in Japan they would often have some of these ritual items such as a vajra in their hands. Here is an example of the Kannon Bodhisattva "enlightened being" with a thousand arms: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/kannon.shtml#senju. One arm has a single-pronged vajra like the one on my kogai.

 

Henry W.,

 

I did just notice something interesting that the shape of the vajra incorporates into its form two lotus blossoms for each point at the ends of the vajra. I just wanted to point this out to you as you are doing research on lotus flower in Japanese art if I remember correctly.

[Curgan]

As a kinko lover and novice in nihonto and tosogu, I must express my jealousy and my admiration (especially for the wood grain carving).

 

Please do continue on your quest as you must do it three times in order to prove him wrong!

[Soshin]

Hi John C.,

 

Thanks for the reply. Your likely right that the ishimeji surface is trying to simulate a wood grain texture. Comparing it to my Kamiyoshi school Higo tsuba which has much finer ishimeji surface that I think is trying to simulate the texture of doe skin leather popluar in Higo style koshirae. Has anyone ever seen a kogai or kozuka with a ishimeji surface in place of the more typical nanakoji that is of shakudo?

[Henry Wilson]

I have done some research on David's kogai's motif on the internet. This is a summary of what I found. I am not an expert in this field (not even slightly knowledgeable), but I am curious about the significance of such Buddhist items, so please pardon and freely point out any errors with the information I have provided.

 

Vajra are known as 金剛杵 kongoshyo in Japanese and the kanji translate as a “mystical weapon”. It is a typical esoteric Buddhist ritual implement and it comes in varies forms, usually three and five spokes, which are sometimes closed like fists at the ends. The shafts are ornamented with various objects, the most common being lotus pedestals but water creatures and the like can also be found.

 

Vajra is a Sanskrit word and in Buddhist literature can translate as "diamond" but it can also mean "thunderbolt," however this definition is usually associated with Hinduism.

 

On David’s kogai there is a single pronged vajra called dokkoshyo/ tokkoshyo 独鈷杵 (tokkoshyo is a Nagoya pronunciation). It seems to represent many different things depending on what source you consult which I find is quite common (and fascinating) when researching Buddhist iconography. I have read the prongs which look like blades where intended to protect the owner as he seeks enlightenment. I have also read it can represent, devotion, bravery, righteousness and in Tibet it represents the male principle which is strength. Below is a good link that discuss it in a Japanese context:

http://www.kyohaku.go.jp/eng/dictio/data/kinkou/mikkyo.htm

 

Hope this helps and is of interest.

[Soshin]

Hi Henry W.,

 

Thanks for the follow-up and filling in the parts I missed such as what a vajra is. This was an important bit of information I forgot to discuss. The example you had on the URL of a single prong vajra might have been the model for my kogai.

Now to answer your out standing question in terms different meanings for such items. Some differences are the result of sectarian differences between Tendai-shu and Shingon-shu. Within each sect you will also find some minor variation in the meanings. Also items will have different means depending on the person for example is the owner a lay person, lay priest, or a full ordained priest. Even within each level you will find that the Japanese maintain a omote meaning and a ura meaning for these type of ritual items. Hope you find the additional information helpful.

[Pete Klein]

Mike and Cyrus posted two mainline Goto kogai recently (Sojo and Joshin) which are really nice. http://www.tetsugendo.com

click on menu => fittings => kogai

 

I happen to really like kogai and like the one listed here. Perhaps it will be at Tampa next year.

[Soshin]

Hi Pete K.,

 

I am glad you like it. Thanks for link I will check out the website tonight. Being someone in the know then it comes to kinko works how old do you think my kogai is? The following information I have gathered from Markus Sesko's book Handbook of Sword Fittings Related Terms:

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Hiiro-do was only produced from the second half of the Edo Period until the Meiji Period as lumps in specialized shops. Because producing very pure copper is time consuming, hiiro-do as a raw material was quite expensive.

Mr. Sesko book, two other minor books, and the NBTHK/AB lecture notes given out by Mike Y. in his presentation on Machibori are the only references I have.

Yes I can take my kogai to Tampa next year as I have made it my winter getaway weekend from the cold February they have in Maryland. February on average the coldest month of the year in Maryland. I give it along with a tsuba to Bob Benson to submit to NBTHK shinsa next year. I am always a bit fearful when mailing something with nice inlay work.