Shape of Nakago ana

[Henry Wilson]

I wonder if anything can be determined from the shape of the nakago ana. Sometimes I have seen them as a very distinct, oblong shape with no taper. Could this shape be an indication of age, a kantei point or anything else? Below is a Yagyu tsuba to illustrate the shape I mean.

 

Looking forward to hearing any thoughts.

 

[b.hennick]

From the ana one can learn if the blade the tsuba was last mounted on had grooves that extend into the tang, if the blade was a yoriodoshi, if the blade was particularly thin or thick. By looking into the ana one can determine if the tsuba is san mai awasa, one can determine the patina and see if that patina matches the rest of the tsuba.

[rkg]

Henry,

 

Good Question - I've always thought that when you see this it usually means its been remounted a number of times - like this:

 

 

If the sekigane were all knocked out of this piece it would look vaguely similar to your image.

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Henry Wilson]

Thank you both Barry and Richard for your input. I can't remember exactly where I picked this up, but I recall a rectangular nakago ana is indicative of age. I could have dreamt this or made up as I can't find any source that agrees with it.

[ROKUJURO]

  Henry Wilson said:

...... Could this shape be an indication of age, a kantei point or anything else? Below is a Yagyu tsuba to illustrate the shape I mean.......

Henry,

 

seeing your beautiful YAGYU TSUBA, I had the impression that it could have been mounted on a TACHI.

 

I include a photo of a CHOSHU TSUBA which had probably been misused as keyhole. Regrettably, these things happen!

 

[Soshin]

  Henry Wilson said:

Thank you both Barry and Richard for your input. I can't remember exactly where I picked this up, but I recall a rectangular nakago ana is indicative of age. I could have dreamt this or made up as I can't find any source that agrees with it.

 

Hi Henry W.,

 

That shape of nakago-ana is along with many other kantei points are used to ID a Yagyu tsuba.

 

P.S. A good samurai of the Shinkage Ryu will use his life giving sword like a tachi.

[george trotter]

Jean commented "I had the impression that it could have been mounted on a TACHI".

 

Hi Henry,

Jean makes an interesting point. In order to remount a katana tsuba to a tachi, it would be necessary to rotate the nakago ana 180 degrees for the scene to be the correct way up when viewed from the front. The only problem is that I don't know if this was ever done...I cannot recall ever seeing such a modification.

Regards,

[Marius]

  ROKUJURO said:

seeing your beautiful YAGYU TSUBA, I had the impression that it could have been mounted on a TACHI.

 

No, it couldn't. The motif would be standing on its head. Maybe it is the mokko shape, that has triggered an association with an aoi tsuba.

[Marius]

  george trotter said:

Jean makes an interesting point. In order to remount a katana tsuba to a tachi, it would be necessary to rotate the nakago ana 180 degrees for the scene to be the correct way up when viewed from the front. The only problem is that I don't know if this was ever done...I cannot recall ever seeing such a modification.

 

We should keep in mind that tachi koshirae was different from katana koshirae and a katana tsuba would not go with it. Of course one could speculate on handachi Koshirae worn edge down... But handachi koshirae would have a "tachi-shape", ie. aoi tsuba, no?

[rkg]

Henry,

 

Oh yeah - you're talking about the extra big nakago ana so the piece could be wrapped in leather then?

 

rkg

[ROKUJURO]

Mariusz,

 

I don't quite see why the motiv should be standing on it's head when mounted on a TACHI with the NAKAGO ANA rotated by 180°. On the other hand I agree that TACHI and HANDACHI were typically equipped with TSUBA in traditional AOI GATA. It was just a thought as I did not find an explanation for these rectangular NAKAGO ANA which I have seen quite a number of.

 

I don't know how strictly the rules of putting together a KOSHIRAE were to be followed in the olden times. Perhaps it was only a matter of money or of personal taste to some SAMURAI?

[Henry Wilson]

Many thanks everyone for the reply.

 

Just to clarify, the lovely Yagyu tsuba does not belong to me

 

Jean and George have highlighted an interesting possiblity. The oblong nakago ana would allow a blade to be mounted in either uchigatana (mune-side down) or tachi (mune-side up) style without having to rotate the tsuba. The shape of the nakago ana could be indictive of what kind of blade the tsuba has been mounted on. But then again as Mariusz states, would such tsuba that we traditionally associate with uchigatana be mounted on a tachi? Apart from handachi, I can't recall seeing any (which doesn't mean it has never happened). I have seen what were originally tachi tsuba refitted for uchigatana, the inclusion of hitsuana indicate this, but not the other way round.

 

  ROKUJURO said:

I don't know how strictly the rules of putting together a KOSHIRAE were to be followed in the olden times. Perhaps it was only a matter of money or of personal taste to some SAMURAI?

This is an interesting point. My opinion is that it if the fittings were of reasonable quailty, meaning that they where owned by someone with a certain amount of rank / status then the expected rules would be quite strict and they would be expected to be complied to. Of lesser quality on a low ranking individual who was expected to go out and fight, I think the rules would be less strict due to the person's econmics.

 

  rkg said:

Oh yeah - you're talking about the extra big nakago ana so the piece could be wrapped in leather then?

Hi Richard. Sorry, I don't quite follow.

[Dr Fox]

  rkg said:

Henry,

 

Good Question - I've always thought that when you see this it usually means its been remounted a number of times - like this:

 

 

 

Now here is an example of what would have been a sloppy fit, but goes to my comments of buying a tsuba for a blade fit. (Post: Nakago Ana Size)

 

Denis.

[Henry Wilson]

I found a few more rectangular shaped nakago ana tsuba while going through some books.