Shingen Tsuba

[John A Stuart]

Mine is not a direct translation. More of a synopsis. John

[Toryu2020]

Gentlemen -

The genesis of this story comes from the original name of this style of tsuba; Mukade. The Takeda army employed a troop of swift running messengers that carried orders from the command tent to the captains in the field; The Mukade-tai. They were conspicuous for their centipede hata-jirushi.

 

When promoted to membership in this troop, the story goes, you were directly or indirectly given the privilege of wearing this style of tsuba, a mark of said membership, by the lord, Shingen himself. Why the tsuba? Because you did not wear the hata-jirushi every day, but you always had your sword!

 

Reference Nihonto Daihyakka Jiten by Fukunaga Suiken I am pretty sure I wrote this up in To-Ron several years ago. Like any style it was oft copied and the "Shingen" appellation clearly excites us pedestrians more than "centipede tsuba", so it was natural for dealers to exploit it. The story clearly being lost over time...

 

-t

[Livio 3rd]

Greetings, I am new on the forum. I have most recently found entertainment from the couple of threads on Shingen tsuba. Shared here to further the exercise is an example on an old Saotome sukashi plate. As an amusing aside, I have been wondering what the source and availability of such wire might have been through the Edo period. Did the Saotome katchushi use wire in any aspect of making yoroi?

Edited April 19, 2016 by Livio 3rd

[Livio 3rd]

Apologies for any faux pas with the missing post "signature". I thought that was added with the registration. But I have just now tended to it (I believe) in 'settings'.

 

[rkg]

Hey guys,

 

I finally had a moment to shoot a shingen tsuba I picked up a while back.  This style of them seems to have little to do with either a wire wound sukashi tsuba or the mukade theme.  Does anybody have any idea if there is a meaning to these other than them being made to look like baskework?

Best,

rkg

(RIchard George)