ever seen this before??

[Mark]

not sure if this is the right category, please move if needed

 

this set of seppa came on a sword, they were made for the sword as they fit perfectly. I have never seen a seppa with this strange "loop" attached. It is on the seppa that fits next to the habaki (the other seppa will not fit there as it is made to fit the other side of the tsuba).

 

Any ideas why the loop is there? Ever seen that before? The edge of the seppa have a decent rope design finish so it is not just a piece of reused metal.

 

Thanks for looking

[mdiddy]

Mark,

 

Could it be to facilitate the passage of a paper string that might connect the tsuba to the kurigata in the instance that the bushi was of quick tempered nature and such string when connected would give him a second chance to consider drawing his sword? I remember reading about this and it was discussed at a NBTHK lecture in I think San Francisco a couple of years ago in the context of Satsuma koshirae. Not sure if a paper string could fit through such a small hole, but that might be one potential reason for it.

 

Matt

[Mark]

i have heard the thought about tying the tsuba, but in this case the tsuba is a nanban type that is sukashi so technically you could put something through the loop and the tsuba but that seems to make no sense, why worry about threading a thin thread through this loop on the seppa instead of just putting the string or thread through the tsuba? This loop is so small it would be like threading a needle, you would have to be a steady handed samurai with good eye site and a lot of patience.

 

maybe but ???