Higo butterflies

[giuseppepiva]

I recently had a discussion with a friend about the real representation of this well known Higo tsuba.

 

I have always thought of it as a couple of butterflies, but this friend told me that some say it represents two dragonflies and the large holes are the moving wings and not the large ones of a butterfly. I had already heard of this but never been very much convinced. Then recently the argument came up again on a Facebook discussion and I reminded of a painting I have, made by Otagaki Rengetsu in the 19th century with two butterflies. Well, the painting shows a very similar stylization that convinced me that these are really butterflies and not dragonflies.

Anyone knows where the dragonfly theory comes from?!?!

 

Giuseppe

[Geraint]

Hi Giuseppe.

 

For a lengthy discussion see here.

 

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8618&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=fist

[giuseppepiva]

Thank you Gearing, but actually that discussion was about a differente kind of butterflies tsuba...

[Geraint]

Apologies, delivery arrived and I was rushing. :D

[BIG]

Hi Guiseppe,

 

from this Example I World Say: butterfly.

 

But this is a European Diskussion. I Love dragonflies.

 

http://rengetsu.org

 

Best Regards

[Eric H]

Anyone knows where the dragonfly theory comes from?!?!

Ford Hallam

 

Eric

[Ford Hallam]

mea culpa :D

 

I felt that given that butterflies are depicted with their antennae quite prominant as part of any design in Japanese art and that the Shoami tsuba didn't have any indication of them the motif was more likely to be dragonflies. Also, eyes are a minor design feature of butterflies wheras they are one of the most notable features of dragonfly designs.

 

Butterflies are usually shown with pairs of wimgs, and wings which move slower compared to the whirring of d'flies.

 

Dragonflies have long slender bodies and butterflies have short stubby ones.

 

The angularity of the tsuba design feels more 'dragonfly' than the flitting, fluffy nature of butterflies.

 

The negative spaces on the tsuba seemed to evoke the space the d'flies wings would span.

 

Either way we'll never know for sure. I just find it boring that designs like this get labelled and then all thinking stops. When in doubt say 'butterfly'

[Steve Waszak]

I believe the Kamiyoshi Ehon has the design as butterflies...

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Ford Hallam]

I believe the Kamiyoshi Ehon has the design as butterflies...

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

 

As written by the first Kamiyoshi?....even though it's supposed to be a Shoami piece by an unknown maker....

 

What I don't understand is that if 'so called'experts are going to make stuff up why they can't be more creative. Oh!, that's right...it's because they're generally not very imaginative. And therin lies the rub.

 

And as has been observed; if all the 'authorities' say the same thing it may merely mean only one operson did the 'thinking'.

[Steve Waszak]

Yeah, I guess I was just thinking that since the Kamiyoshi Ehon was Rakuju's personal pattern book, and since he had the motif as butterflies, I thought there might be something to that... :D

 

Cheers,

 

Steve

[Ford Hallam]

Steve, well perhaps we've learned one thing, Kamiyoshi rakuju was a plagiarist.

 

To be serious though, I wonder why there's this notion that the original tsuba on the Kasen Koshirae is considered to be Shoami if, as you point out, Kamiyoshi claims it as his design?

 

I still don't think it's very representative of butterflies. Maybe Kamiyoshi 'borrowed' the design and he's the culprit that first misidentified the motif.

 

My last 'defense'.