Japanese Sword With European Mounting

[Andi B.]

Hello,
last week I visited Dresden, Gemany.
While strolling through the Türckische Cammer (Turkish Chamber) in the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) I saw below sword, whose blade looks amazingly Japanese - altough without any polish (no hamon, hada and yokote).



So I checked the catalogue and in fact it is an original Japanese katana blade with a European mounting made by Transilvanian artist Thomas Kapustran from Klausenburg/Transilvania in 1674. The scabbard is also a modified Japanese original saya.

Signature on the hand guard: "THO : KAPUSINO : TRANSILVAN FeCit. 1674".

 

 

Below photograph I found in the web (source might be a catalogue of the “Staatliche Kunstammlungen Dresden”) shows some details:

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Fantastic find, Andi.

 

My German is not good enough to understand the explanation, though...  

[Geraint]

Great find Andi.

 

I had seen this sword in a book on German arms and armour but had assumed that it was in the style of a Japanese sword, the caption did not indicate that it was in fact a nihonto in sheep's clothing.

Thank you for posting.

 

All the best.

[Andi B.]

  On 7/21/2015 at 1:49 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

Fantastic find, Andi.

 

My German is not good enough to understand the explanation, though...

ok, let's see:

 

Sword with Scabbard

Blade Japanese, Mounting Thomas Kapustran,

Klausenburg (Siebenbürgen), 1674

Blade iron, forged, handle, handguard and scabbard fittings amethyst and enamel on gold;

scabbard wood covered with ray or shark skin

Total lenght 91,5 cm; blade 77,1 cm; weight 1775 g

on the top of the hand guard in an oval gold plate the master's inscription

THO : KAPUSINO : TRANSILVAN FeCit. 1674

 

...

 

This sword imitates the weapon of a Japanese samurai. Kapustran used an original Japanese blade of unknown provenience. For the handle, guard and scabbard mountings he copied the form of Japanese models. Technique and decor are however European origin and follow the typical transilvanian tradition. Enamel decoration and also the stone insertions reveal a strong Near East influence; especially the guard can be considered as a Transylvanian interpretation of Ottomanian pattern. Also for the scabbard Kapustran obviously reworked a Japanese original.

[Bugyotsuji]

Ah, yes, very good. 

 

Many thanks for the English translation, Andi. 

 

PS I have a strange memory that Ian Bottomley showed me an example of a Japanese blade in Western mounts in the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds. Might even have a rather fuzzy sneaked shot of it somewhere. (?)