Kozuka or Umabari ??

[DirkO]

Hmmm, I'm somewhat puzzled by this piece :

 

It has the end usually found on kogai, it has the heartshaped opening of an umabari and also the blad seems triangular which is also something found in umabari. But it's not made of one piece, so a seperate handle does suggest it being a kozuka. Can someone help me with this ?

 

[docliss]

Dear Dirk

 

The artefact that you have so beautifully illustrated is clearly intended to function as an umabari rather than as a ko-gatana and should, in my opinion, be labelled as such. It is true than umabari were generally constructed in one piece, and one can surmise indefinitely as to whether the artist decided, for some reason, to make it this way or, as I prefer, an umabari blade was made specifically to insert into a pre-existing ko-gatana handle. Be this as it may, if the handle existed on its own it would certainly then be labelled as an, albeit rather unusual, kodzuka.

 

Regards, John L.

[Rich T]

It has a rather 'Ken' (not Mantis dude related) feel to it doesn't it. Most Umbari have blades that have very shallow taper (shinogi ?) and a large flat surface, generally. In regards to the Kozuka, the Inome 猪目 or boar's eye is common I think to Umbari.

 

I agree with John's view also. The Kozuka has an elaborate feel like a Higo work, as this piece does

 

 

I would be curious if it has a nakago like a Go-katana ?, doe sthe kozuka come off Zanshin ?.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[Pete Klein]

Gentlemen; I am having a bit of a problem attributing this to being an Umbari (Bashin). I can see where the shape somewhat resembles one however the problem is in the function. Umbari were utility pieces used with horses and from what I could reference were of one piece iron construction the majority of the time. They needed to be quite sturdy. This would break much too easily under function. The examples found in the Higo Kinko Taikan are all one piece except for one example which appears to be made with a separate blade but is of very sturdy construction appearing to have a small habaki. Now of course this is not to say that someone didn't use this as an umbari however I believe it most likely is a kozuka with a ken shaped 'kogatana'.

[Pete Klein]

I just ran across this example in the Robinson book, 'The Arts of the Japanese Sword', plate 58. It has the 'ken' shape also. I am now wondering if these might have been used on koshirae used more for social function than in the field? Interesting find Dirk.

 

PS: found this after writing the above

http://nihonto.com/rh387.html

[DirkO]

:-) nice discussion here, I must admit i hadn't considered the sturdiness of the thing, seeing it would be used to relieve the bloodpressure of the horses ankles after a long ride. Seeing an umabari usually replaced the kogai, that would explain the end-bit.

 

@ Rich : I don't know if the blade comes out or not, I found it on a website, seeing I'm looking for a bashin ( a few days ago there was a beautifull piece on Ebay, but it got snatched from me in the last min, i was outsniped and that at 350$ : http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=260166701681)

[Rich T]

  Pete Klein said:

Gentlemen; I am having a bit of a problem attributing this to being an Umbari (Bashin). I can see where the shape somewhat resembles one however the problem is in the function. Umbari were utility pieces used with horses and from what I could reference were of one piece iron construction the majority of the time. They needed to be quite sturdy. This would break much too easily under function. The examples found in the Higo Kinko Taikan are all one piece except for one example which appears to be made with a separate blade but is of very sturdy construction appearing to have a small habaki. Now of course this is not to say that someone didn't use this as an umbari however I believe it most likely is a kozuka with a ken shaped 'kogatana'.

 

Maybe there was religious significance Pete, or the Kozuka/Ken was as you say, part of a Koshirae for a temple or priest ?. Or maybe it may have just been made just for use as a Kozuka/Kogatana and that's all there is to it ?. It is always of course hard to pick these things, in most cases, who really knows.

 

Cheers

 

Rich

[Pete Klein]

I have to agree Richard. I think these things come along from time to time and are out of convention so a bit difficult to place. What I like is that they challenge one back into the books so if nothing else you gain new insights. Always a good thing there.