Nanako - How?

[Andi B.]

Hello,

 

has anybody a picture of a punch used to create Nanako on fittings?

I wonder how the artisans made these fine bumps - one bump per punch or did they use punches with more than one notch?

[Brian]

I don't have a pic of the punch, but as I understand it, it is just a thin punch with a cup shaped depression underneath, and yes..they are done one at a time. I believe that skilled workers can do this at an amazing speed with precision.

 

Btw..slightly off topic, but just found this here: http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/c/choukin.htm and thought it interesting:

Chasing. Carving patterns or letters with a chisel on metal work. A common technique is nanako-uchi 魚々子打 (fish-roe engraving) in which fine granulation is produced with a round-headed chisel. The effect is usually used as a ground pattern. Introduced from Persia to China in the early Tang period, it was first seen in Japan in the early Nara period with examples in the *Shousouin 正倉院 collection. *kebori 毛彫, hair-line carving with a sharp V or U shaped chisel, is another basic technique. In the Yayoi period, some bell-shape bronzes doutaku 銅鐸 employed this technique, and in the Kofun period it was used for harnesses and arms. In the Asuka period, it was used for images of Buddha and Buddhist altar fittings. In the Nara period, representative kebori included the lotus petal pedestal of the Great Buddha at Toudaiji 東大寺. In keribori 蹴彫 (kicking engraving), a double-edged chisel is weilded in an upright posture to make an extended, delicate line with wedge-shaped notches. In the Heian period it was widely used, especially for kyouzou 鏡像 (a reflected image). Sukibori 鋤彫 (plow carving), also called sukidashibori 鋤出彫 (plowed out carving), uses a chisel held obliquely to plow the surface to create relief patterns. Takanikubori 高肉彫 (high relief carving), may be done by leaving part of the pattern uncarved and carving other parts deeply to create a sense of volume, by indenting a metal sheet from the back and carve sections on the front side, or by making patterns separately and adding inlay. Usually gilt or inlaid gold or silver are used with takanikubori. *Usunikubori 薄肉彫 (low relief carving) creates a more pictorial effect than takanikubori and is often used for *tsuba 鍔 (sword guards). Katagiribori 片切彫 (one side cut carving) uses the katagiri tagane 片切鏨 (chisel) to make a line with one deep side to parallel the one-sided shading technique of Maruyama school *Maruyama-Shijouha 円山四条派 painting; often found on swords, it is credited to Yokoya Soumin 横谷宗みん (1670-1733). Other choukin techniques include uchidashibori 打出彫 (embossed engraving), shishiaibori 肉合彫 (two level engraving), hannikubori 半肉彫 (half body engraving), marunikubori 丸肉彫 (body engraving), *sukashibori 透彫 (openwork engraving), and *zougan 象嵌 (inlay). Materials are gold, silver, copper, iron platinum, an alloy of copper and gold, and brass. In Japan, choukin is often used for sword guards, tsuba, kozuka 小柄 (knife attached to a sword sheath), kougai 笄 (metal rod attached to a sword sheath), menuki 目貫 (ornamental piece on a sword hilt), fuchigashira 縁頭 (sword pommel), Buddhist altar fittings and incense burners.

 

Brian

[Martin]

Hi Andi,

 

Nanako is done by using a small chisel and each dot is individually stamped into the plate. It is said that some of the craftsmen who used this method went insane.

 

It is very easy to see why :D

 

As many Nanako surfaces show concentric circles I guess it was nearly impossible to use a chisel with multiple notches.

 

From http://www.nikko-jp.org/english/shigai/meijin.html

All work is handmade and it is told that "20 years learning is required for only Nanako." The Nanako is the generic name of small round ditches, which are put around the outstanding point of Kazari-kanagu by equal arrangement. He uses a tool called Tagane. Mr. Suzuki stops breathing when he carves one by one because he needs very careful attention. By the way, the Tagane also is handmade.

 

best,

[Nobody]

These photos show some examples of nanako-tagane (魚々子鏨). However, they are not exactly nanako-tagane for tosogu.

[Markus]

Here some additional pics of nanako-tagane which were also used for tôsôgu (to omou).

 

 

The lower right one creates a "kikkô"-pattern (亀甲文) but cames also under "nanako-tagane".

[remzy]

Patience... is a Japanese word.

[Martin]

Hi Markus,

 

great pictures, thank you.

What a great deal of work it must be to cover a whole Tsuba with those marks...

I could imagine it might be easier to use a chisel with 3 notches like the upper right of Markus´ pictures. Maybe one could then start with the last mark and only create 2 new ones at a time. But still... absolutely astonishing.

 

What I wonder sometimes - the possibility of making an error must have been quite high. Especially when using the first chisel with only one notch... and not having any optical auxiliaries.

 

cheers,

[John A Stuart]

Hi, I think there were optical enhancements available. Does anyone know more?

There is a long history of the use and production of glass in Japan. Glass disks and beads have been discovered dating from the Yayoi Period (ca 300 BCE - ca 300 CE) and the oldest record of a formula for making glass was found in the Shosoin in Nara, which, according to these records, shows that the production of glass in Japan had been already well established in the early eighth century.

 

We know from a review of early Japanese literature that the term ‘eyeglasses’ was first noted around the year 1551. Francisco St. Xavier (1506-1552), a member of the Society of Jesus founded in Spain, visited Japan in 1549 as a missionary with the goal of converting people to Christianity. He was unable to meet the most powerful lords of Japan, the Emperor and the Shogun, because of a civil war. Instead he visited Yoshitaka Ohuchi, an influential local feudal lord. He was granted an audience and brought many gifts, including vision aids (eyeglasses). Therefore it is considered that vision aids first appeared in Japan at that time, possibly the ones presented by St. Xavier to Ohuchi. This story has several sources and is considered highly reliable as a historical fact. Other Jesuits who later followed Xavier also brought similar gifts in order to obtain permission to continue their missionary activities.

 

So magnification aids were available. John

[nagamaki - Franco]

Here some additional pics of nanako-tagane which were also used for tôsôgu (to omou).

 

 

The lower right one creates a "kikkô"-pattern (亀甲文) but cames also under "nanako-tagane".

 

Thank you for the post Markus. The key to determining which kind of punch, single or multiple, that was used is by studying the displaced metal surrounding the nanako. (edit) A single punch will form a circular type of ripple by the displaced metal around the nanako, where the ripples formed by the displaced metal around a multiple used tool will have more of a serrated look.

Additionally, generally, not always, at some point where a multiple punch was used the 3 or more pattern will present itself thru a slight distortion somewhere in the alignment between punches. Speaking of misalignment some nanako makes you wonder what the artisan had been drinking or smoking the night before. Then there's some single punch nanako so fine and perfect, its simply mind boggling to consider the amount of time and talent it took to make it.

[Patrick Hastings]

I have it on good authority (Ford) that really good Nanako was always done with a single punch. After examining many pieces under high magnification and looking at extreme blowups in books I would have to agree. Multiple headed punches are an interesting idea, but they leave evidence behind of there use. I have been making the punches and practicing the technique for a couple years now. I doubt that I will ever able to match the old work doing an hour here and an hour there, but there is something addictive about trying. Based on my own experience one observation I can make is the pressure required to sink a multiheaded Tagane is more significant than that of a single head. Distortion of the foundation is more likely as the head count increases on the Tagane. Single heads concentrate the pressure in the smallest surface allowing a more complete forming of the dot with much less pressure over all. This pretty much eliminates ground distortion. I am still working with a rather large tool .7mm. Much of the Nanako I see is generally .5mm to .3mm I was having lots of trouble getting anything useable until Ford told me to use a larger Tagane. That helped me quite a bit. I have learned to feel the work more than see it. I use magnification, but when things are going well it matters not. I know when the Tagane is ready to strike mostly be feel.

I can't imagine doing only Nanako for living. I would either go insane or lose the ability to use my hands do to repetitive motion stress. I have not yet worked up the moxy to take on an entire Shakudo Tsuba plate yet. Maybe next year hehe.

Here is a picture of the Tagane head I made that was used to create the texture on the F/K shown.

[Bugyotsuji]

Patience... is a Japanese word.

 

I like this Japanese proverb.

 

"Naranu kan-nin,

Suru ga kan-nin."

 

When you can be patient no longer,

Being patient then is patience. (Translation by Spider Godwin)

[Brian]

Patrick,

 

Thanks for that, always good to hear it from ppl who are actually doing it.

That f/k looks nicely done. You and Ford must be the forum resident craftsmen

 

Brian

[Martin]

Hi, I think there were optical enhancements available. Does anyone know more?

...

So magnification aids were available.

 

Thanks for the information John.

But were Nanako Ji not already created in earlier times (before Japanese Art & Culture being influenced by the Europeans) ?

It would be interesting to discover if artisans used optical enhancements (since they had access to them) or if they had too much pride to do so :D

 

cheers,

[John A Stuart]

Hi Martin, There are unsubstantiated claims that China exported lenses to Japan earlier, even shaped quartz. So, even if available I don't know if they were used by craftsmen. I would like to know. John

[Bugyotsuji]

Hmmm.... This is a very informative thread.

 

I am beginning to think that it might be worth digging more into past threads on the site if it is full of such valuable nuggets! Still only just scratching the surface, it seems. Very good.