sanjuro Posted April 7, 2011 Report Posted April 7, 2011 Guys. At the risk of sounding a bit sactimonious can I recommend a book to you that covers the intricacies of the sayashi as well as the tosho, the togishi and the kanagushi? The fit of a good saya is more than mere chance or even the result of incredible carving skill, and a correct fit on a shirasaya preserves the finish on a polished sword when an ill fitting shirasaya can abrade the polished surface. Likewise the making of an habaki is a painstaking and complex process which facilitates a correct fit and clearance in the saya. The sayashi could not make a saya correctly but for the kanagushi and his habaki, just as the kanagushi could not provide the correct habaki but for his knowledge of the work of a sayashi. Like everything nihonto, there is always more to it than meets the eye. This sort of detail becomes very important when you have a good quality, and possibly papered sword in polish. The book is called 'The Craft of the Japanese sword' by Kapp and Yoshihara. Oh... Did I mention that its full of pictures and great information? OK.... end of lecture even though it is not intended as such. :D
kusunokimasahige Posted April 7, 2011 Report Posted April 7, 2011 Great !!! I am always happy with book titles... I am currently thinking of The art of Japanese sword polishing : And the one you mentioned is certainly on my list from now ! To add a quote to contemplate on for all of us : 'A certain swordsman in his declining years said the following: In one's life, there are levels in the pursuit of study. In the lowest level, a person studies but nothing comes of it, and he feels that both he and others are unskillful. At this point he is worthless. In the middle level he is still useless but is aware of his own insufficiencies and can also see the insufficiencies of others. In a higher level he has pride concerning his own ability, rejoices in praise from others, and laments the lack of ability in his fellows. This man has worth. In the highest level a man has to look for knowing nothing. These are the levels in general. But there is one transcending level, and this is the most excellent of all. This person is aware of the endlessness of entering deeply into a certain Way and never thinks of himself as having finished. He truly knows his own insufficiencies and never in his whole life thinks he has succeeded. He has no thoughts of pride but with self-abasement knows the Way to the end. It is said master Yagyuu once remarked, "I do not know the way to defeat others, but the way to defeat myself." Throughout your life advance daily, becoming nmore skillful than yesterday, more skillful than today. This is never ending.' Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure KM 1
Kronos Posted April 7, 2011 Report Posted April 7, 2011 The book is called 'The Craft of the Japanese sword' by Kapp and Yoshihara. Oh... Did I mention that its full of pictures and great information? OK.... end of lecture even though it is not intended as such. :D I'm most of the way through reading it, I've found it a very good beginners book so far
estcrh Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Another bukuro? Not sure what to call this slip cover made of paper but I cant imagine that many still exhist. It contains a very unusual item, not sure how old either item is but they both look old, I was told "Edo period".
sanjuro Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 OK Eric ..... I'll play..... What's in the bokuro? It looks something like a paper bag for a kimono but I'll bet it isnt.
k morita Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Hi, It'a a paper bag for a "hata-sashimono" a flag , samurai banner. Sashimono means a flag , samurai banner. It's a John's world. http://www.johnstuart.biz/historical_ar ... rai_ba.htm
sanjuro Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Morita San. My Japanese is lousy. It would have taken me six months to work out that it said sashimono on that item, particularly since the kanji was somewhat stylised. :D The sashi character alone would have driven me to drink. 1
kusunokimasahige Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Japanese handwriting is a science in itself. When studying the Japanese language one of our professors told us a story about a memo being sent througout the Mitsubishi plant, on which all departments sent it back with the request to write properly next time because no one could read it. :lol: KM
estcrh Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 Hi,It'a a paper bag for a "hata-sashimono" a flag , samurai banner. Sashimono means a flag , samurai banner. It's a John's world. http://www.johnstuart.biz/historical_ar ... rai_ba.htm Morita san, you are correct of course, thank you for the translation! Here is the sashimono.
kusunokimasahige Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 What museum/shop is that ? Love the Norimono !! Sashimono is nice too, wondering what is written on it.. maybe Morita san has a clue. KM
estcrh Posted April 9, 2011 Report Posted April 9, 2011 What museum/shop is that ? Love the Norimono !! Sashimono is nice too, wondering what is written on it.. maybe Morita san has a clue. KM That was the "Return of the Samurai" exhibit in Victoria Canada. viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8017 http://s831.photobucket.com/albums/zz23 ... ?start=all
Bugyotsuji Posted April 11, 2011 Author Report Posted April 11, 2011 Back to swords for a second after all the finery! The little Chigo-zashi came back from the Togi-Shi and I listened to how hard he had said it was to do a professional polish on a tiny katana! The returning blade was pronounced, by one person whom I totally respect, to be forged in the Yamato style in every respect. An antiques dealer on Sunday however, whom I also respect, offered a different opinion. He said after peering at it for a while in the sunlight, that the Masame in the blade suggests Yamato, at first yes, but more so Mino, particularly the work of Jumyo, around the Bakumatsu period. Now this fits quite well with background information I have been collecting on this boy's sword, so I am inclined to take all of this on board. Now, when will I be able to step in and make a definitive judgment myself, I find myself wondering.
kusunokimasahige Posted April 11, 2011 Report Posted April 11, 2011 I made a counter offer, and got a counter-counter offer which i could not let go .... This now is mine : late Meiji to early Showa Era Yippiee ! KM Thank you Ian C. for bringing this to my attention !!!
Bugyotsuji Posted April 12, 2011 Author Report Posted April 12, 2011 Very beautiful. Congratulations. (PS Just in case any new readers here are now tempted to go out and buy lacquer, it is a very tricky area for a number of reasons. Don't buy until you are pretty sure of what it is you are holding. Learned the hard way: Rule-of-thumb Kit, Lesson One. Sounds simple, but check to make sure it isn't plastic or resin, covered in lacquer. How heavy is it? Can you see evidence of wood rings under the surface? Lesson Two. Is it old? Is it new? Be aware of how lacquer changes color/colour as it ages... etc.) I love lacquer.
kusunokimasahige Posted April 14, 2011 Report Posted April 14, 2011 Thank you Piers !! i must say i am very pleased with it. Today i received my Kamishimo ! It carries the Hanabishi mon, and judging from the pages of the KaMon book Stephen posted there are a few families who carried it. The age is unknown to me but it might be pre Showa, i do not know... The fabric itself is sturdy, and might be Hemp, if any of you out there know more about traditional fabric for non-silk kamishimo, i would be most pleased to know the answer. Here are the photos, I also put in a few macro's which show the weave and fabric better. KM
estcrh Posted April 14, 2011 Report Posted April 14, 2011 Today i received my Kamishimo !, It carries the Hanabishi mon, and judging from the pages of the KaMon book Stephen posted there are a few families who carried it. The age is unknown to me but it might be pre Showa, The seam looks hand sewn, and it looks to be in good condition, a good item for re-enactments. I believe there are several non silk fabrics besides hemp that were used for clothing.
John A Stuart Posted April 14, 2011 Report Posted April 14, 2011 Woven bark fibre cloth, cotton and flax (post Black ships), jute. Probably some I missed. John
kusunokimasahige Posted April 15, 2011 Report Posted April 15, 2011 Thank you so much for your information John ! Post KuroFune, that is great to hear! I will be very careful with it, and following your advice i will contact some textile restorers and the Leiden museum of Ethnic art to learn how to handle this cloth with regards to cleaning and conserving. KM
Baka Gaijin Posted April 16, 2011 Report Posted April 16, 2011 Good afternoon all Here's something wonderful from The British Museum collection database: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/s ... _id=551452 Cheers Malcolm
Bugyotsuji Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Posted April 24, 2011 Is that a digital image that they own, or do they have the actual object, Malcolm? Today we had an unusual study meeting with a lecture on Gibutsu, the types, the history and the reasons for. Following that, some examples were laid out for us to handle and discover what the problem was. Then we visited the Sano Collection which is on loan to the Osafune Token Museum until June 12th. If there are any foreigners still in Japan and mobile, this is worth a visit. 45 blades in total, of which one Kokuho, one Tokubetsu Juyo Token, 18 Juyo Bijutsuhin, 10 Juyo Token, and five Juyo Bunkazai. The Kokuho is a 13C Bizen Nagamitsu Naginata. There were three Heian blades from the 11 to 12C, and two Muramasa, one of which was unpapered.
Baka Gaijin Posted April 24, 2011 Report Posted April 24, 2011 Good afternoon Piers Most items on the British Museum site are catalogued and if not on display, then in store. The Sword case and cover is on display (G93/case10) Use the back button on the page or reload British Museum site and hit research tab on the nav bar there's access to 1,800,000 objects (or so they say). Here's a better link: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/s ... rentPage=1 And a little about the original donor: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/s ... oId=109390 There's a wealth of wonderful articles and images from all departments here, including an in depth article on the rusting of iron. http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/TRB2007_Wang.pdf Cheers Malcolm
Bugyotsuji Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Posted April 24, 2011 Impressive. Many thanks for the heads-up and those links.
Bugyotsuji Posted April 27, 2011 Author Report Posted April 27, 2011 Some bits have flowed past the windows of my submersible in the last few days. One is a Jitte/Jutte which has a Mekugi enabling the Tsuka to come off and the Mei on the Nakago to be read, much as with a Nihonto. It has an iron tsuba bound with a Gin-fukurin, and special seppa on either side made to slide along an oblong cross-section. The very tip of the weapon is not steel but brass. Another object is an Ugai-wan, a shallow dish which a Daimyo would have used for gargling apparently! I was assured it was a very rare object, so, despite the restoration work, I thought I must have this. Last night someone gave me a copper Maedate of Agari-fuji, enclosing a Bonji character (?), the whole topped with a Kiku sukashi. Then today I was given a large (9cm x 8cm) iron Tosa-Kuni-Ju Myochin Tsuba in the shape of a rough Dai-no-Ji. At a glance it looks like Bizen pottery, or even something you could eat. Why am I so popular all of a sudden? Is it my new aftershave lotion, or pitstop? Are people happy to see a real live foreigner still braving the plumes of deadly radiation? (Not) ...Or is April just a lucky month?
Lorenzo Posted April 27, 2011 Report Posted April 27, 2011 Why am I so popular all of a sudden? Is it my new aftershave lotion, or pitstop? [...] ...Or is April just a lucky month? Eh eh eh.. lucky you, when one spend some time with you feels the urge to payback Are you using some kind of pheromones?
Brian Posted April 27, 2011 Report Posted April 27, 2011 Piers, I bet I am not the only one dying to see pics of that jutte. Sounds very nice, and probably forged. Maybe from tamahagane? I wonder what is the purpose of the tip being not iron? Brian
Bugyotsuji Posted April 27, 2011 Author Report Posted April 27, 2011 Lorenzo, yes! Brian, here are the shots you ask for. Fresh from the camera! Some are too big, so the small ones first... (the others I will host elsewhere and link in...)
Bugyotsuji Posted April 28, 2011 Author Report Posted April 28, 2011 Brian, some good questions you have raised. I wonder if anyone has any thoughts. Tamahagane has to be a strong possibility. The rod seems to have been covered in a black patina which is wearing off. Urushi? The tip being exposed... so covered in brass... softer? ...to prevent it causing sparks...? As an artistic balance against the brass at the other end? Reflecting the decorations on Koshirae?
sanjuro Posted April 28, 2011 Report Posted April 28, 2011 This is rather a large and very impressive jitte. The quality seems very high and it is a decorative piece. Same', menuki and decorative seppa. Brass tip which indicates not to be used, urushi covered blade and tsuba? plus a signature. (Is it a signature or a dedication?) My guess is that it is either a presentation piece or the badge of office for say a police chief or some public official.
estcrh Posted April 28, 2011 Report Posted April 28, 2011 Here is a hachiwari with a similar style as the one Piers posted.
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